Figure 1.--The Bosnia war for independence/civil war was the bloodiest of the various Yugoslav wars. This was primarily because the Serbs led by war criminals Slobodan Milošević and Radovan Karadžić targeted civilians in such a vicious way to pursue ethnic cleansings. Here ee see a Bosnian boy displaced to Wetzlar, Germany. The press cption read, "Boy in Safty Father Fighting: Three year old Plam (second nanme not available) sits on jhis belongings Saturday, afterhis arrival with his mother and his aunt in a specual train of refugees from Bosnia. The boy is in safety, his father is [a] Bosnian soldier and has been fighting for seven months the mother said." The photograoh is dated August 8, 1992.

Fighting in Bosnia brokeout and the war of independence quickly morphed into a vicious civil war (1992). Unlike the other Yugoslav wars it proved to be not only a war of independence from Serbia, but an even more vicious civil war. The war was predominantly a three way territorial conflict between the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina chiefly supported by Bosniaks, the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, and the self-proclaimed Herzeg-Bosnia, who were led and supplied by Serbia and Croatia who wanted to partition Bosnia to create a Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia. The JNA by 1992 had disintegrated into a largely Serb Army. Milošević's Yugoslavv Government was a thinly veiled Serbian Government intent on creating a Greater Serbia. The Serbs were stronlyb opposed to the Bosnian-majority led government's agenda for independence. Along with Serbian militia forces, the JNA attempted to prevent Bosnian citizens from voting in the independence referendum (1992). [Meštrović, p.56.] This strong-arm tactic failed and only helped convince non-Serbs to vote for indeoendence. This as well as a Serb boycott of the election resulted in a 99 percent vote for independence. The Serbs in resoponse launched a military sollution (June 19). Actually the Siege of Sarajevo had already begun (April) with Bosnia and Herzegovina declaring their independence. The conflict most closely followed with the bloody siges of Sarajevo and Srebrenica. These were the most deadly actions of the War, both areas coveted by the Serbs for greater Serbia. The fighting was more vicious than other areas of Yugoslavia. The Bosnia's Serb faction was led by ultra-nationalist and war criminal Radovan Karadžić. He sought independence for Serbs from the majority-Bosniak governmenta. The problem for Karadžićand the Serbs was Bosnia's great diversity. Serb populated areas were clustered and not connected. Karadžić strategy thus became bloody and systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing to seize non-Serb populated areas to connect the Serb-populated clusers. This involved the massacre and forced removal of Bosniak populations. Civilians thus became a primary target in the war. While this was the principal military campaign, the Croats also set their sights on annexing Croat populated areas. As a result the Bosnia conflict was the most deadly of all the Yugoslav wars. Estimates suggested that 250,000 people were killed in the Bosnian Civil War.

Civil War

Fighting in Bosnia brokeout and the war of independence quickly morphed into a vicious civil war (1992). Unlike the other Yugoslav wars it proved to be not only a war of independence from Serbia, but an even more vicious civil war. The war was predominantly a three way territorial conflict between the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina chiefly supported by Bosniaks, the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, and the self-proclaimed Herzeg-Bosnia, who were led and supplied by Serbia and Croatia who wanted to partition Bosnia to create a Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia.

The Serbs

The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) by 1992 had disintegrated into a largely Serb Army. Milošević's Yugoslavv Government was a thinly veiled Serbian Government intent on creating a Greater Serbia. The Serbs were stronly opposed to the Bosnian-majority led government's agenda for independence.

Referendem and Independence (February-March 1992)

The Bosnian independence referendum followed the first free elections (1990). The rise of ethnic tensions led to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Slvenia and Croatia were able to sceed with only limited fighting. Along with Serbian militia forces, the JNA attempted to prevent Bosnian citizens from voting in the independence referendum (February 29-March1 1,1992). [Meštrović, p.56.] This strong-arm tactic failed and only helped convince non-Serbs to vote for independence. This as well as a Serb boycott of the election resulted in a 99 percent vote for independence. with a 63 percent turnout. Immediately after the vote, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović declared the independence of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (March 3). Parliament ratified independence. tion. On 6 April, the United States and the European Economic Community recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent state (April 6). The new country was admitted into the United Nation (May 22).

