U martu 1996, Tuđman, koji je u to vrijeme bio predsjednik Hrvatske, imenovao je Gotovinu za šefa inspektorata Hrvatske vojske Gotovinu je 29. septembra 2000. smijenio Mesić, koji je pobijedio na predsjedničkim izborima u Hrvatskoj u februaru te godine.
In March 1996, Tudjman, who was Croatia's president at the time, appointed Gotovina chief of the Croatian Army Inspectorate. Gotovina was dismissed by Stipe Mesic on September 29, 2000, who won the Croatian presidential election in February of that year