Word: offing
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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The Yugoslav People's Army was, according to the American diplomat George Kennan, the third strongest in Europe. A Croatian army did not exist in the early '90s. On the one hand, Tudjman managed to organize resistance and thus prevent the total crushing of a young democracy by tanks--a...
On the other hand, Tudjman was willing to negotiate and to uphold a dialogue. Consequently, he prevented an all-out war, which would have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths on all sides and could have led to the destruction of the country.
If the unification of the Croatian people was not Tudjman's greatest achievement, then it was his walk on the tight rope between freedom and destruction. He did not lose the former, nor suffer the latter.
On the political side, Tudjman developed the country by introducing infrastructure improvements and economic privatization. Thanks to these large projects, the entire center of the capital of Zagreb was reconstructed. Privatization proved to be a more difficult obstacle, and many believe it was conducted in an unfair manner, giving preference...
So, why has there been such a cold response from the West to his death? Tudjman ruled with self-confidence and determination. In negotiations he was tough; on political necessities like self-determination he was insistent. As the unifier of the Croatian people, support for him was incredibly high. From...