Essay Serbia's Geography and Historical Events

After the First World War country was united with other Slav territories to form Yugoslavia. At the time, the population of Bosnia consisted of over 1,300,000 Serbs which were Orthodox Catholic Christians, million Muslim Bosnians and around 700,000 of Croats. They all were strong attached to this land by the historical and local claims. After the death of Josip Broz Tito, elections in 1990 brought nationalists to power in Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia, which declared independence in 1991 and were recognised internationally. The Leader of Bosnia’s, Alija Izetbegovic called for independence too, and the country was recognised as independent by the USA and the EU in 1992. However, Bosnia’s Serbs weren’t happy because they wanted to be part of “Greater Serbia”. a Serbian named Slobodan Milosevic, a former Communist responded to Bosnian’s declaration of independence by attacking and bombarding the capital city, Sarajevo. Serbs shot down civilians in the streets, including over 3,500 children.

Serbia became a scapegoat for Austria-Hungary in the years leading up to World War I. A scapegoat is someone or something people place all of their blame upon. Serbia was on the Balkan Peninsula alongside the occupied Austro-Hungarian territories, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia wanted to unite these territories and create a united Slavic nation called “Yugoslavia” (Land of the South Slavs). These feelings in the Balkans were the beginning of Serbian nationalism and Pan Slavism. Serbian nationalism was the desire to build a united Serbian kingdom separate from Austria-Hungary, and bound by a common language and customs. Pan Slavism was the idea that the Slavic people should be unified and help one another if their bond was interrupted. Through these beliefs of Pan Slavism, Russian support grew for

One of the youngest nations of Europe, Yugoslavia was created after World War I as a homeland for several different rival ethnic groups. The country was put together mostly from remnants of the collapsed Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. Demands for self-determination by Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, and others were ignored. Yugoslavia thus became an uneasy association of peoples conditioned by centuries of ethnic and religious hatreds. World War II aggravated these rivalries, but Communist dictatorship after the war controlled them for 45 years. When the Communist system failed, the old rivalries reasserted themselves; and in the early 1990s the nation was rent by secessionist movements and civil war. Within several years these conflicts

The capital of Kosovo is Pristina. Pristina is located in the northeastern part of Kosovo near the Goljak Mountains. Most of the major railroads and roads pass through Pristina to connect the northern half to rest of the country.

The Balkan Peninsula is a region located in southern Europe. The northern dividing line of the Balkan Peninsula consists of the Kupa, Sava, and Danube rivers. This region is surrounded by the Black Sea to the east, the Mediterranean and Marmara Seas to the south, and the Adriatic Sea to the west. Examples of physical features in the Balkan Peninsula are the many forested mountain ranges that occupy the region, including the Balkan Mountains, the Dinaric Alps, and the Rhodope Mountains, the varied climate ranging from cold, snowy winters in the northern mountains, to a warm, humid climate characteristic of the Mediterranean, as well as fertile soil, especially in the plains, and diverse plants and wildlife throughout the region, such as the endangered Balkan lynx. Some examples of human characteristics that make this region unique

The geographic location of Bosnia and its past history of colonization help explain why non-Serbs were targeted 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.

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

During the early 1900’s, the Ottoman Empire (which included the Balkan region), took a rapid decline. Some Balkan groups struggled to free themselves from the Ottoman Turks, and some had freed themselves from the Turkish rulers. During 1908, the Ottoman Empire’s power hungry neighbors, Austria-Hungary, annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina were two areas within the Balkan

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.

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, and Hungary border it. Serbia still claims Kosovo as part of the country even though it declared itself an independent country due to the amount of Serbians that still reside in the country. Depending on which region of the country you are in the terrain varies, Serbia consists of rich fertile plains, limestone and granite ranges and basins and nearly half of the country contains

In 1990 Yugoslavia started to weaken from a multitude of political upheavals and other conflicts. Later resulting in the total separation of Yugoslavia, which was the main cause for why the war started.

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.

As one of the most troubled region of the Balkans in Central Europe, the Balkans were affected by strife and hostility. The problems in the Balkans not only affected the people living in this region, but also other large European powers that fueled many of the major conflicts and events of Europe at the time. The First Balkan War and its profound effects on European history will be discussed, while also exploring the future conflicts in both the Balkans and the rest of Europe.

According to Alan Thornett, after the death of Tito, Slobodan Milosevic wanted to expand its Serbian territory and make a greater Serbia, by gathering together all regions that are inhabited by Serbs. This would mean that Serbia would have more power contrasting everyone else, and a little or no