Bosnia Genocide Essay Example
We've all heard of the Holocaust. We've read about the mass murder of 800,000 civilians in Rwanda. People write books, make movies, hold memorial services, and advocate awareness of these terrible genocides. While it would be nice to say that those were the only genocides our world has experienced, there are countless others that are rarely mentioned.
The Bosnian genocide took place between 1992 and 1995, around the time my generation was beginning. It was a result of the war between Bosnia and the Serbians (and a number of Croatians). In 1946, Yugoslavia was divided into six federated republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Bosnia passed a referendum for independence that was supported by the country's Muslims and Croats, but rejected by representatives of the Serb population, who established their own republic, Republika Srpska.
Following Bosnia's declaration of independence, Bosnian Serb forces (supported by the Serbian government), accompanied by the Yugoslav's People's Army, declared war on Bosnia so they could take the land for themselves. Although Croatia had first supported Bosnian independence, their president, Franjo Tudman, decided to join the war to secure land for his republic. Along with this came an “ethnic cleansing” of the Muslims in Bosnia, who represented almost half the population. This genocide wiped out 66.2 percent of the Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims, in the country, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
On October 13, 1991, on the eve of war, the future president of Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadzic, expressed his view about the future of Bosnia and Bosnian Muslims: “In just a couple of days, Sarajevo will be gone and there will be five hundred thousand dead, in one month Muslims will be annihilated in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” There were no Bosnian forces to fight back, and because they had been left defenseless, the country ultimately ceased to exist.
The Bosnian genocide took place between 1992 and 1995, around the time my generation was beginning. It was a result of the war between Bosnia and the Serbians (and a number of Croatians). In 1946, Yugoslavia was divided into six federated republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Bosnia passed a referendum for independence that was supported by the country's Muslims and Croats, but rejected by representatives of the Serb population, who established their own republic, Republika Srpska.
Following Bosnia's declaration of independence, Bosnian Serb forces (supported by the Serbian government), accompanied by the Yugoslav's People's Army, declared war on Bosnia so they could take the land for themselves. Although Croatia had first supported Bosnian independence, their president, Franjo Tudman, decided to join the war to secure land for his republic. Along with this came an “ethnic cleansing” of the Muslims in Bosnia, who represented almost half the population. This genocide wiped out 66.2 percent of the Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims, in the country, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
On October 13, 1991, on the eve of war, the future president of Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadzic, expressed his view about the future of Bosnia and Bosnian Muslims: “In just a couple of days, Sarajevo will be gone and there will be five hundred thousand dead, in one month Muslims will be annihilated in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” There were no Bosnian forces to fight back, and because they had been left defenseless, the country ultimately ceased to exist.