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{{History of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{History of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
The '''war in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]''' was an armed conflict that took place from [[6 April]] [[1992]] to [[14 September]] [[1995]]. The data about the victims from the [[Sarajevo]]-based [[Information and Documentation Center]] state that there were circa 102,000 killed. Furthermore, there are numerous claims of rapings and sexual abuse, and the numbers go between 8,000 and 20,000 [citation needed].
The '''war in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]''' was an armed conflict took place from [[6 April]] [[1992]] to [[14 September]] [[1995]]. The newest data about the victims state that there were 102,000 killed <ref name="hundred thousand">{{
cite news
|url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/eujp/2005/00000021/F0020002/00006852
|publisher=European Journal of Population
|title=War-related Deaths in the 1992–1995 Armed Conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Critique of Previous Estimates and Recent Results
|date=June, 2005
}}</ref>
<ref name="hundredthousand">{{
cite news
|url=http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L23677389
|publisher=Reuters
|title=Research halves Bosnia war death toll to 100,000
|date=November 23, 2005
}}</ref>, and 1.8 million displaced. The number of raped women is in dispute, between 8,000 and 20,000 <ref name=Rape> Gutman, Roy;April 19, 1993. Rape Camps [http://www.haverford.edu/relg/sells/rape2.html] </ref>.


Since the war in Bosnia is a consequence of events in the wider region of former Yugoslavia, and due to the undisputed involvement of neighboring countries [[Croatia]] and [[Serbia and Montenegro]], there is an ongoing debate about whether the conflict was a [[civil war]] or an [[aggression]]. [[Bosniaks]] claim that the war was an aggression from [[Serbia and Montenegro]], while [[Bosnian Serbs]] maintain that it was a civil war. A trial is ongoing before the [[International Court of Justice]], following a suit by [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] against [[Serbia and Montenegro]] for genocide and aggression (see [[Bosnian genocide case at the International Court of Justice]]). The involvement of [[NATO]], during the 1995 [[Operation Deliberate Force]] against the positions of the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] make this war an [[internationalized conflict]].
Since the war in Bosnia is a consequence of events in the wider region of former Yugoslavia, with undisputed involvement of neighboring countries [[Serbia and Montenegro]] and [[Croatia]]. Most international sources support the idea that the war was an aggression of [[Serbia and Montenegro]] on the independent country of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], while [[Bosnian Serbs]] maintain that it was a civil war. A trial is ongoing before the [[International Court of Justice]], following a suit by [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] against [[Serbia and Montenegro]] for genocide and aggression (see [[Bosnian genocide case at the International Court of Justice]]). The involvement of [[NATO]], during the 1995 [[Operation Deliberate Force]] against the positions of the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] make this war an [[internationalized conflict]].


The war was brought to an end officially and de facto end after the signing of the [[Dayton Agreement | General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] in [[Paris]] on [[1995-12-14]] <ref>{{cite web|year=[[1996-03-30]]|url=http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/bosnia/bosagree.html|title=Dayton Peace Accords on Bosnia|publisher=USA State Department|accessdate=2006-03-19}}</ref>. The peace negotiations were held in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and were finalized on November 21, 2005. The accords are known as the Dayton Agreement.
The war was brought to an end officially and de facto end after the signing of the [[Dayton Agreement | General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] in [[Paris]] on [[1995-12-14]] <ref>{{cite web|year=[[1996-03-30]]|url=http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/bosnia/bosagree.html|title=Dayton Peace Accords on Bosnia|publisher=USA State Department|accessdate=2006-03-19}}</ref>. The peace negotiations were held in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and were finalized on November 21, 2005. The accords are known as the Dayton Agreement.
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===Dissolution of Yugoslavia===
===Dissolution of Yugoslavia===
[[Image:Ethnic composition in yugoslavia.jpg|thumb|right|Ethnic Composition of Yugoslavia in 1991]]
[[Image:Ethnic composition in yugoslavia.jpg|thumb|right|Ethnic Composition of Yugoslavia in 1991]]
The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to the dissolution of [[Yugoslavia]]. Crisis emerged in Yugoslavia with the weakening of the Communist system, which in turn was part of the wider changes that were taking place following the end of the [[Cold War]]. In Yugoslavia, the national Communist party, officially called Alliance or [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia]], was losing its ideological potency, while the [[nationalist]] and [[separatist]] ideologies were on the rise in the late 1980's. This was particularly noticeable in [[Serbia]] and [[Croatia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and to a lesser extent in [[Slovenia]] and the [[Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]].
The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to the dissolution of [[Yugoslavia]]. Crisis emerged in Yugoslavia with the weakening of the Communist system, which in turn was part of the wider changes that were taking place following the end of the [[Cold War]]. In Yugoslavia, the national Communist party, officially called Alliance or [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia]], was losing its ideological potency, while the [[nationalist]] and [[separatist]] ideologies were on ther rise in the late 1980's. This was particularly noticeable in [[Serbia]] and [[Croatia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and to a lesser extent in [[Slovenia]] and the [[Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]].


