The Bosnian War: Three Ethnic Groups, One Shattered Country

The 1992–1995 Bosnian War was primarily a conflict among three constitutive peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

• Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) — ~44% pre-war; sought a unified, multiethnic Bosnia.
• Serbs (Orthodox Christians) — ~31%; wanted Serb-majority areas to join "Greater Serbia" or remain in Yugoslavia.
• Croats (Catholic Christians) — ~17%; initially allied with Bosniaks, later pursued Croat entity (Herzeg-Bosna) aligned with Croatia.

Roots of Division

• Ottoman millet system → Austro-Hungarian administration → Yugoslav socialism (suppressed nationalism).
• 1990 multi-party elections → ethnic parties (SDA, SDS, HDZ) captured vote.
• 1991–92: Slovenia/Croatia secede; Bosnia’s independence referendum (boycotted by Serbs) → recognition → war.

War Dynamics

• Serb forces (VRS/JNA): Siege of Sarajevo, Srebrenica genocide (1995), ethnic cleansing (Prijedor, Foča, Višegrad).
• Croat forces (HVO): Ahmići massacre, Mostar destruction, ethnic cleansing in central Bosnia.
• Bosniak forces (ARBiH): Defended enclaves; some reprisals.

Resolution

Dayton Accords (Nov 1995) created two entities: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosniak-Croat, 51%) and Republika Srpska (Serb, 49%), with a weak central presidency. Peace held, but ethnic segmentation persists.