< Return to previous page

Title
World conflict involving ethnic cleansing

Caption
"1992, another great year in ethnic cleansing."

Issues
Bosnian War, 1992-1995
The Bosnian War refers to an armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina that took place from April 6, 1992 to September 14, 1995. The causes of the conflict were many and multifaceted, stemming from the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. The main discord was between Bosnian Serbs and Croats, with Muslim involvement complicating an already explosive conflict. UN sanctions and military measures did little to quell the violence, and the results were gruesome. At least a quarter of a million people were killed, and nearly half of the nation’s population became refugees. The methods employed by the combating forces often violated the basic tenets of human rights and a UN tribunal to investigate these war crimes was convened in The Hague as a result.

Persons
Josip Broz Tito
- Born May 7, (originally May 25th on the official birth certificate) 1892
- Died May 4, 1980
- Communist
- Leader of Yugoslavia from the end of World War II until his death in 1980
- Led the communist resistance against Nazi occupation, later veering Yugoslavia toward a communist state with close ties to the USSR
- Rift with the USSR beginning in 1948 when he defied Stalin’s leadership
- Established strong ties with Egypt and India in Non-Aligned Movement, 1961
- Suppressed nationalist insurrections and terrorist movements
- Named President for Life in a new constitution, 1974
- Died from complications from leg surgery for circulation problems, 1980
- Ethnic divisions and conflict grew after his death, resulting in several wars and the fracturing of the state