The crisis in Yugoslavia deepened after the 1988 amendments to the [[Serbia]]n constitution in which the republic's government re-asserted effective power over its autonomous provinces of [[Kosovo]] and [[Vojvodina]] which were thereto independent in decision-making, and had a vote on the Yugoslav federal level. Following these processes, [[Serbia]], whose president was [[Slobodan Milosevic]], gained control over three out of eight votes in the [[Yugoslav]] presidency, and with additional votes from [[Montenegro]] and, occasionally, [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], Serbia was able to influence decisions of the federal government. This situation led to objections in other republics and calls for reform of the Yugoslav Federation.
The crisis in Yugoslavia deepened after the 1988 amendments to the [[Serbia]]n constitution in which the republic's government re-asserted effective power over its autonomous provinces of [[Kosovo]] and [[Vojvodina]] which were thereto independent in decision-making, and had a vote on the Yugoslav federal level. Following these processes, [[Serbia]], whose president was [[Slobodan Milosevic]], gained control over three out of eight votes in the [[Yugoslav]] presidency, and with additional votes from [[Montenegro]] and, occasionally, [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], Serbia was able to influence decisions of the federal government. This situation led to objections in other republics and calls for reform of the Yugoslav Federation.
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At the [[14th Extraordinary Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]], on 20 January 1990, the delegations of the republics could not agree on the main issues in the Yugoslav federation, and, as a result, the [[Slovenian]] and [[Croatian]] delegates left the Congress. The Slovenian delegation, headed by [[Milan Kucan]] demanded democratic changes and a looser federation, while the [[Serbian]] delegation, headed by [[Milosevic]], blanketly opposed this. This is considered the beginning of the end of [[Yugoslavia]].
At the [[14th Extraordinary Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]], on 20 January 1990, the delegations of the republics could not agree on the main issues in the Yugoslav federation, and, as a result, the [[Slovenian]] and [[Croatian]] delegates left the Congress. The Slovenian delegation, headed by [[Milan Kucan]] demanded democratic changes and a looser federation, while the [[Serbian]] delegation, headed by [[Milosevic]], blanketly opposed this. This is considered the beginning of the end of [[Yugoslavia]].


The crisis turned acute as the nationalist parties attained power in other republics, among whom the Croatian [[Franjo Tudjman]]'s [[Croatian Democratic Union]] was the most prominent. On December 22, 1990, the [[Parliament of Croatia]] adopted the new Constitution, taking away some of the rights from the [[Serbs]] granted by the previous [[Socialist]] constitution. This created ground for nationalist action among the indigenous [[Serbs]] of [[Croatia]]. Furhtermore, Slovenia and Croatia shortly after began the process towards independence, which led to a short armed conflict in Slovenia, and an all-out war in Croatia, in the areas that had a substantial Serb population.
Moreover, as the nationalist parties attained power in other republics, among whom the Croatian [[Franjo Tudjman]]'s [[Croatian Democratic Union]] was the most prominent. On December 22, 1990, the [[Parliament of Croatia]] adopted the new Constitution, taking away some of the rights from the [[Serbs]] granted by the previous [[Socialist]] constitution. This created ground for nationalist action among the indigenous [[Serbs]] of [[Croatia]]. Furhtermore, Slovenia and Croatia shortly after began the process towards independence, which led to a short armed conflict in Slovenia, and an all-out war in Croatia, in the areas that had a substantial Serb population.


