Bosnia Essays Flashcards
International community (US)
Overlooked due to Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait > new wave of optimism + Collapse of USSR meanwhile Croat police exchanged fires with Serb rebels for the first time in brief skirmish but obviously paled in comparison to a conflict in the Middle East
US also hesitant to interfere due to fear of heavy economic losses especially after their failings in Somalia when US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down > maintained hands off and maintained it was a European affair it would not interfere in
CA: Later played leading role in Dayton with high-level diplomatic missions
Anthony Lake outline with Contact Group members the key points for a peace plan
Richard Holbrooke negotiated with Balkan leaders
Shuttle diplomacy led to adoption of principles for settlement by September 1995 > Dayton Conference in Nov
International community (EEC)
Carrington-Cutileiro plan 1992 to prevent all out war - partition based on ethnic lines - first draft rejected by Serbs - revised draft accepted by all but Serbs last minute withdraw in 28 Mar
Owen-Stoltenberg Plan (July-Aug 1993) > partition plan > 3 ethnic republics > Serbs 53% Bosnians 30% Croats 17% > accepted by Croats > Croatian Republic of BiH formed in 28 Aug 1993 > Bosniaks reject > Failed
Contact Group plan formed April 1994 to formalise participation of US and Russia in peace negotiations. Aim to eliminate alliance disunity and avoid sending contradictory signals to warring factions. Peace plan focused mainly on brokering of ceasefire through drafting a map of inter-ethnic boundary lines 51/49 percent division. Gained momentum due to 1994 establishment of Muslim-Croat Foundation - two-front war only now. To be credited for Dayton Agreement that eventually ended the war through pressuring the warring factions and shuttle diplomacy
International community (UN)
Sep 1991 Res 713 arms embargo in all Yugoslav territories > deescalate tensions, prevent conflict > BUT Serbs have arms from JNA and Croatia provide arms for Bosniak and Croats to level the field (direct violation) > UN not effective
US in resolution
Proactive stance in 1995 Shuttle diplomacy w Richard Holbrooke negotiates w Balkan leaders for settlement + Anthony Lake visits to other Contact Group members to outline key points for peace plan > Dayton Nov 1995 major ceasefire and end to Bosnia war - separate by ethnic lines > no solving of ethnic tensions > fragile society
Serbia responsibility
Milosevic manipulation of forces > Bosnian soldiers in JNA moved to Bosnian Serb Army - assisted, fund, equip: 60 JNA tanks in 1991 > enabled ethnic cleansing > ICTY in 2016 ruled that Serbia had provided arms and personnel
Ethnic nationalism (Bosnian Serbs)
Bosnian Serbs ethnic violence
Srebenica Massacre July 1995 Surround Srebencia bombing sniping Muslims surround village surrender weapon kill all > 70 000 displaced, 3000 killed
Prijedor ethnic cleansing 1992-1993 systematic ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs in prijedor region > 50 000 to 6000 Bosniaks, 6000 to 3000 Croats
Economic disparities (greater desire for independence)
Economic disparities > inefficient federal system > inflation 2500% and up to 1900 strikes annually
1980s Macedonia half income of Slovenia, Slovenia and Croatia way richer than poor areas like Kosovo > refusal to give more money to fed budget > resentment > desire for secession and independence > Serbs boycott Mar 1992 BiH independence > differing economic aims = conflict
Economic hardships (strikes)
1980s Yugoslavia politically and economically unstable easily divided by ethnic lines > strikes a lot > 1990: 1900 strikes, inflation 2500%, workers income less 25% > Deep mistrust and competition > Serbs boycott 1992 Mar BiH independence
Ethnic nationalism (all of them)
Division of ethnic lines due to developments around them > Slovenia and Croatia independence > Bosniaks and Croats fear of Serbs majority in Yugoslavia > Serbs scared of Bosniaks majority in Bosnia - fear of mistreatment > strongly against independence > organise and militarise along ethnic lines amidst political uncertainties > actively segregated other ethnicities, like VRS actively expelling Bosnian forces and by late 1991 conducted insurgencies > VRS Siege of Sarajevo marked official start of Bosnian war
Political factors
Differing views on Yugoslavia’s political future - one major issue was the degree of political centralisation; Serbian leaders favoured federal solution while Croatian and Slovenian leadership favoured alliance of sovereign states, or a looser federation and greater autonomy
(Can talk about economic issues as well)
Another issue was Serbian dominance: 1989 constitution amended to enable Serbian dominance over autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, which had been previously fairly independent and held a vote at the Yugoslav federal level. Under President Milosevic, Serbia gain control over 3/8 of votes in the Yugoslav presidency. With additional votes from Montenegro, Serbia had heavy dominance over decisions of a federal government. Hence objections from other states that called for independence. Tense political climate encouraged divisions along ethnic lines and fertile ground for war
