The Yugoslav wars began with fighting in Slovenia
On this day · 27 June 1991
Days after Slovenia declared independence, federal tanks rolled toward its borders, opening a ten-day war and the violent end of Yugoslavia.
On June 27, 1991, the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) moved against Slovenia, two days after the small republic declared independence from socialist Yugoslavia. Tank columns rolled from their barracks toward border crossings and Ljubljana’s airport, opening what became known as the Ten-Day War.
Slovenia’s lightly armed Territorial Defence fought back with surprising effect, blocking roads, besieging army units, and shooting down JNA helicopters. The federal army, unsure whether it was fighting a war or policing a province, found itself outmaneuvered.
The conflict was brief and, by later Balkan standards, contained: around 60 people were killed before a ceasefire held.
The Brioni Accords of July 7 ended the fighting and effectively conceded Slovenia’s exit. But the clash shattered the idea that Yugoslavia could hold together by force, and far bloodier wars soon followed in Croatia and Bosnia, killing tens of thousands over the rest of the decade.
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