===The Pre-war Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina===
===The Pre-war Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina===
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On the first multi-party elections that took place in November 1990 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the three largest ethnic parties in the country won: the [[Bosniak]] [[Party of Democratic Action]], the [[Serbian Democratic Party]] and the [[Croatian Democratic Union]].
On the first multi-party elections that took place in November 1990 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the three largest ethnic parties in the country won: the [[Bosniak]] [[Party of Democratic Action]], the [[Serbian Democratic Party]] and the [[Croatian Democratic Union]].


After the elections, they formed a coalition government. Primary reason of this union was to maintain an atmosphere of harmony and tolerance in their common goal show that they can rule as a democratic alternative for the Socialist government that preceded them [citation needed].
After the elections, they formed a coalition government. The primary motivation behind this union was to maintain an atmosphere of harmony and tolerance and further their common goal to rule as a democratic alternative to the Socialist government that preceded them [citation needeed].


Parties divided the power along the ethnic lines so that the President of the Presidency of the [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] was a [[Bosniak]], president of the Parliament was a [[Bosnian Serb]] and the prime minister a [[Bosnian Croat]].
Parties divided the power along the ethnic lines so that the President of the Presidency of the [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] was a [[Bosniak]], president of the Parliament was a [[Bosnian Serb]] and the prime minister a [[Bosnian Croat]].
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==The War==
==The War==
===General Information===
===General Information===
The [[Yugoslav People's Army]] officially left Bosnia and Herzegovina briefly after independence was declared in April 1992. However, most of the weaponry, and some of the [[Bosnian Serb]] higher ranked military personnel, including general [[Ratko Mladic]] remained in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] in the [[Army of Republika Srpska]]. The Croats organized a military formation of their own called the [[Croatian Defense Council]] (''Hrvatsko Vijeće Obrane'', HVO) as the armed forces of the [[Herzeg-Bosnia]], the Bosniaks mostly organized into the [[Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (''Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine'', later Armija BiH). Various paramilitary units were active in the field: the Serb "White Eagles" (''Beli Orlovi''), Bosniak "Patriotic League"(''Patriotska Liga'') and "Green Berets" (''Zelene Beretke''), or Croat "Croatian Defense Forces" (''Hrvatske Obrambene Snage''), etc.
The [[Yugoslav People's Army]] officially left Bosnia and Herzegovina briefly after independence was declared in April 1992. However, most of the command chain, weaponry, and higher ranked military personnel, including general [[Ratko Mladic]] remained in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] in the [[Army of Republika Srpska]]. The Croats organized a defensive military formation of their own called the [[Croatian Defense Council]] (''Hrvatsko Vijeće Obrane'', HVO) as the armed forces of the [[Herzeg-Bosnia]], the Bosniaks mostly organized into the [[Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (''Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine'', later Armija BiH). Various Serbian paramilitary units were active in the field: the Serb "White Eagles" (''Beli Orlovi''), "Arkanovci", "Srpska Dobrovoljacka Garda" etc. Serbian and [[Bosnian Serb]]s forces conducted a systematig cleansing of ethnic [[Bosniaks]] and [[Croats]], destroying their cultural heritage, massacring tens of thousands of non-Serb civilians, raping up to 20,000 [[Bosniak]] women, and changing the ethnic picture of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] completely.


