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Croatia has a naval tradition dating back to the 5th Century. The Croatian Navy, however, as an entity separate from the former Royal and Socialist governments of Yugoslavia, only came into being in 1991, proving its mettle during four years of war.
Most of the former Yugoslavia's naval bases and shipbuilding infrastructure were located in Croatia, making them a prime target for Serbian expansion. Serbian forces attempted to take several key ports, such as Split, Dubrovnik, and Sibenik. The Croatian Navy was used in conjunction with land forces to break Serbian blockades of these ports and to maintain the territorial integrity of Croatia. The navy was able to seize...