Today Croatia celebrates a holiday, the Day of National Gratitude, with a central parade being held in Knin, the most important city liberated in that operation. This is a big day for our country, but for our guests, it doesn’t mean much. Restaurants, coffee bars are opened; you will only find out that some shops are closed, but from tomorrow everything will be same as yesterday. Meanwhile, if you are in Zagreb or other cities in Croatia, celebrate this day with locals at one of the many free concerts and events. Take a glass of rakija and cheer to Croatia and freedom. Cheers!
Operation Storm (Croatian: Operacija Oluja) was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory for the Croatian Army (HV), which attacked across a 630-kilometre (390 mi) front against the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK), and a strategic victory for the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH). The HV was supported by the Croatian special police advancing from the Velebit Mountain, and the ARBiH located in the Bihać pocket, in the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina’s (ARSK) rear. The battle, launched to restore Croatian control of 10,400 square kilometres (4,000 square miles) of territory, representing 18.4% of the territory it claimed, and Bosnian control of Western Bosnia, was the largest European land battle since the Second World War. Operation Storm commenced at dawn on 4 August 1995 and was declared complete on the evening of 7 August, despite significant mopping-up operations against pockets of resistance lasting until 14 August. Source: Wikipedia
