The Bosnian War, 1992-1995
H2 History - syllabus 9174, 2027
Why the collapse of Yugoslavia led to war in Bosnia; how Bosnian leaders, neighbouring states, the UN, Europe, the USA and NATO shaped it; and how the Dayton peace process ended it.
- The break-up of Yugoslavia
Economic crisis, the end of the Cold War and ambitious nationalist leaders broke up Tito's Yugoslavia. Bosnia, the most mixed republic, was caught in the middle.
- Bosnia's independence and the outbreak of war, 1992
When Bosnia voted for independence, Bosnian Serb leaders refused to accept it. Rival nationalist aims for the same land led to war in April 1992.
- Ethnic cleansing and the course of the war
All sides fought for ethnically pure territory. Bosnian Serb forces carried out the largest campaign of ethnic cleansing, and Croats and Bosniaks also fought each other.
- The UN in Bosnia
The UN fed civilians and tried to protect them, but it was given too few troops and too weak a mandate. Its failure at Srebrenica became its darkest moment.
- European peace plans, the USA and NATO
European peace plans failed because no one would enforce them. In 1995 the USA took the lead, NATO bombed, and the balance on the ground shifted.
- The Dayton Agreement, 1995
US-led talks at Dayton ended the war by dividing power along ethnic lines. They stopped the killing but left a divided and weak state.
- Weighing causes, actors and management
Nationalist politicians turned economic crisis and ethnic difference into war. Outside actors failed for three years, then ended the war by combining force with diplomacy.
- Put it together: Judge the peace efforts
Choose a peace effort and test how well it worked.
What you will be able to do
I can judge which causes mattered most in conflicts such as Kashmir, the Arab-Israeli wars, Congo and Bosnia.
Syllabus 9174, Paper 1, Theme III, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the causes of conflicts
Taught in The break-up of Yugoslavia, Bosnia's independence and the outbreak of war, 1992, Weighing causes, actors and management
I can judge how local states, the superpowers and the UN shaped how conflicts developed over time.
Syllabus 9174, Paper 1, Theme III, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the roles of different actors in the development of conflicts over time
Taught in Ethnic cleansing and the course of the war, The UN in Bosnia, European peace plans, the USA and NATO, Weighing causes, actors and management
I can judge how well diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace talks managed conflicts.
Syllabus 9174, Paper 1, Theme III, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the effectiveness of conflict management
Taught in The UN in Bosnia, European peace plans, the USA and NATO, The Dayton Agreement, 1995, Weighing causes, actors and management