IB HL History - Kosovo

Pre-Tito - WW1 & 2

-Kosovo ruled by Ottomans, multiethnic nation, Muslim communists ideology emerges post WW1

-1918 Kingdom of Croats, Slovenes, and Serbs created, later named Yugoslavia in 1929, mostly Serb rule

-Axis powers invade Yugoslavia: invasion of Nazis, Croats ally with Nazis, development of Utasa - led to genocide

-Resistance to Nazis: Chetniks and Partisans (led by Tito, mostly communist) Partisans drove Germans out

Tito Era

-Authoritarianism, Tito wanted homogenous Yugoslavia, suppression of ethnic identities

“Weak Serbia = Strong Yugoslavia”

Tito was a dictator who controlled Serbian ethnic nationalism in order to facilitate the growth of Yugoslavia

“Unity and Brotherhood”

did not reach out to common Serbs, alienated Serbs, etc

Serbian population in Kosovo decreased, while Albanians increased

-Non-Alignment movement - did not ally with Soviets or Americans but took money from both

Post-Tito

-After Tito’s death, there was a power vacuum (no successor to Tito), each federation vying for power

-Protests and chaos in Kosovo - Stambolic sends Milosevic, who betrays him

-SANU Memorandum said Serbs outside Serbia experienced genocide, rape and ethnic cleansing

-Rise in Serbian nationalism in the 1980s

“latent nationalim” - inactive, held back during Tito era

Slobodan Milosevic was a populist leader who was supported by working class & nationalists

-Serbs rally to take over government and absorb Montenegro, Vojvodina, Kosovo, so Milosevic/Serbia has lots more power

Disintegration of Yugoslavia and subsequent wars

Slovenian War of Independence 10 days

Croatian War - months long, ethnic cleansing of Serbs. Serbs in Croatia were oppressed by the Ustasa, large minority, rose up with support of the Yugoslav national army, which was pro-Serb

LDK - Democratic League of Kosovo (led by Ibrahim Rugova), non violent approach, main resistance after Bosnian War, Rugova president of Kosovo

Bosnian War - conflict between Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats

Serbs genocide Bosnian Muslims, Nato gets involved

Srebrenica Massacre - Bosnian Serbs kill 8000 people in a safe zone

Dayton Accords - solution to Bosnian conflict, establish land divisions

ICTY (International Criminal tribunal of Yugoslavia) established to prosecute war criminals

post-Bosnian war KLA grows as a result of Albanian nationalism in response to Serbs

Lack of progress by Rugova (pacifist) encourage more radical approach by KLA

Rise of Slobodan Milosevic

-Was a member of Serbian Central Committee, protege & close friend of Serbian President Ivan Stambolic. In April 1987, Stambolic sent Milosevic to Kosovo to deal with some problems.

-Milosevic rode the wave of Serbian nationalism that had manifested itself through the SANU Memorandum

-Communist authorities, including Stambolic, condemned document and warned it could bring the destruction of Yugoslavia. Milosevic condemned document in public… but later adopted it to further himself and destroy his mentor’s political career.

-Meeting at Kosovo Polje - M used media to broadcast message to Serb nationalists: “No one should dare to beat you.” Transfomed relationship between Stambolic and Milosevic.

-Sep 1987 - Central Committee Meeting - Milosevic turned on Stambolic with the words “The fatherland is under threat.” Blatant appeal to nationalist sentiment which was exploited by M to win power and change political landscape. Stam resigned in Dec 1987 and was replaced by protege and eventual exectioner, Milosevic.