What Is Ethnic Cleansing? Ch. 7 Key Issue 4 What Is Ethnic Cleansing?

Ethnic Cleansing Stronger ethnicity “cleansing” their country of a weaker ethnicity to create a homogenous region (i.e. a nation-state) Rather than war, EVERY person of that ethnicity is forcibly removed Could take the form of genocide Primarily in Europe and Africa

Conflict in Europe Largest forced migration occurred during and after WWII Jews and other ethnicities by Nazis Changing borders after war forced people to migrate Balkan Peninsula/former Yugoslavia Failing to match borders to nationalities/ethnicities

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Creating multiethnic Yugoslavia Created after WWI by Allies to unite several Balkan ethnicities that spoke similar language Region formerly controlled by Ottoman (Muslim) and Austria-Hungary Empires Tito’s 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 shows diverse but unified country 6 republics; 5 nationalities of Yugoslavia The creation eased tensions and promoted “Yugoslav” as a nationality

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New boundaries were drawn as closely as possibly to the language boundaries of each ethnicity. FIGURE 7-30

Destruction of Yugoslavia Unrest after Tito’s death in 1980 Transformation of the 6 republics from local gov’ts to indep. countries New boundaries did not match the 5 nationalities Smaller ethnicities that were not recognized as nationalities wanted indep. too

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Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and Bosian Serbs Croat and Serb nationalities wanted to unify with their respective countries Ethnic cleansing to make case for unification More likely to be accepted if homogenously Croat or Serb Dayton Accords divided into 2 regions: Republika Srpska (Serb)and the Federation (Bosniak/ Bosnian Croats)

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Destruction of the Stari Most Bridge by Serbs to demoralize Bosnian Muslims (important symbol and tourist attraction) FIGURE 7-32

Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo Kosovo became a part of multiethnic Serbia after Yugoslavia break up 90% Albanian Serbia began ethnic cleansing campaign against Albanians Forced into camps in Albania (750k/2mil) Serbia withdrew from Kosovo after US/NATO involvement Kosovo is indep. country today (Serbia opposes)

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Documenting Ethnic Cleansing: Kosovo** Aerial-photography analysis used to prove Step 1: Move in military equipment Step 2: Round up weaker people Step 3: Force people to leave village Step 4: Destroy vacated village

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Balkanize Balkanized = area that cannot be organized peacefully Balkanization = term applied to the process of a state breaking down due to ethnic conflicts Threat to peace around the world- led to WWI by dragging larger nations they were allied with into war Taken from the troubles seen in the Balkan region Peace in the Balkans means ethnic cleansing “worked”? Nation-state’s come at the price of peace

Ethnic Cleansing in Africa “drawn” borders from European colonial powers do not match ethnic ones Divided tribes among 2 states or put with dissimilar tribes Tribes more important than states to African people Tribes = ethnicities Borders, lineage and total number is impossible to define

Ethnic Cleansing in Rwanda Hutu (majority, farmers) vs Tutsi (minority, cattle herders) Rwanda was German then Belgium colony Colonial governments treated Tutsi better 1962 killing and ethnic cleansing (genocide) of Tutsi by Hutu = fear of Tutsi gaining control of new indep. country “cleansed” Tutsi returned to Rwanda and killed ½ mil Hutu. Millions of Hutu’s fled

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Conflict in Congo Rwandan conflict spills over to neighbors Tutsi help overthrow Dem. Rep. of Congo’s president, Mobutu New president, Kabila, let Tutsi kill Hutus Kabila breaks with Tutsis and is assassinated Son takes over and settles disputes