Abstract An analysis of the Bosnian war and the conflict between Serbs, Croats and Muslims. The author investigates the relations and causes for conflict between these societies.
From the Paper "Yugoslavia, long known to Europeans and Americans as a sunny place to vacation, became in the 1990s the land where modern, educated people went to war against their neighbors. In Croatia, one of the six republics that made up the Yugoslav federation, the "Brotherhood and Unity Highway" became the front line of fratricide in the summer of 1991, as Serb and Croat villagers shot up toll booths and gas stations and claimed sections of the road as their own. By the time their leaders agreed to a cease-fire in January 1992, as many as 10,000 Serbs and Croats had died in the Croatian war, many of them killed close to their homes by people with whom they had lived peacefully for a generation or more.'
Abstract A paper detailing the war that ravaged the Balkans in the early 1990?s, which uncovers the humanity of an extraordinarily patriotic population of that land and the incredible suffering endured by them.
From the paper:
"Often our lives are difficult and too busy for us to be able to digest all the information that comes our way every day. Consequently, more often than not, we tend to overlook information that, we feel, does not directly impact us. Even when we do pay attention, the information is presented so matter-of-factly that it frequently leaves us emotionless, unaffected, and therefore unmoved to act.
While Bosnian Muslims and Croats cried out for help, the world stood quietly by and did practically nothing to deal with the main cause of their suffering - the ravaging warfare."
Tags: balkans, bosnia, cleansing, croatia, ethnic, mostar, muslims, race, religion, sarajevo, violence, war, yugoslavia
From the Paper "Ethnic differences between the Balkan republics during the last century are the driving force behind today's war in the former Yugoslavia. Although once united in an uneasy peace with one another under a watered down communist regime, the republics have always been divided by ethnic, religious, and political differences. By the 1990s, these differences reached a flashpoint, and the Yugoslavian republics were headed on a collision course.
Because the Yugoslavian republics had been federally forced together despite their differences, what appeared as relative stability was, in fact, an explosion waiting to happen. Some of the differences leading to the ongoing bitterness and strife between the different republics will be examined. In addition, an overview of past communist rule will show that the republics have always struggled for autonomy, despite strong federal forces. Finally, a look at future possibilities will include a discussion of the probability of peace or continued war."
Abstract This paper provides a historical background of the war in Bosnia. The book, "Sarajevo Blues" by Semezdin Mehmedinovic is discussed in order to illustrate a personal account of the day to day existence in Sarajevo, during the Bosnian war. The factors that tore Bosnia apart and rendered it helpless to the conflicts raging within, are outlined in the paper.
From the Paper "The war started in April 1992, when Yugoslavia was dissolved because the former leader, Tito, had passed away. This resulted in a vying for power between the three ethnicities in Bosnia. The Muslims and Croats favored independence for Bosnia while most of the Serbs did not. However, the votes were over 63% in favor of independence and since this meets the standard for recognition by the US and the EU, Bosnia was recognized as an independent country in April 1992."
Abstract Discusses the 1995 DPA that ended the Civil War in Bosnia. Division of Bosnia into the Serb Republic and the Federation (Muslim-Croat). DPA successful in peace keeping but ineffective in consensus building. High ethnic animosity. Issue of war crimes. Factors that act against reunification of Bosnia.
From the Paper "The principal achievement of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) was the cessation of the civil war in Bosnia. The peace has been maintained for nearly six years, but this is only because of the presence of large numbers of U.S. and coalition troops. Some DPA objectives have barely begun to be accomplished. The return of minority refugees to various parts of the country, for instance, has been extremely slow and has met with resistance from potential returnees and those who drove them out in the first place. Ethnic animosity has remained extremely high according to most reports and this is mirrored in the perpetual instability of the central government of the Republic now known as Bosnia-Herzegovina. Despite the successful maintenance of peace the Dayton Accords offer very little in the way of a viable framework for reuniting Bosnia into an ..."
Abstract A discussion on the civil war between Serbs and Croats in Bosnia. The paper covers ethnic cleansing, the war between Serbs and ethnic Albanians, and the fall of the Serbian government.
From the Paper "A Comparison of Ethnic Divisions in the
Former Yugoslavia and Former Czechoslovakia
For much of the 1990s, the attention of Europe and the world was riveted on ethnic turmoil in the former Balkan nation of Yugoslavia, as ethnic Serbs and Croats fought a ..."
Abstract This paper gives background information on the ethnic conflict that has existed for centuries in both Yugoslavia and Chechnya and then looks at how that ethnic conflict has affected each region. The paper compares the different reasons behind the conflicts in each region, the severity of the conflicts, and their political consequences.
From the Paper "Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, conflict in Eastern Europe has been grounded largely in ethnic, rather than political, differences. Two key examples are the wars and subsequent atrocities in Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2000 and the war between Russia and Chechnya of 1994-1996. In both cases discrimination, whether perceived or actual, solidified ethnic identity and led to violent conflict, a sovereign ethnic state being the goal."
Abstract This paper examines the tensions that existed between Croats, Muslims and Serbs in Bosnia and examines the conditions that led to the recent war there. The paper also discusses the response to the conflict of the United Nations, the European Union and the United States and the reasons for the ethnic cleansing that took place during the conflict. Finally, the paper considers whether it was wise for the west to intervene in Bosnia and concludes emphatically that it was the right decision.
From the Paper "Nikolaos A. Stavrou, professor of International Affairs at Howard University and apologist for the Croatian factor of Yugoslavia writes that the Bosnian mess is getting worse by the day. According to Professor Stavou, a misinformation cabal and a masterful censorship of truth that would have made many dictators envious keep the American people in the dark. Instead of enlightenment, a new science of victimology has been developed to hide facts and force upon us a policy based on emotions. He writes that everywhere he traveled and at every conference he attended in the past four years, one question always popped up: Where is the other side to the Bosnia story? The professor has no answer, but feels a civic duty to attempt an answer."
