The Disintegration of Yugoslavia: Balkanization

PRE - WWI Western Europe = Catholic, Protestant Eastern Europe = (Eastern) Orthodox Middle East = Islam Greek Orthodox Church

WORLD WAR I Terrorists from the Black Hand (Serbs) assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This was the “spark” that caused WWI. The Allies forced the diverse groups into Yugoslavia. The SERBS (Orthodox) tended to dominate the new govt.

WORLD WAR II Yugoslavia was attacked by the Germans in 1941. Many CROATS (Catholic) saw an opportunity for revenge and sided with the Nazis and massacred thousands of Serbs. 1942

POST-WAR YUGOSLAVIA During WWII, Marshall TITO defeated the Nazis. He became a dictator and later communist. His power kept peace between the ethnic and religious groups. When Tito died in 1980, ethnic tension increased.

1980-1989 The economy collapsed, especially in Serbia. The Serbs chose to blame the Muslim Albanians living in the province of KOSOVO - the poorest of the Yugoslavs. The Serbs begin “cracking down” on all non-Serbian ethnic groups. Ethnic group distribution in Communist Yugoslavia

1991 USSR collapses At a meeting to determine the future of Yugoslavia, Serb nationalism promoted by Slobodan Milosevic prompts the other regions to declare their independence from Yugoslavia. The new countries are Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovenia.

1992 MILOSEVIC becomes the leader of Yugoslavia (mostly Serbian). Bosnian Serbs revolt against the Bosnian govt. because they do not want to live under a Muslim-led (Bosnian) govt. Civil War begins. Serbs are fighting against Bosnian Muslims and Croats. Croatians and Bosnians also fought each other. The United Nations sends peacekeeping forces and declares an arms embargo on Bosnia: no one may sell or give weapons to either side.

1992-1995 Milosevic ignores the embargo and gives weapons to the Serbs. Serbs begin ETHNIC CLEANSING: getting rid of an ethnic group by killing them or forcing them to leave an area.

1992-1995 The UN created so called safe havens in 1993 and promised to protect the refugees. The Serbs attacked the safe havens, and NATO attacked the Serbs in response. In 1994, the Russian govt. warned that they would not support any more attacks on Serbs.

1995 The UN lifts the arms embargo. Since the war is no longer going their way, the Serbs agree to negotiate a cease fire. Representatives from Serbs, Croats, Bosnians and diplomats from the UN create the Dayton Agreement. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains one country. Yossi Lemel, Israel, 1995

Dec. 95 - Treaty Serbs govern the areas they controlled, and the Muslims govern the rest. US, British and French troops have been sent to Bosnia to enforce the agreement.

1999 - Kosovo In the late 90s the Serbs in Yugoslavia attempted to push out the ethnic Muslim Albanians from the southern province of Kosovo. The local KLA could not resist. NATO bombed Yugoslavia from March to June of 1999 until the Serbs withdrew. Ethnic hatred still runs deep, and some Kosovars have retaliated against Serbs.

Mass graves Serb refugees Kosovar refugees returning Serb protestors KLA - Kosovo Liberation Army Flags on caskets

Balkanization The combination of the disintegration of Yugoslavia and ethnic cleansing caused a new term to be created: Balkanization – after the Balkan Peninsula – means the breakdown of a society along ethnic and/or religious lines. This term is also used to describe similar conflict in other regions. Families attempt to identify the remains from mass graves. 20,000+ are still missing.

Today Milosevic lost an election for president and then was turned over to the UN to be tried by the people of Yugoslavia in return for foreign aide. He is still popular with many Serbs. Marovic elected new president 3/2003 All sanctions lifted, but infrastructure still bad from bombing The revolution to oust Milosevic Marovic with Colin Powell

Milosevic on Trial On trial for war crimes at the UN in the Hague, Netherlands. Defending himself against war crimes: Croatia 91-92-crimes against humanity; Bosnia 92-95- genocide; Kosovo99- crimes against humanity – In all, 300,000+dead Yugoslavia changed to Serbia-Montenegro 2/2003 – Montenegro emancipated, 2006 Milosevic died in his UN jail cell of a heart condition in March, 2006 without any resolution to his case.