Who Were We Bombing Anyway?

Making Sense of the Balkans

Reading Fergal Kean’s Letters Home, I felt pitifully ignorant of the recent events in the Former Yugoslavia, so I did a little research and learned a few things (pardon the funny formatting but it's the best I could do with the tools I have - MS Frontpage 2000):

Following WWII Josep Tito consolidated the following six regions into what was known as Yugoslavia.

Slovenia

Croatia

Serbia

Bosnia

Montenegro

Macedonia

The following ethnic groups existed in the Tito’s Yugoslavia.

Slovenes

  • Slovenes are primarily Roman Catholic.
  • Speak a language similar to Serbo-Croat.

Croats

  • Croats are primarily Roman Catholic.
  • Speak Serbo-Croat.

Serbs

  • Serbs are Orthodox Christian.
  • Speak Serbo-Croat.

Bosniacs

  • Bosniacs are Muslim

Albanians

  • Muslim
  • A large number of ethnic Albanians live in the Kosovo region of Yugoslavia

Montenegrins

  • Orthodox Christian
  • Closely related to Serbs.

Macedonians

  • Two thirds are Orthodox Christian
  • Speak Macedonian

The former Yugoslavia began to break down following Tito’s death in 1980. In 1991 ethnic regions began breaking away from the republic. As of the year 2000 the following countries exist.

Slovenia

  • 91% Slovene
  • Declared independence in 1991.

Croatia

  • 78% Croat
  • Declared independence in 1991.
  • Fought four year war with Yugoslav (Serb) army.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

  • 40% Serb
  • 22% Croat
  • 38% Bosniac
  • Split from Yugoslavia in 1992.
  • Yugoslavia and Croatia each sent in troops.
  • In December of 1995 the Dayton Peace Accord divided Bosnia & Herzegovina into two autonomous regions
  • Serb Republic
  • A Muslim-Croat Federation

Yugoslavia

  • 63% Serb
  • Of the six original regions which made up the former Yugoslavia only two currently exist:
  •  Serbia
  • Montenegro.

Macedonia

  • 66% Macedonian
  • Declared independence in 1991.

Now finally what about Kosovo

  • 90% of Kosovo is ethnic Albanian
  • Under Tito Kosovo was an autonomous region in Yugoslavia.
  • Following Tito’s death Kosovo’s autonomous status was rescinded.
  • In 1998 the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) began seeking and independent Kosovo.
  • Many Serbs view Kosovo as the cradle of their civilization.
  • In 1998 the Yugoslav army, Serbian Police and paramilitaries began expelling the Albanian majority.
  • Kosovo Albanians fled to Albania and Macedonia.
  • NATO air strikes promoted an end to the conflict and many Albanians have returned.