The Croatian War of Independence was a war in Croatia from 1991 to 1995. Initially, the war was waged between Croatian police forces and the Serbs living in the Socialist Republic of Croatia, who opposed its secession from Yugoslavia, and proclaimed an autonomous "Republic of Serb Krajina" to ensure their status.
Over time, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), began helping the Serbs fighting in Croatia. The Croatian side aimed to establish a sovereign Republic of Croatia outside of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Serbs, supported from Serbia, opposed the secession and wanted to remain a part of Yugoslavia, effectively seeking new boundaries in those parts of Croatia with a Serb majority or significant minority.
In Croatia the war is referred to as Domovinski rat (Homeland War).
In Serbia, the phrase rat u Hrvatskoj (War in Croatia) is the most common name.