The Bosnian War
The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. It began after the break-up of Yugoslavia, when the Bosnian Serbs and Croat forces sought to create an ethnically-pure Serbian and Croatian republic within Bosnia. It soon engulfed neighboring areas of Croatia as well as Serbia, leading to a large-scale armed conflict, and ultimately, the intervention of the UN and NATO forces.
The Causes of the Bosnian War
The Bosnian War was rooted in the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and the succession of Bosnia from Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav Wars began when Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in June of 1991. This was met with military aggression from Serbia, the most dominant of the 6 republics of Yugoslavia. In response to Serbia’s aggression, Bosnia declared their own independence on March 1st, 1992 and were quickly met with military resistance from Bosnian Serbs who sought to create a “Greater Serbia” throughout Bosnia.
The following list further details the sequence of events that ultimately led to the beginning of the Bosnian War:
• The eruption of violence in Yugoslavia when Croatia and Slovenia declared independence
• The decision of Bosnia to secede from Yugoslavia, in March, 1992
• The Referendum vote in March, 1992 which resulted in Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croatians voting in favor of separate consitutions
• The Siege of Sarajevo, beginning in May, 1992
• The United Nations recognition of Bosnia’s independence, in April 1993
• The formation of a unified Bosnian government, in November 1993
The Consequences of the Bosnian War
The consequences of the Bosnian War were far-reaching and devastating. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed or wounded in the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes in what was the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. In addition, the war resulted in a legacy of inter-ethnic tension and distrust within Bosnia, as well as damage to infrastructure and the economy.
The following list further provides a more in-depth look at the wide-reaching consequences of the Bosnian War:
• Over 100,000 people were killed in the war
• Over 2 million people were displaced or became refugees
• More than 20,000 women were raped
• Ethnic tensions remain high throughout the region
• Over 3,000 homes and buildings were destroyed
• Economic development in the region was set back by over a decade
• Large amounts of unexploded landmines remain in the region
• The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina faces challenges in establishing a unified state
Lessons From the Bosnian War
In the aftermath of the Bosnian War, there have been many lessons learned about the challenges of managing a post-conflict environment and the need for justice and reconciliation.
The following list provides some of the key lessons from the Bosnian War:
• The importance of prompt international intervention to prevent further conflict and humanitarian disaster
• The need for negotiations between rival ethnic groups to achieve a peaceful resolution to a conflict
• The necessity of an independent judicial body to deliver justice to those who have suffered in a conflict
• The need for a unified government to ensure the stability of a post-conflict society
• The value of reconciliation efforts to build trust between communities
• The importance of international monitoring to ensure lasting peace
The Bosnian War was an incredibly costly conflict in terms of lives lost, infrastructure destroyed, and the long-lasting physical and psychological scars it left behind. The causes of the war were rooted in the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the subsequent declaration of independence by Bosnia. The consequences of the war were far-reaching and devastating, leaving long-lasting inter-ethnic tensions within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, a number of lessons have been learned from the war, including the need for international intervention and negotiations, justice, a unified government, reconciliation, and international monitoring. The Bosnian War serves as an important reminder of the cost of conflict and the necessity of diplomatic solutions in order to prevent future such tragedy.
