Civil War in Yugoslavia Break-up Ethnic Cleansing Crisis in Kosovo

Yugoslavia after World War I Homeland for Slavs It consisted of various republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Montenegro

Religious Groups within Yugoslavia Orthodox Christians: Serbians Roman Catholics: Croatians Muslims: Bosnians The groups had distinct customs and religions but spoke the same language SERBS DOMINATED THE STATE

Yugoslavia post WW II Josip Broz Tito (Marshall) ruled Yugoslavia with an IRON hand until his death in 1980. Post Tito the economy weakens and age old ethnic conflicts flare up. 1991 – Communism collapses in Eastern Europe and civil war breaks out between the Croatians, Muslims and Serbians Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic stirs up ethnic unrest in his country leading to……

Bosnian Civil War 1992-1996 The war erupted between Muslims, Serbians and Croatians Serbs living in Bosnia received money and arms from Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic The Muslims, who were the majority did not want the country divided into ethnic regions

Horrors of Genocide

Genocide Slobodan Milosevic led the Serbs and had a huge military advantage He would order troops to gather up mass Muslims and shoot them or force them to flee their village. In Srebrenica, U.N. peacekeepers stood by helplessly as the Serbs under the command of General Ratko Mladic systematically selected and then slaughtered nearly 8,000 men and boys between the ages of twelve and sixty - the worst mass murder in Europe since World War II.

The Genocide Police regularly committed human rights abuses in the form of torture or physical abuse. People young and old were thrown in trucks and shipped off to their deaths. Escapees were shot or decapitated if caught. Young child who was murdered by military officers.

UN, NATO and RUSSIA work for peace 1995 NATO launched air strikes against the Bosnian Serb military Dayton Accords = peace agreements

After the Genocide Up to 200,000 men, and boys over 13 years old, were killed. Bosnian women and girls were held captive, raped and released when they were pregnant with Serbian babies The slaughtering was carried out by strict military orders. Thousands of bodies were buried in mass graves. There are still 20,000 people listed as missing in Bosnia.

Kosovo Crisis Kosovo is a province in Serbia sacred to Christian Serbs 90% of its inhabitants are ethnic Albanians who are Muslim Milosevic stripped Kosovo of its autonomy and established martial law Ethnic cleansing of Albanians began NATO held air strikes against Serbs

International War Crimes Trial for: Slobodan Milosevic Tried by the ICJ for crimes against humanity Trial lasted 4 years Prior to sentencing in March 2006 he died in jail

“The tragedy of Srebrenica will forever haunt the history of the United Nations.” –Kofi Annan

http://video.pbs.org/video/2150884934/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPrWMG4kILY