Initially it was Bosniaks and Croats together against the Serbs. The Serbs had the upper hand due to heavier weaponry (despite less manpower) and established control over most of the Serb-populated rural and urban regions excluding the larger towns of Sarajevo and [[Mostar]]. The [[Serb]] military and political leaders, from both [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Serbia]] received the most accusations of [[war crimes]].
Initially, [[Bosniaks]] and [[Croats]] tried to defend against the Serbs together. The Serbs had the upper hand in the aggression due to heavier weaponry seded by the former [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (despite less manpower) and established control over most rural and urban regions excluding the larger towns of Sarajevo and [[Mostar]]. The [[Serb]] military and political leaders, from both [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Serbia]] received the most accusations of [[war crimes]]. About 80% of all persons accused of [[war crimes]] in former [[Yugoslavia]] are of Serb ethnicity. On [[November 18]], [[1991]] the [[Croats]] of [[Herzegovina]], formed the "Croatian Community of [[Herzeg-Bosnia]]" (''Hrvatska Zajednica Herceg-Bosna'') as means of "self-organization" of the [[Croat]] people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (On 28 August 1993, the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia declared itself the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, after the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina into three ethnic entities in the talks in [[Geneva]], in the midst of the war between [[Croats]] and [[Bosniaks]].)


⚫
Most of the capital [[Sarajevo]] was held by the Bosniaks. The [[Army of Republika Srpska]] surrounded the town (alternatively, the Bosnian Serb Army situated itself in the areas surrounding Sarajevo which were all mainly populated by Serbs — the so-called Ring around Sarajevo had very little non-Serb population), deploying troops and artillery in the surrounding hills. They continuously shelled the town, causing immeasurable material damage, and killing over 10,000 civilians in this multiethnic city. They imposed a blockade on all traffic in and out the city on [[May 2]], [[1992]], starting what was to be known as the [[siege of Sarajevo]].
On [[November 18]], [[1991]] the [[Croats]] of [[Herzegovina]], formed the "Croatian Community of [[Herzeg-Bosnia]]" (''Hrvatska Zajednica Herceg-Bosna'') as means of "self-organization" of the [[Croat]] people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (On 28 August 1993, the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia declared itself the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, after the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina into three ethnic entities in the talks in [[Geneva]], in the midst of the war between [[Croats]] and [[Bosniaks]].)


⚫
Numerous cease-fire agreements were signed, and breached again when one of the sides felt it was to their advantage. The [[United Nations]] repeatedly but unsuccessfully attempted to stop the aggression and the much-touted [[Peace plans offered before and during the Bosnian War#Vance-Owen|Vance-Owen Peace Plan]] made little impact.
⚫
Most of the capital [[Sarajevo]] was held by the Bosniaks and in order to prevent the [[Army of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] from being deployed out of the town, the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] surrounded it (alternatively, the Bosnian Serb Army situated itself in the areas surrounding Sarajevo which were all mainly populated by Serbs — the so-called Ring around Sarajevo had very little non-Serb population, adding further to the confusion stemming from the attempts to give a clear-cut picture of the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina), deploying troops and artillery in the surrounding hills. They imposed a blockade on all traffic in and out the city on [[May 2]], [[1992]], starting what was to be known as the [[siege of Sarajevo]].

⚫
Numerous cease-fire agreements were signed, and breached again when one of the sides felt it was to their advantage. The [[United Nations]] repeatedly but unsuccessfully attempted to stop the war and the much-touted [[Peace plans offered before and during the Bosnian War#Vance-Owen|Vance-Owen Peace Plan]] made little impact.


