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Summary

In August and September 1991, parents (mostly mothers) of conscripted soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia protested against the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) to demand the return of their sons. They held rallies, vigils, and lobbying actions in front of army headquarters and even traveled to Belgrade and Brussels. The campaign succeeded in stopping further conscription from those republics, but it is unclear whether the sons already in the JNA were returned.

Tactics used

Tactics used

  • unknown

Background

In 1991, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was collapsing as Croatia and Slovenia declared independence, leading to war with Serbian forces supported by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). Parents from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia feared their conscripted sons would be forced to fight against their own compatriots. They demanded the return of sons stationed abroad or who had completed their service, and sought to stop further conscription from their republics.

What happened

On August 27, 1991, parents in Sarajevo disrupted a National Assembly meeting, demanding the recall of Bosnian soldiers; the assembly endorsed the demands, with Serbian representatives abstaining [source: nv-database]. Up to 10,000 parents attended, and several hundred spent the night in the assembly building [source: nv-database]. The next day they blocked traffic and asked for buses to Belgrade [source: nv-database]. On August 28, the Bosnian Vice President announced support from the Party for Democratic Action, and the government postponed sending new conscripts [source: nv-database]. On August 29, the Bosnian government provided ten buses to take parents to Belgrade, joined by parents from Croatia and Macedonia [source: nv-database]. Serbian authorities stopped several buses, but once in Belgrade thousands of parents protested at JNA headquarters, shouting for their sons’ return and demanding to see the Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff, who did not appear [source: nv-database]. On August 29-30, thousands of mothers protested in cities across Yugoslavia; 10,000 women in Osijek, Croatia, chanted ‘Serb army get out!’ and carried Croatian flags and banners [source: nv-database]. By this point all republics except Serbia and Montenegro had stopped sending new conscripts [source: nv-database]. In early September, 1,000 mothers organized by Shield of Love traveled to Brussels to protest before the European Community, holding a candlelight vigil and presenting demands [source: nv-database]. In Macedonia, parents continued protests through mid-September after Macedonian troops were transferred to an unknown location [source: nv-database]. With government support, further recruits were prevented from joining the JNA from Croatia, Macedonia, and the Muslim and Croatian segments of Bosnia [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Shield of Love
  • Parents’ Forum for the Protection of Soldiers
  • Center for Anti-War Actions
  • Croatian Government
  • Macedonian Government
  • Muslim Party for Democratic Action in Bosnia
  • non-Serbian members of the Bosnian parliament
  • Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA)
  • Stipe Mesic
  • President Izetbegovic

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The campaign achieved a partial success: it stopped further conscription from the three republics, but it is unclear whether sons already in the JNA were returned. The movement gained government support and some international attention, but the war continued and Bosnia-Herzegovina was later drawn into the conflict. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Mothers and parents can be powerful moral voices in anti-war movements, leveraging their emotional appeal to gain public and government support.
  • Coordinating protests across multiple republics and taking action to international bodies can amplify pressure on a central authority.
  • Even when the primary demand is not fully met, a campaign can achieve significant concessions such as halting conscription.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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