Yugoslavia Trilogy, Part III: 1991-1998
Yugoslavia's collapse
Version: 2.02
Best played as: All options open; against PO, best as Secessionist
1. SHORT SUMMARY
The scenario is intended to cover the wars in ex-Yugoslavia (Croatia and Bosnia) since 1991 to 1995, but also includes Kosovo campaign (1999-2000), as
well as resulting NATO air intervention and, possibly, a NATO ground campaign.
Scenario is intended to be long and complex, but also very rewarding - variaty of options, equipment and variation makes it tons of fun
(See enclosed documentation for extensive details!)
2. SIDES AND UNIT COLOURS
2.1. SECESSIONISTS (those wanting independence)
Croatia
- Croatian Army (HV) - Lt Red (Guard units), Blue (Regulars) or Dark Red (Irregulars) on Blue
- Croatian paramilitary (HOS) - Black on Blue
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bosnian Moslem Army (Mus) - White (Regulars) or Blue (Irregulars) on Green
- Bosnian Croat Army (HVO) - White (Regulars) or Lt Blue (Irregulars) on Blue
Kosovo
- Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - Black on Brown
- Albanian Volunteers (ALB) - Blue on Brown
Foreign
- Foreign Mercenaries - Blue on Black
- Moslem Mudzahaden Volunteers - Teal on Black
- Al-Qaida terrorists - Black on Black
- Slovenia (Slo) - White on Lt. Blue (Army) or Tan on Lt. Blue (Police)
- NATO (NATO) - Blue on Olive
- Germany (GER) - White on Lt Grey
- United States (USA) - White on Olive
- UN Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) - Blue on White
2.2. 2) YUGOSLAVIA (Serbia and Montenegro)
- Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA) - White on Red*
- In Serbia: Rep of Yugoslavia (VRJ) - Yellow on Red (Regulars) or Dark Red (Irregulars)
- In Croatia: Rep Serbian Krajina (VSK) - Red on Red (Regulars) or Dark Red (Irregulars) and Brown on Dark Red (Babic faction Irregulars)
- In Bosnia: Serbian Rep (VRS) - Black on Red (Regulars) or Dark Red (Irregulars)
- In Bosnia: Pro-Serb Moslems of Fikret Abdic (FA) - Black on Green
Foreign
- Foregin Serb Volunteers - Yellow on Yellow
- Russian Army - Blue on Yellow
- Foreign Mercenaries - Red on Black
- UN Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) - Cyan on White
Regulars refer to professional front line service troops (in some cases, also paramilitary units); while Irregulars include self-organized formations, conscript units, volunteers.
Some JNA formations have VRJ color codes because JNA is withdrawn during scenario, but the units that remain under Serb control under same name and composition are made VRJ from start. This is a better solution then having units disband and appear 40 hexes farther on the same turn.
3. VICTORY CONDITIONS
3.1. CHANCE OF VICTORY > LOCATION (FOR FORCE 1 = 2)
- 100% > Beograd = Zagreb
- 60% > Podgorica = Split
- 33% > Banja Luka = Mostar
- 33% > Knin = Sarajevo
3.2. Score endings
Both sides have three Peace plans they can accept (activated by Theatre Options), for which you lose VPs and then Score ending is considered. Peace
proposals are made at various (historic) times and are available for a limited time. Amount of VPs lost varies.
Scenario can be said to have two possible historical endings:
1) Yugoslav player chooses 'Accept Dayton Accord' Theatre option (PO mostly does) or
2) Secessionist forces capture Knin, thereby winning.
Any other ending apart from these two is unhistorical.
4. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
4.1. LOCAL
- "Fortress Vukovar" rule: Yugoslav player is effected by bad shock until he captures Vukovar.
- Sometime in 1992, war will start in Bosnia. Bosnian Moslems and Croats will join Secessionists, while Yugoslav will get Bosnian Serbs and more JNA
forces (Yugoslav player has the option of speeding up this event in the Theatre Option box).
- Chance of war starting in Kosovo following good Secessionist progress through several events. This will release Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to
Secessionist player.
- Secessionists have Theatre Option to call Slovenia to join war, but it will cost them VPs if it succeeds. Slovenia will deploy only several brigades
and will probably withdraw after some time.
- International pressure will cause Serbs to dismantle JNA in mid-1992, upon which the units will be reorganized into VRJ, VSK and VRS formations.
4.2. FOREIGN
- Good chance Germany will deploy air and airborne forces, then smaller chance of massive ground troops being send to aid Secessionists if Zagreb is
threatened.
- Good chance Russia will deploy air forces and then elite para troops to aid Yugoslavia if Serbia proper is threatened.
- A chance of World War III starting in Europe if Russia intervenes.
- A chance of WW3 going nuclear if it starts (means defeat for both sides).
- Yugoslav conquests and events edge NATO and US closer to intervention: there are three NATO air intervention levels, each with a number of air
units.
