Ethnic Groups in the Balkans

Southeastern Europe

Yugoslavia

Created in 1920 from remains fromAustro-Hungarian Empire

Changed name to Yugoslavia in 1929

Ethnic Groups

AlbaniansBosniansCroatsHungariansMontenegrinsSerbsSlovenesMacedonians

During WWII invasions and civil wars between ethnic groups led to creating 6 equal republics within Yugoslavia Kosovo, Serbia and

Vojvodina given autonomous status (free from rule of Yugoslavia)

Controlled by communist president Josip Broz Tito Authoritarian rule Some ethnicities

discriminated

Croatia

Tito’s Death and Aftermath Josip Tito,

president of Yugoslavia, dies in 1980.

By the late 80s, a new leader had emerged, Slobodan Milosevic Emerged on a

platform of nationalism and religious hatred

Serbia under Milosevic

1985: Serbia accuses Kosovo of anti-Serb “genocidal” policies

Nationalism of Serbs continues to grow

1990: Milosevic dissolves Kosovo autonomy

Kosovo responds by declaring a republic

Serbs = ChristianAlbanians= Muslim

Croatia Conflict In June 1991: Croatia

and Slovenia declare independence from Yugoslavia

Fascist movement in Croatia and anti-Serb rhetoric leads Serbia to invade with Yugoslav Nat’l Army (JNA)

Serbia Bombed Vukovar for 86 days, after fall of city, begins first mass executions of men

Cease-fire in Croatia

At the end of 1991, the U.S. brokered a cease-fire agreement between Croatia and Serbia

Bosnian Conflict In 1992 U.S. and

international community recognizes independence of Bosnia, Serbia responds by attacking Sarajevo “siege” style

In the countryside Serbs rounded up Bosnians, had mass shootings, forced them to relocate, or put them in concentration camps

Serbian soldiers and men raped thousands of Bosnian women

U.N. Involvement

U.N. responds with sanctions and peacekeeping troops to ensure supplies reach Sarajevo

U.N. ordered not to intervene militarily

“Ethnic Cleansing” Throughout 1993 Serbs

carry out ethnic cleansing of Bosnians, certain that U.N. will not interevene

Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb Republic President ordered and controlled these attacks

Ratko Mladic carried out the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre