Find out about the ethnic violence that led to the partition of Yugoslavia. Compare your findings with what you have read about partition in this chapter.

(i) A major development in last phase of 20th century had been the break of Yugoslavia and the terrific violence that had accompanied it. It might be recalled that Yugoslavia emerged as an independent country or state at the end of First World War (1918).

(ii) During the Second World War (1939-45), the people of Yugoslavia waged a heroic war of resistance against the Nazi occupation.

(iii) Yugoslavia become a federation of six republics after the Second World War. Though ruled by the Communist Party, she had rejected Soviet control on it. Josip Broz Tito, who had led the Yugoslavian resistance against Nazi occupation and subsequently headed the government of Yugoslavia was, played the role of one of the main pioneers of the NAM (Non-Align Movement).

(iv)    At the end of 1980s, as an other communist ruled states in Europe, there was demand for the ending of the communist party’s exclusive control over the Government. By early 1990, non-communist governments had come to power in most of the republics of Yugoslavia.

(v)    In the meantime, many republics had started demanding independence. By early 1992, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina had declared their independence, and Serbia and Montenegro together formed the new state of Yugoslavia.

(vi) The declaration of independence by Bosnia-Herzegovnia has been followed by most tragic violence in which thousands of people have been killed. This republic is inhabited by Serbians, Croats and Muslims. The Bosnian Serbs, supported by Serbia, control a large part of Bosnian territory They are hostile to the idea of a multicultural independent.

(vii) A bloody war has been going on since 1992 between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims inspite of the presence of the UN Peace Force. The war against Bosnian Muslims has been described by some Serbian leaders as a war for ethnic cleaning. It is obnoxious terms which has been used to justify the extermination of one ethnic group by another.