Kosovo Cold War Research Paper

The results of the second Balkan war were also key factors in the hostility between the two countries. In 1913 Serbia and Greece went to war with Bulgaria to win land they thought they deserved after the first war. Bulgaria was defeated and in the Treaty of Bucharest Serbia and Greece got to keep those parts of Macedonia they had captured. The Serbs then went on to

As Bosnia pursued the path of its neighbors: Croatia and Slovenia by declaring independence from the former Yugoslavia, which was becoming very unstable and impoverished, the Serbians were determined to stop them, and they did so by beginning a three-year war that would stain the peaceful hills of Bosnia with blood. Yugoslavia, a communist country, which spanned from Slovenia in the north to Macedonia in the south, had been rapidly declining economically. In 1990, Croatia and Slovenia held successful votes for independence from Yugoslavia, and in December of 1991 they were officially declared separate nations. Bosnia declared itself a separate nation on March 3, 1992 after the results of their referendum for independence. About a month later, on April 7, 1992, the United States and the European

Also, during this time “Ethnic Fault Lines” were created resulting in stronger violence along these areas. Reference the attached map of Yugoslavia in the Cited Sources section to view the map of ethnic majorities within the Yugoslavian region. This is a perfect example of how all the ethnicities were spread out across the region and not simply contained to one area allowing for the violent ethnic fault lines. Along with the historical perspective of ethnic tensions causing nationalism in Yugoslavia, new evidence from historians have shown that the Bosnian Civil War was not a one-time deal in the area. This had been considered a very active region, in the case of violence, during the 20th century making some historians to think that this conflict was bound to happen as it had occurred various other times in the past. Historically, another reason for the ethnic tensions occurred due to the fall of Communism. Although this is somewhat indirect, different ethnicities side with different governmental views causing deeper tensions to rise after the vacuum of the major world power in the Eastern Europe region. As stated earlier, Slobodan Milosevic believed he could push his agenda without any international policing of his actions due to the recent fall of communism and power vacuum. On this note, governmental influences are also another way that nationalism caused the Bosnian Civil War.

Even today, the Balkans remain an invaluable geopolitical crossroads where Russia competes with the West for influence. Currently, many Balkan nations that were either historically non-aligned or allies with Russia are seeking greater relations with the West. Montenegro has recently acceded into NATO, and Serbia and Macedonia have signed several agreements that are considered preconditions for closer cooperation and eventual membership. NATO expansion in general is a sensitive topic for Russia, and is only worsened when it concerns the Balkan nations. Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not go to war with NATO, and no military-political organization has been created to counter the influence of NATO

The Bosnian Genocide is a genocide that began in April 1992 with the goal to “ethnically cleanse” Bosnian territory. Serbians targeted Bosniaks (Muslim Bosnians) and Croatians civilians and aimed to eliminate them through the use of former Yugoslavian military equipment. Before the genocide began, many different ethnic and religious groups lived under Yugoslavia’s communist regime. Although there was tension, President Josip Broz Tito was able to keep the country together through dictatorship. Tito was considered a “benevolent dictator” and his regime ensured that the country stayed unified. However, when Tito died in 1980, the tension between different ethnic and religious groups increased and eventually led to the Bosnian genocide. Slobodan Milosevic rose to power seven years leader by using nationalism to his advantage. Milosevic favored the Serbs and and made changes to the constitution to show this. Milosevic also formed a military that was 90% Serbian. When Yugoslavia began to collapse in 1991 because of Slovenia and

With a long stemming past of ethnic conflict within Yugoslavia, the country at long last disassembled over what historians would argue was “The bloodiest war in Europe since World War II” (Multi-Ethnic Conflict: Yugoslavia.). Yugoslavia was a country composed of six republics- The socialist republic of Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Slovenia. The country was created after world war one in 1929 and was under the control of the Soviet Union up until 1991 when the Soviet Union broke apart. With the fall of the Soviet Union came the inevitable turmoil, violence and destruction within Yugoslavia- the country began to fall apart. Ethnic conflict had been the root of war and violence through out numerous countries all around the world for centuries. The ethnic conflict of Yugoslavia was caused by differences in religion and ethnicity, different perspectives on government and politics, and disagreements over territory. Yugoslavia was just far too small for the different nationalities and government structures within it.

Over the course of 100 years, European countries had been locked in land battles with one another. Stating this, many European countries have chosen to ally with one another to provide each other support in order to achieve their goals. Although this was not exclusive to the European countries, more often than not Europeans also formed alliances with outside countries, America coming to mind. Consequently, these chain of events have lead to the ‘Treaty Alliance System’, where alliances have been formed to protect their lands and interests. The Treaty Alliance System comes into play when the tensions between Serbia and

After WW2 victory by the communists in Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia was born. It collapsed with the Soviet Union completely in 1992 breaking into Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The transition for these countries away from communism was violent especially in Bosnia. Bosnia was split with two majority demographics the Seribians and the Bosniaks. The Serbians started to genocide the Bosniaks most notably in the attack on Srebrenica, where 8,000 people died. In a little over 5 years 100,000 people were killed. In 1995 five years after the start of the genocide and a couple months before the end Clinton, after being shredded by the media, started a NATO bombing of Bosnia. After the bombing the Dalton Peace Accords created a fragile peace in the

Lasting from 1992 till 1995, the Bosnian Genocide erupted after the ruination of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was a communist government that was formed in 1929 from several

Location/Geography: Kosovo is a country located in southeast Europe. Kosovo is neighbors with Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Kosovo is a small country with a population of 1,847,708. According to Kosovo Facts (2015), the total area of Kosovo is only a mere 4,203 square miles. Common languages spoken here are Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish, and Roma. The capital of Kosovo is Pristina. The average altitude in Kosovo is 800 meters above sea level. There are also many high mountain ranges in Kosovo.

Nationalism, Security, and the Death of Yugoslavia Norma Percy’s “The Death of Yugoslavia” frames the political events that took place towards the end of the Cold War that would ultimately result in the dissolvent of Yugoslavia. After the death of Josi Broz Tito, the once suppressed nationalism between the Serbs and Croats was reignited under the control of Slobodan Milosevic. The Serbs claimed that their people were poorly treated at that the Albanians yearned for an ethnically pure Yugoslavia. Unlike his predecessor, Milosevic catered to the Serbs, lending an ear to their nationalistic tendencies instead of crushing it.

The Serbians believed their ancestors were present first in the land while the Muslim believes otherwise. They believed that Albanians do not deserve the country, because the people came after the sixteenth centuries, which would not put them in the land before the Albanians. Also Serb believes that because their ancestors fought and lost so much blood that they should be rightful owners of the land. The main reason Serbia wants to keep Kosovo under them is because they look to Kosovo as the heart of their state. According to the constitution of 1974 both Serbia and Albanians have historical claims to Kosovo. It also gave affirmative action programs for the Kosovo people. The war continues to go on today and will continue to go on even though Kosovo have declared their

Furthermore, these wars cannot be fully understood without a basic knowledge of the former Yugoslavia. Formally known as the Soviet Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, it was a federation that was comprised of six socialist republics: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Additionally, two autonomous provinces, Vojvodina and Kosovo, were established in Serbia. Many different ethnic groups called Yugoslavia home, namely the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosniaks, Albanians, and Montenegrins. However, the presence of large ethnic minorities across republic lines made things complicated, especially with the advent of rising nationalism among these different peoples. The borders of the republics had originally been of little significance; Josip Tito, the beloved leader of the Communist Party in Yugoslavia, decided the borders with little opposition from anyone, as the federation was supposed to be a centralized “dictatorship of the proletariat”. Only with later decentralization and democratization would any concern for the individual republics and nationalities be voiced and nationalism become an issue. Tito’s death in 1980 seemed to suddenly remind all the Yugoslav peoples that they had in fact retained their separate ethnic identities and that the ethnic identity of Tito’s successor would certainly affect them, whether positively or negatively, and inter-republic relations began deteriorating quickly. Tito and his communist

Serbia feels a cultural tie to Kosovo because it has many monasteries, churches, and religious sites that are significant to the orthodox Christian faith, which is the main religion for Serbs (Malcolm). The Serbian claim conflicts with the Albanian majority who believes they have a claim to Kosovo because of they are the largest group. Throughout history Kosovo has been profitable because it have many natural resources, such as metals like nickel, and it is known for its abundance of silver, which has caused conflict because many countries have wanted to claim it. During World War Two, Hitler used the mines in Kosovo for profit (Malcolm). Mostly, Kosovo has been coveted because it is in a good location with many mountains guarding it and has always been a checkpoint for many trade routes, which made it prone to conquests. Conflict can always be understood through history, and Kosovo’s strategic location is one main reason for the fighting.

A unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's February 17, 2008 has caused mixed reactions in the international community. To date, Kosovo's independence from Serbia was recognized by 110 states out of 193 (56.9%), the United Nations Member States (the United Nations). At the same time, other states - members of the United Nations (more than 1/3), including two permanent UN Security Council members (China and Russia), refused to recognize the independence of Kosovo or declared neutrality. In order to take a seat at the UN, country must have the support of 2/3 of the states - members of the UN (129 out of 193) and the approval of the UN Security Council, in particular, the absence of a veto of any permanent member of the Security Council