===Chronology===
===Chronology===
====1992====
====1992====
The first casualty in Bosnia is a point of contention between Serbs and Bosniaks. Serbs claim this was Nikola Gardović, a groom's father who was killed at a Serb wedding procession on the first day of the referendum, on [[February 29]], [[1992]] in [[Sarajevo]]'s old town [[Baščaršija]]. Bosniaks meanwhile consider the first casualty of the war to be Suada Dilberović, who was shot during a peace march by unidentified gunmen on [[April 5]].
The first casualty in Bosnia is Suada Dilberović, who was shot during a peace march by unidentified Serbian gunmen on [[April 5]]. Earlier in March, [[Serbs]] provoked an incident in Sarajevo by waving the Serbian flag, and hailing "This is Serbia" during a wedding ceremony.


Note that this was not actually the start of the war-related activities on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On [[September 30]], [[1991]], the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) destroyed a small village of [[Ravno]] located in [[Herzegovina]] and inhabited by Croats during the course of its siege of the city of [[Dubrovnik]] (which was on the territory of Croatia itself). On [[September 19]], the JNA moved some extra troops to the area around the city of [[Mostar]], which was publicly protested by the local government.
Note that this was not actually the start of the war-related activities on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On [[September 30]], [[1991]], the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) destroyed a small village of [[Ravno]] located in [[Herzegovina]] and inhabited by Croats during the course of its siege of the city of [[Dubrovnik]] (which was on the territory of Croatia itself). On [[September 19]], the JNA moved some extra troops to the area around the city of [[Mostar]], which was publicly protested by the local government.
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====1995====
====1995====
The war continued through most of 1995, and with Croatia taking over the [[RSK|Serb Krajina]] in early August, the Bosniak-Croat alliance gained the initiative in the war, taking much of western Bosnia from the Serbs. At that point, the international community pressured Milošević, Tuđman and Izetbegović to the negotiation table and finally the war ended with the [[Dayton Agreement|Dayton Peace Agreement]] signed on [[November 21]], [[1995]] (the final version was signed [[December 14]], 1995 in Paris).
The war continued through most of 1995, and with Croatia taking over the[[RSK|Serb Krajina]] in early August, the Bosniak-Croat alliance gained the initiative in the war, taking much of western Bosnia from the Serbs. At that point, the international community pressured Milošević, Tuđman and Izetbegović to the negotiation table and finally the war ended with the [[Dayton Agreement|Dayton Peace Agreement]] signed on [[November 21]], [[1995]] (the final version was signed [[December 14]], 1995 in Paris).


A mass killing, the largest in [[Europe]] since [[World War II]], happened in July [[1995]]. Serb troops under general [[Ratko Mladić]] occupied the UN "safe area" of [[Srebrenica]] in eastern Bosnia, after which 7779 Bosniak males were killed (See the [[Srebrenica Massacre]] article for details).
A mass killing, the largest in [[Europe]] since [[World War II]], happened in July [[1995]]. Serb troops under general [[Ratko Mladić]], along with the Serbian troops under the command of the [[Serbian Ministry of Interior]], occupied the UN "safe area" of [[Srebrenica]] in eastern Bosnia, after which 7,779 Bosniak males were killed (See the [[Srebrenica Massacre]] article for details).


==Casualties==
==Casualties==
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<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Bosniak_Croat_territories1993.GIF|<small>Fronts in [[1993]], while HVO (blue) was still allied with [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (green)</small>
Image:Bosniak_Croat_territories1993.GIF|<small>Fronts in [[1993]], while HVO (blue) was still allied with [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (green)</small>
Image:Bih94.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1994]], at the end of Bosniak-Croat war and signing of [[Washington Agreement]]</small>
Image:Bih94.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1994]], at the end of Bosniak-Croat war and sighning of [[Washington Agreement]]</small>
Image:BiH95.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1995]], Before [[operation Storm]]</small>
Image:BiH95.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1995]], Before [[operation Storm]]</small>
Image:Prije_daytona.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1995]], Before [[Dayton Agreement]]</small>
Image:Prije_daytona.JPG|<small>Fronts in [[1995]], Before [[Dayton Agreement]]</small>

Revision as of 21:40, 28 April 2006

Part of a series on the
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The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an armed conflict took place from 6 April 1992 to 14 September 1995. The newest data about the victims state that there were 102,000 killed [1] [2], and 1.8 million displaced. The number of raped women is in dispute, between 8,000 and 20,000 [3].

