Bosnian Genocide
Map
Background
Bosnia is one of several small countries
(about a third the size of England) that
emerged from the break-up of Yugoslavia.
Population of 4.5 million.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is a mountainous
country.
a multicultural country created after World
War I by the victorious Western Allies.
Captured by Nazi Germany in WWII but
gained independence again after German
defeat.
Joseph Tito was the communist leader who
reunified Yugoslavia.
Josip Broz Tito
Yugoslavia was a mixture of ethnic and religious
groups that had been historical rivals, even bitter
enemies,
– Serbs (Orthodox Christians),
– Croats (Catholics)
– and ethnic Albanians (Muslims).
Maintained ties with the USSR and the US
during the Cold War, playing one superpower
against the other.
When he died in 1980 Yugoslavia went into
political and economical turmoil.
New Leader was Slobodan Milosevic who
rekindled a lot of the religious hatred between
groups.
Location of Ethnic Groups
Slobodan Milosevic
The Genocide occurred because of the breakup
of the former Yugoslavia. (Former countries
were wanting independence.)
– In June 1991, Slovenia and Croatia (regions in
Yugoslavia) both declared their independence
resulting in civil war.
Slobodan Milosevic ( a Serb) was the leader of
Yugoslavia. He didn’t care about Slovenia (no
Serbs – actually he was pushed out by the
Slovenians)
Instead he focused on Croatia where Serbs
were a minority.
Fighting Begins
Croatia
Milosevic's forces invaded in July 1991 to 'protect'
the Serbian minority.
They bombarded the outgunned Croats for 86
consecutive days and reduced a main city to
rubble.
The Serbs began the first mass executions of the
conflict, killing hundreds of Croat men and burying
them in mass graves.
The response of the international community was
limited.
An arms embargo was imposed for all of the former
Yugoslavia by the United Nations. (Didn’t help because
Serbian forces were best armed forces in the region.)
Fighting turns to Bosnia
In April 1992, the U.S. and European
Community chose to recognize the
independence of Bosnia, (a mostly Muslim
country)
Milosevic attacked Sarajevo (Bosnian
Capital)
Serb snipers continually shot down helpless
civilians in the streets, including over 3,500
children.
Serbs began to roundup local Muslims
similar to the events that occurred under
the Nazis.
The term “ethnic cleansing” was coined
during this time.
Response to Serb Actions
Despite media reports of the secret camps, the mass
killings, and the destruction of Muslim mosques and
historic architecture, the world community remained
indifferent.
The U.N. deployed troops to protect the distribution of
food and medicine to dispossessed Muslims.
the U.N. strictly prohibited its troops from interfering
militarily against the Serbs.
An arms embargo was imposed earlier, now economic
sanctions were imposed.
Throughout 1993, confident that the U.N., United States
and the European Community would not take militarily
action, Serbs in Bosnia freely committed genocide
against Muslims.
Breaking point
In February1994, a marketplace in Sarajevo was struck
by a Serb mortar shell killing 68 persons and wounding
nearly 200. This got the world’s attention.
Because of international media attention, calls for
military intervention against the Serbs began.
President Clinton gave warning to Serbs and Milosevic
through NATO demanding that the Serbs withdraw from
Sarajevo. The Serbs quickly agreed and a was declared.
UN peacekeepers went in, to build safe spots, but the
Serbs attacked the safe spots and attacked the
peacekeepers. NATO troops responded.
The Serbs retaliated by taking hundreds of U.N.
peacekeepers as hostages and turning them into human
shields. Some of the worst genocides began.
NATO began massive strikes which hurt the
Serbs badly.
BBC ON THIS DAY | 5 | 1994
Faced with the heavy NATO bombardment
and a string of ground losses to the MuslimCroat alliance, Serb leader Milosevic was
now ready to talk peace.
A cease-fire was struck and NATO sent in
60,000 troops to protect it.
Aftermath
By the time the UN went in, over 200,000 Muslim
civilians were murdered.
More than 20,000 were missing and feared dead,while
2,000,000 had become refugees.
This genocide was, according to U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, "the greatest
failure of the West since the 1930s."
Milosevic was charged with genocide by the UN but he
constantly objected to and denounced the credibility of
the charges.
Milosevic to face genocide charge
Milosevic’s trial never finished, there were several delays
due to judges resigning and Milosevic’s health.
Milosevic was found dead in his jail cell in March of
2006.
Historic bridge reopens in Bosnia
Manjaca Prison Camp
Mass Grave in Srebrenica
What does this suggest?
What Issues arise from this event?
There are echoes of the Holocaust here too.
– How easy is it to imagine the Bosnian conflict taking place in
your own part of the world? If it seems unlikely, what are the
conditions that make it so? Could those conditions be created in
areas where conflict is likely?
Issues arising from Bosnia include the huge problem of
displaced persons and refugees - and asylum-seekers.
There is also the issue of military intervention to stop
war. Military intervention sustains people's belief that
armed conflict will always be the way to go.
The UN and world leaders ignoring the whole event.
Quick facts to write:
The former Yugoslavia was a mixture of ethnic and
religious groups that had been historical rivals and bitter
enemies,
– Serbs (Orthodox Christians),
– Croats (Catholics)
– and ethnic Albanians (Muslims).
Bosnia emerged from the break-up of Yugoslavia.
Slobodan Milosevic rekindled a lot of the religious hatred
between groups.
Genocide occurred because regions were wanting
independence.
Serb forces started mass execution of the Croats then
turned attention to Bosnia once they declared
independence.
The term “ethnic cleansing” was coined during this time.
The UN and other countries did very little (trade
sanctions) until a marketplace in Sarajevo killing
many innocent civilians.
International media called on action.
UN and NATO troops were sent in. Safe spots
were created.
Some UN officials were captured and held
hostage.
NATO conducted massive strikes against Serbs.
Ceasefire achieved after 200,000 people were
killed and 2,000,000 displaced.
Milosevic was arrested and face UN war tribunal
but died before it concluded.
http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Ge
nocide/bosnia_genocide.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/st
ories/august/30/newsid_2510000/2510299
.stm