Serbs Seek a Military Solution

The Serbian Bosnians in resoponse to the 1992 referedum vote for independemce launched a military sollution to overturn the will of the voters. Bosnian Serb miliias (para-military forces began attacks on Sarajevo (April 7). The Yugoslav (JNA -- now basically a Serbian Army) began the artillery shelling of the city soon after. The Serbian Bosnian militias connections with the JNA gave them a powerful advantage. Not only did it provide access to heavy weapons, but the JNA was the only well-oganized and armed force in Bosnia. The Bosnian-Serb militais and JNA quickly overran towns in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, areas with subtantial Bosniak populations (Zvornik, Foča, and Višegrad). The Serbs expelled Bosniak population rom these areas. They wee the first victims of brutal Serbian World War II-style ethnic cleansing. As a result, the Serbs within only 6-weeks controlled two thirds of the country. Ratko Mladić, a Bosnian-Serb commander, took over control of the Serbian forces, including the JNA units and heavy weapons (May). The fighting most closely followed was the bloody Serb siges of Sarajevo and Srebrenica. These were the most deadly actions of the War, both were areas coveted by the Serbs in building greater Serbia. The U.N. declared 'safe area' of Bihac in northwest Bosnia was another area assulted by the Serbs. The fighting in these aeeas was the most vicious if the fghting in Bosnia. other areas of Yugoslavia. The Bosnia's Serb faction was led by ultra-nationalist and war criminal Radovan Karadžić. He sought independence for Serbs from the majority-Bosniak government. The world watched the Serb asault on Sarajevo in horror. Sarajevo had hosted the 1984 Olympic Winter Games only a few years earlier. The Serbs besieged Sarajevo during 1992-95. The people of Sarajevo were predominately Muslim, although there were also non-Muslims clinging to the dream of a multi-ethnic Bosnia. About 10,000 people including many children were killed in Sarajevo before the West intervened. About 0.2 million people are believed to have died in Bosnia as a result of the fighting and wide range of atrocities.

Civilians

The problem for Karadžić and the Serbs was Bosnia's great diversity. Serb populated areas were clustered and not connected. Karadžić strategy thus became bloody and systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing to seize non-Serb populated areas to connect the Serb-populated clusers. This involved the massacre and forced removal of Bosniak populations. Civilians thus became a primary target in the war.

The Croats

While this was the principal military campaign, the Croats also set their sights on annexing Croat populated areas.

Atrocies

Bosnia as Yugoslavia imploded proved to be a killingfield without prcedent in Europe since the end of World War II. None of the contending ethnic groups are without blame, but the Serbs were at the heart of the crisis. The Bosnian Serbs backed by Milosivich and the Serb-dominated Yugoslav Army were especially vicious. the Croat forces also carried out attrocities against Serbs and Muslims in Bosnia. There were also Bosnian Muslim atrocities, but on a much smaller scale.

Western Intervantion

The Western countries for several years were unwilling to intervene to deter Milosovich's efforts to create a Greater Serbia. Only the reluctant and tardy threat of Amercan force stoped Milosivich in Bosnia. The actual use of force was needed in Kosovo. In both cases the United Nations was unable to act. Even in Serbinica where the U.N. guaranted the saftey of Bosnians, in the end Dutch U.N. peace keepers were ordered to abandon the Muslims to the Serbs. Finally when the U.N. failed to act, the United States acted through NATO. Milosovich finally yielded to NATO pressure in Bosnia. America and other NATO countries have been criticized with considerble validity for reacting to attrocities of unbelievable barabrity. Atrocities that fell within the scope of genocide. America and NATO acted belatedly, but they did act, in large measure to save Muslims in Bosnia. While the major criticism was how long it took America to act, one writer has pointed out that American action in Bosnia was the first significant action against genocide in American history. One study of American historical responses to genocide writes, "It did not take long to discover that the American response to the Bosnian genocide was in fact the most robust of the century. The United States has never in its history intervenbed to stop genocide and had in fact rarely even made a point of condeming it as it occurred." [Power]

Results

As a result the Bosnia conflict was the most deadly of all the Yugoslav wars. Estimates suggested that 250,000 people were killed in the Bosnian Civil War.

Sources

Krilic, Samir. "Bosnian Serbs admit to massacre," Washington Post (June 12, 2004), p. 11. The findings are based on the work of the Srebrenica Commission cwhich was omposed of Serb judges and lawyers, a represenarve for the victims, and an international expert.

Meštrović, Stjepan Gabriel. Genocide After Emotion: The Postemotional Balkan War (Routledge: 1996).

Power, Samantha. A problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide (HarperPerennial). Power addresses how domestic policies have impaired America's ability to react to genocide.

Created: 5:44 PM 6/4/2018
Last updated: 7:30 AM 5/16/2019