Since the war in Bosnia is a consequence of events in the wider region of former Yugoslavia, with undisputed involvement of neighboring countries Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia. Most international sources support the idea that the war was an aggression of Serbia and Montenegro on the independent country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Bosnian Serbs maintain that it was a civil war. A trial is ongoing before the International Court of Justice, following a suit by Bosnia and Herzegovina against Serbia and Montenegro for genocide and aggression (see Bosnian genocide case at the International Court of Justice). The involvement of NATO, during the 1995 Operation Deliberate Force against the positions of the Army of Republika Srpska make this war an internationalized conflict.

The war was brought to an end officially and de facto end after the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris on 1995-12-14 [4]. The peace negotiations were held in Dayton, Ohio, and were finalized on November 21, 2005. The accords are known as the Dayton Agreement.

Political situation before the war

Parties involved
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (predominantely Bosniak)
Army of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MUP BiH)
Territorial Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (TO)
Hrvatske obrambene snage (HOS)
Paramilatery units: Green Berets, Patriotic League
Republika Srpska (predominantely Bosnian Serbs)
Army of Republika Srpska (VRS)
Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA)
Paramilatery units: Arkan’s Tigers, White Eagles, Scorpions
Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Predominantely Bosnian Croats)
Hrvatsko vijeće obrane (HVO)
Croatian Army (HV)
Autonomous Republic of Western Bosnia (predominantely Bosniak)
Paramilitary units: "Abdić’s" volunteers
UNPROFOR (Peacekeeping forces)
NATO

Dissolution of Yugoslavia

File:Ethnic composition in yugoslavia.jpg
Ethnic Composition of Yugoslavia in 1991

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Crisis emerged in Yugoslavia with the weakening of the Communist system, which in turn was part of the wider changes that were taking place following the end of the Cold War. In Yugoslavia, the national Communist party, officially called Alliance or League of Communists of Yugoslavia, was losing its ideological potency, while the nationalist and separatist ideologies were on ther rise in the late 1980's. This was particularly noticeable in Serbia and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to a lesser extent in Slovenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The crisis in Yugoslavia deepened after the 1988 amendments to the Serbian constitution in which the republic's government re-asserted effective power over its autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina which were thereto independent in decision-making, and had a vote on the Yugoslav federal level. Following these processes, Serbia, whose president was Slobodan Milosevic, gained control over three out of eight votes in the Yugoslav presidency, and with additional votes from Montenegro and, occasionally, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia was able to influence decisions of the federal government. This situation led to objections in other republics and calls for reform of the Yugoslav Federation.

At the 14th Extraordinary Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, on 20 January 1990, the delegations of the republics could not agree on the main issues in the Yugoslav federation, and, as a result, the Slovenian and Croatian delegates left the Congress. The Slovenian delegation, headed by Milan Kucan demanded democratic changes and a looser federation, while the Serbian delegation, headed by Milosevic, blanketly opposed this. This is considered the beginning of the end of Yugoslavia.

Moreover, as the nationalist parties attained power in other republics, among whom the Croatian Franjo Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Union was the most prominent. On December 22, 1990, the Parliament of Croatia adopted the new Constitution, taking away some of the rights from the Serbs granted by the previous Socialist constitution. This created ground for nationalist action among the indigenous Serbs of Croatia. Furhtermore, Slovenia and Croatia shortly after began the process towards independence, which led to a short armed conflict in Slovenia, and an all-out war in Croatia, in the areas that had a substantial Serb population.

The Pre-war Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

On the first multi-party elections that took place in November 1990 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the three largest ethnic parties in the country won: the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, the Serbian Democratic Party and the Croatian Democratic Union.

