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Ethnic Cleansing in the Former Yugoslavia. Background. Yugoslavia was formed after WWI and contained six different groups of people; Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Montenegrins Ethnic conflict was common in Yugoslavia due to religious and ethnic differences
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Background • Yugoslavia was formed after WWI and contained six different groups of people; Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Montenegrins • Ethnic conflict was common in Yugoslavia due to religious and ethnic differences • After WWII Yugoslavia became a federation of six republics, each with a mixed population
Causes • Josip Tito led Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1980 but when he died ethnic conflicts took over • Slovenia and Croatia declared independence and after months of fighting the Yugoslav army freed themselves from Serbian rule • In February 1992 Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence • Bosnia’s population consisted of Muslims, Serbs, and Croats • Bosnia’s Muslims and Croats backed independence but Serbs opposed and launched a war in March 1922 supported by Serbia
Actions • The Serbs used murder and brutal methods against Bosnian Muslims • Ethnic cleansing arose and was intended to wipe out the Muslim population in Bosnia • By 1995 Serbs controlled 70% of Bosnia • In December the leaders of each ethnic group signed a U.S. and UN treaty • In September 1996 Bosnia elected a three person presidency, one from each ethnic group • Bosnia continues to be a place of unrest today
Works Cited • Global History Textbook: • Patterns of Interaction • Pages 928-929