Day Three of Ethnicity: Case Study Review: Yugoslavia

As a class read textbook section “Ethnic Diversity in the Former Yugoslavia” page 244. Look at maps on pgs 244, 245, and 246.

Match the Eastern European countries! Russia Hungary Belarus Estonia Latvia Russia Hungary Lithuania Czech Republic Belarus Poland Slovakia Ukraine Slovenia Moldova Croatia Romania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Serbia & Montenegro Macedonia Albania

Balkan Mountains

Cultural Crossroads Due to Eastern Europe’s location, it has become a “cultural crossroads”: a place where multiple cultures crossed paths Many people have passed through this portion of Europe to cross between Europe and Asia Exs: Traders, nomads, migrants, armies

Eastern Europe is Culturally Diverse! Multiple Languages & Religions Religion: Major ones are Eastern Orthodox Christians, Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism Result: Many different ethnic groups of people all living in the same place = conflict Less URBAN than rest of Europe

Conflicts over National Identities In Eastern Europe, there have been frequent conflicts over ethnic identities Why? Centuries of foreign rule = ethnic groups want to fiercely protect their ethnic heritage Wanted to become “nation-states” Examples: Balkan Countries vs. the Ottomans Fought over who should rule territory Led to “Balkanization”: process of a region breaking up into small, mutually hostile units Political unit of people Who share a common Culture or history

Soviet Union’s Control of Eastern Europe After WWII: Soviet Union dominates Eastern Europe Became “Satellite Nations” (mini-Soviet Unions) CHARACTERISTICS: Military treaties Military bases placed in most countries Communist govs took power; Controlled almost all aspects of people’s lives “Hammer & Sickle” Nations dominated by another country

Western and Eastern Divisions Result of Soviet domination: Lack of growth and prospering Eastern Europe cut off from technological advancements Created a boundary between West and East

Fall of Communism Fall of Communism led to Independence & Instability Newly found independence = ethnic loyalties very important Led to civil wars, which created instability in the region Ex: Serbian Civil War AKA Yugoslav Wars 1991-1995(didn’t want to split into separate countries) Czechoslovakia = Czech Republic & Slovakia

Explain this cartoon! The satellite states escape for freedom from the sinking ship that is the Soviet Union

Civil War in Serbia 1991-1995 Slobodan Milosevic: Wanted to Increase Serbia’s power over the rest of Yugoslavia Republics began leaving Yugoslavia Serbia declared war and lost Milosevic tried for war crimes Nations end trade w/Yugoslavia and country grew poorer 2000: Milosevic voted out of office

Why Serbia Feared? Milosevic’s “Greater Serbia” Expansion of Serbian borders to countries w/Serbian populations Alarmed territories of impact; declared independence Led to wars/conflicts between Serbia and other newly independent nations

Murders of political opponents In the summer of 2000 former Serbian President Ivan Stambolić was kidnapped; his body was found in 2003 and Milošević was charged with ordering his murder. In 2005, several members of the Serbian secret police and criminal gangs were convicted in Belgrade for a number of murders, including Stambolić's. In June 2006 the Supreme Court of Serbia ruled that Milošević had ordered the murder of Stambolić. The Supreme Court accepted the previous ruling of the Special Court for Organized Crime in Belgrade which targeted Milošević as the main abettor of politically motivated murders in the 1990s. Milošević was found dead in his cell on 11 March 2006, in the UN war crimes tribunal's detention center, located in the Scheveningen section of The Hague, Netherlands. Autopsies soon established that Milošević had died of a heart attack. He had been suffering from heart problems and high blood pressure. Many suspicions were voiced to the effect that the heart attack had been caused or made possible deliberately.

War in Bosnia Use of VIOLENCE to STOP Independence of Bosnia & Herzegovina Many of Bosnia’s Muslims and Croats (Croatians) were murdered Tried to eliminate entire ethnic group Ethnic Cleansing More than 200,000 died; over 2 million fled their homes

Kosovo Milosevic tried to gain control of Kosovo (Serbian area) Get rid of Albanian influences (culture) Response by Kosovo: Declared their independence 1990s: KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) carries out attacks against Serbian officials Serbian Ethnic Cleansing against Albanians Bombed villages, etc. Outcome of conflicts: new nation—Serbia & Montenegro