After the elections, they formed a coalition government. The primary motivation behind this union was to maintain an atmosphere of harmony and tolerance and further their common goal to rule as a democratic alternative to the Socialist government that preceded them [citation needeed].

Parties divided the power along the ethnic lines so that the President of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a Bosniak, president of the Parliament was a Bosnian Serb and the prime minister a Bosnian Croat.

The War

General Information

The Yugoslav People's Army officially left Bosnia and Herzegovina briefly after independence was declared in April 1992. However, most of the command chain, weaponry, and higher ranked military personnel, including general Ratko Mladic remained in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Army of Republika Srpska. The Croats organized a defensive military formation of their own called the Croatian Defense Council (Hrvatsko Vijeće Obrane, HVO) as the armed forces of the Herzeg-Bosnia, the Bosniaks mostly organized into the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine, later Armija BiH). Various Serbian paramilitary units were active in the field: the Serb "White Eagles" (Beli Orlovi), "Arkanovci", "Srpska Dobrovoljacka Garda" etc. Serbian and Bosnian Serbs forces conducted a systematig cleansing of ethnic Bosniaks and Croats, destroying their cultural heritage, massacring tens of thousands of non-Serb civilians, raping up to 20,000 Bosniak women, and changing the ethnic picture of Bosnia and Herzegovina completely.

Initially, Bosniaks and Croats tried to defend against the Serbs together. The Serbs had the upper hand in the aggression due to heavier weaponry seded by the former Yugoslav People's Army (despite less manpower) and established control over most rural and urban regions excluding the larger towns of Sarajevo and Mostar. The Serb military and political leaders, from both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia received the most accusations of war crimes. About 80% of all persons accused of war crimes in former Yugoslavia are of Serb ethnicity. On November 18, 1991 the Croats of Herzegovina, formed the "Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia" (Hrvatska Zajednica Herceg-Bosna) as means of "self-organization" of the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (On 28 August 1993, the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia declared itself the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, after the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina into three ethnic entities in the talks in Geneva, in the midst of the war between Croats and Bosniaks.)

Most of the capital Sarajevo was held by the Bosniaks. The Army of Republika Srpska surrounded the town (alternatively, the Bosnian Serb Army situated itself in the areas surrounding Sarajevo which were all mainly populated by Serbs — the so-called Ring around Sarajevo had very little non-Serb population), deploying troops and artillery in the surrounding hills. They continuously shelled the town, causing immeasurable material damage, and killing over 10,000 civilians in this multiethnic city. They imposed a blockade on all traffic in and out the city on May 2, 1992, starting what was to be known as the siege of Sarajevo.

Numerous cease-fire agreements were signed, and breached again when one of the sides felt it was to their advantage. The United Nations repeatedly but unsuccessfully attempted to stop the aggression and the much-touted Vance-Owen Peace Plan made little impact.

Chronology

1992

The first casualty in Bosnia is Suada Dilberović, who was shot during a peace march by unidentified Serbian gunmen on April 5. Earlier in March, Serbs provoked an incident in Sarajevo by waving the Serbian flag, and hailing "This is Serbia" during a wedding ceremony.

Note that this was not actually the start of the war-related activities on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On September 30, 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) destroyed a small village of Ravno located in Herzegovina and inhabited by Croats during the course of its siege of the city of Dubrovnik (which was on the territory of Croatia itself). On September 19, the JNA moved some extra troops to the area around the city of Mostar, which was publicly protested by the local government.

In June 1992, the United Nations Protection Force which had originally been deployed in Croatia, had its mandate extended into Bosnia and Herzegovina, initially to protect the Sarajevo International Airport. In September, the role of the UNPROFOR was expanded in order to protect humanitarian aid and assist in the delivery of the relief in the whole Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as aid in the protection of civilian refugees when required by the Red Cross.

