D. Central Europe Two tiers of countries following end of communism –New EU members (Poland, Czech Rep., Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia) Democracy, market economies –In difficulty (Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro) Corruption, civil strife Romania and Bulgaria joined EU in 2007

Ethnicity in Southeastern Europe Figure 4.51

D. Central Europe Conflict in Southeastern Europe –Generally peaceful intermixing of ethnic groups –Yugoslavia emerged from WWI as a new multi- ethnic state A Communist country under Soviet influence Post WWII Josip Tito was premier until 1980 –Semi-independent from Soviet Union –Citizens had more freedoms than other countries of Eastern Europe –Tito kept up foreign relations with the West – received economic and military assistance from the West –Still there was government repression of political opposition –Tito kept multiple ethnic groups at peace

Former Yugoslavia

After Tito’s death in 1980 –Downward spiral of nationalism and ethnic tensions –1987 Slobodan Milosevic came to power as a Serbian nationalist Plan to expand Serbia and expel other ethnicities –Serbs are of a Serbian Orthodox Church (Christian) 1989 Milosevic sent troops into Kosovo to repress resistance and took away Kosovo’s autonomy –Kosovo is a mostly Albanian [ethnicity] Muslim [religion] population –War/genocide ensued in early 1990’s Primary genocide (“ethnic cleansing”) was instituted by Serbs, killing primarily Muslims in the region –Yugoslavia broke up throughout the 1990’s –Milosevic and other war leaders were tried (and some convicted) for war crimes in the United Nations World Court in the Hague, Netherlands

Kosovo entralBalkans.jpg&imgrefurl= =1396&w=1114&sz=282&tbnid=xu5zpJnWOR8UgM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq% 3Dmap%2Bbalkans%26um%3D1&start=2&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=2 Current map (before February 17, 2008)

Kosovo 1997 – 1998 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo exhibited nonviolent disobedience towards Serbian rule 1999 Serbs forced Albanians out (850,000 Albanians fled their homes and became refugees) 1999 NATO forces attacked Serbia and eventually forced Serbia to allow the refugees back NATO forces have remained in Kosovo since 1999 to keep peace Kosovo remained a part of Serbia

Kosovo Independence