- After NATO intervention, if Yugoslav player continues with 'dubious' actions, US/NATO will deploy a carrier group and large air forces.
- Good chance US/NATO will deploy massive ground troops if air attacks don't bring war to close.
- NATO/US ground attack will start out from Italy, Albania and Macedonia. Slovenia will allow NATO troops passage to enter war from Italy.
- Good chance Germany will send it's own ground forces following NATO intervention.
- Good chance Slovenia and Albania will join NATO forces if they deploy ground troops.
- Deployment of US forces could trigger Russian air intervention.
- Some actions (negative ones) on part of Secessionists can cancel US/NATO deployment. Be weary of inviting mercenaries, attacking UN forces or negative
Theatre Options.
- UN protection forces (UNPROFOR) will enter the scenario to protect threatened cities. They are locked and unusable, but can be attacked. Destroying
UNPROFOR units could have very serious consequences (nationality of troops can matter).
4.3. POLITICAL
- Presidential elections will be held in Croatia and Serbia in 1992. Default, historic and most likely result is reelection of previous president, which
changes nothing. A right-wing opposition winning in Croatia will prevent dismantling (and raise new) HOS units and start more aggressive war operations. His
victory will also cancel Croat-Moslem war which otherwise starts in 1993. A moderate candidate winning Serbian election quite possibly leads to peace
agreement being made (point scoring ending).
- Serb ally, Russia, has a permanent Security Council vote. This gives Yugoslav player access to an important decision in Theatre Option screen: placing
a Veto on the extension of UNPROFOR mandate, which causes UN troops to leave forever.
- Serbia has a random (15%) chance of obtaining nuclear weapons from Russia. This will be deplored by NATO, but only usage of these is certain to cause
international intervention.
- UN will form the Hague Tribunal for war crimes sometime in the game. They will demand both sides to send accused officers there. Depending on random
choice, acceptance will cost VPs and rejection will affect NATO variable.
- Both sides have mercenaries available, which can be summoned by Theatre Options. Bringing in mercenaries will usually have bad consequences on world
opinion (although there is a chance of not getting caught). In addition to mercenaries, Bosnian Moslems can call for a Jihad, causing world outrage, but
brining many Mudzahedin units (without it, they receive only a few of these).
- If Jihad is called for, Al-Qaida cells will start to operate in Serbia and there is a chance of a large terrorist attack on Belgrade, which cancels
NATO/US.
5. LAST NOTES / DESIGNER COMMENTS
This scenario has been long in making. An earlier, brigade-level scenario, was found to be too inaccurate. The result of several months of painstaking research, this version can be considered as 'coming close' to history. Information availability for this period will be low for decades to come. Regardless, I have done the best possible to recreate actual units and dispositions. Because the scenario covers many years, I was forced to make some choices. The most important one was to concentrate on one particular year for one nation to which the rest of the scen will be subordinate (this means that, in making one nation, I've chosen their 1994 order of battle and have the scenario 'work up' to 1994 with units appearing). All in all, I think the OOBs, objectives, events and unit placements make this a fairly accurate historic representation of the wars.
Historically, the wars presented in this scenario were separate ones. For all practical purposes, however, they were extremely linked by the size of the theatres and sides involved. There was never an alliance between "Secessionists", because leaders of breakaway republics could never get their priorities straight (Bosnians did not believe war could come to them, Croat and Slovenian leadership were suspicious of other nationalities, Albanians had no real military power) and, therefore, each nation was facing Serbian power alone until 1995 when Croatian-Bosnian alliance finally overcame Serbian supremacy. Despite lack of alliances, units did mix out through theatres: Serb units did not recognize borders and some Croatian troops entered Bosnia to join the fight there. Not only, however, where there no alliance, but Croat and Muslim Bosnians fought amongst themselves during 1993. However, TOAW-CW supports only two "sides" to battle. Because of that, I have united all non-Serbs as one side, since the object of all sides fighting Serbs is same: secession from Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, TOAW limitations have impaired my vision to some extent - if it would support another 500 events, I would probably fill them out without any problem. Luckily, I got around to finishing all units for Force 2 just before I realized I'm all out of space for more units!
If the scenario could plays out in total historical lines, Kosovo and Serbia would be 'locked-out' until the KLA uprising. As this is not possible to do in the game, and to allow greater flexibility and fantasy variance to the basic game, anything is possible: after all, the game is here to simulate options, not follow a script. It is still possible to end in a historic-like ending if the Serbs choose the 'Sign Dayton Accord' Theatre option from late 1995. This ends the game, however.
Another point I want to make (since I know the people looking at this scenario could be in one way or other involved in these wars) is that I am, by nationality, a Croatian. I, however (and unlike some people I won't name), do not base war game scenarios on anything other then historical accuracy and making playability interesting. If you have a problem with the way any nation has been presented in the scenario or briefing, I am very sorry history/realism offends you. If anything, it is your actions (mostly through Theatre Options) that determine who is 'the bad guy' is in the scenario.
Igor Rzaunek