1993

File:Map of Vance-Owen peace plan.png
Vance-Owen Peace Plan
Serb - red
Croat - blue
Bosniak - green
Split control - white

In 1993, after the failure of the Vance-Owen peace plan, which practically intended to divide the country into three ethnic parts, an armed conflict sprung between Bosniaks and Croats over the 30 percent of Bosnia they held. This caused the creation of more ethnic enclaves and further bloodshed.

Mostar was also surrounded by the Croat forces from three sides for nine months, and much of its historic city was destroyed by shelling by the Croats including the famous Mostar Old Bridge.

In an attempt to protect the civilians, UNPROFOR's role was further extended in 1993 to protect the "safe havens" that it had declared around a number of towns including Sarajevo, Goražde and Srebrenica.

1994

In 1994, NATO got involved when its jets shot down four Serb aircraft over central Bosnia on February 8 1994, in what was supposed to be a UN declared "no-fly zone".

In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats in Bosnia signed the Washington peace agreement, establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This effectively ended the war between Croats and Muslims, and narrowed the warring parties down to two.

1995

The war continued through most of 1995, and with Croatia taking over theSerb Krajina in early August, the Bosniak-Croat alliance gained the initiative in the war, taking much of western Bosnia from the Serbs. At that point, the international community pressured Milošević, Tuđman and Izetbegović to the negotiation table and finally the war ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement signed on November 21, 1995 (the final version was signed December 14, 1995 in Paris).

A mass killing, the largest in Europe since World War II, happened in July 1995. Serb troops under general Ratko Mladić, along with the Serbian troops under the command of the Serbian Ministry of Interior, occupied the UN "safe area" of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, after which 7,779 Bosniak males were killed (See the Srebrenica Massacre article for details).

Casualties

Victims
Total
96,175		 Bosniaks 63,994 66.5%
Serbs 24,206 25.2%
Croats 7,338 7.6%
other 637 0.7%
Total civilians
38,645		 Bosniaks 32,723 84.7%
Croats 1,899 4.9%
Serbs 3,555 9.2%
others 466 1.2%
Total soldiers
57,529		 Bosniaks 31,270 54.4%
Serbs 20,649 35.9%
Croats 5,439 9.5%
others 171 0.3%
unconfirmed 4,000

The death toll after the war was originally estimated at 200,000 by the Bosnian government. This figure is still quoted most often by the Western media.

The United Nations' agencies had previously estimated 278,000 dead and missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also recorded around 1,325,000 refugees and exiles.

Research done by the International Criminal Tribunal in 2004 by Tibeau and Bijak determined a more precise number of 102,000 deaths and estimated the following breakdown: 55,261 were civilians and 47,360 were soldiers. Of the civilians, 16,700 were Bosnian Serbs while 38,000 were Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats. Of the soldiers, 14,000 were Bosnian Serbs, 6,000 were Bosnian Croats, and 28,000 were Bosnian Muslims. [3]

The most recent figures come from Mirsad Tokaca at the Research and Documentation Center in Sarajevo, which was working closely with the aforementioned ICTY. The table to the right demonstrates their numbers as they were released in March 2006 with about 95% of the research complete.[4]

Further reading

  • Simms, Brendan. Unfinest Hour: Britain and the Destruction of Bosnia. Penguin, 2003. ISBN 0140289836
  • Beloff, Nora. Yugoslavia: An Avoidable War. New European Publications, 1997. ISBN 1872410081
  • Loyd, Anthony. "My War Gone By, I Miss It So." Penguin, 1999. ISBN 0140298541
  • Maas, Peter. Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War. Vintage Books, 1996. ISBN 0679763899

See also

References

  1. ^ "War-related Deaths in the 1992–1995 Armed Conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Critique of Previous Estimates and Recent Results". European Journal of Population. June, 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Research halves Bosnia war death toll to 100,000". Reuters. November 23, 2005.
  3. ^ Gutman, Roy;April 19, 1993. Rape Camps [2]
  4. ^ "Dayton Peace Accords on Bosnia". USA State Department. 1996-03-30. Retrieved 2006-03-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
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