▁high - ran king ▁SA O ▁S B WS ▁and ▁Ser bian ▁officials , ▁including ▁S lob od an ▁Mil o še vić ▁and ▁Gor an ▁Had ž ić , ▁with ▁war ▁cr imes ▁committed ▁in ▁Dal j . ▁The ▁kill ings ▁were ▁extens ively ▁covered ▁by ▁German ▁media ▁leading ▁to ▁forming ▁of ▁a ▁public ▁opinion ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Cro atia . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Germany ▁adopted ▁support ▁for ▁diplom atic ▁recognition ▁of ▁Cro atia ▁as ▁its ▁policy ▁and ▁duty . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁following ▁the ▁elect oral ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Republic ▁of ▁Cro atia , ▁eth nic ▁t ensions ▁in ▁the ▁republic ▁w ors ened . ▁The ▁Y ug oslav ▁People ' s ▁Army ▁( J ug oslov enska ▁Narod na ▁Arm ija ▁– ▁J NA ) ▁conf isc ated ▁Cro atia ' s ▁Territ orial ▁Def ence ▁( T er itor ij al na ▁ob ran a ▁– ▁TO ) ▁weapons ▁to ▁m imin ize ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁resistance ▁following ▁the ▁elections . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁August , ▁the ▁t ensions ▁es cal ated ▁into ▁an ▁open ▁revol t ▁of ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁Ser bs , ▁cent red ▁on ▁the ▁pre domin antly ▁Ser b - pop ulated ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Dal mat ian ▁hinter land ▁around ▁Kn in , ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁L ika , ▁K ord un , ▁Ban ov ina ▁and ▁eastern ▁Cro atia . ▁They ▁established