Timeline

1971 Muslims become population majority in Bosnia.

1980 Josip Broz Tito dies. Nationalistic sentiments between individual Balkan States threaten
to split up the Republic of Yugoslavia. Slobodan Milosevic comes to power in Serbia.
1990 National elections in Bosnia result in a coalition government between Bosniaks, Serbs,
and Croatians. Serbians secede from national government.
1991 Slovenia, Macedonia, and Croatia declare independence. War in Croatia ensues.1
1992 March 3, Bosnia declares independence. Early May, US and Europe recognizes Bosnias
independence; Milosevic leads Serbian armies to take over Bosnian towns and to kill all
who would not wish to establish his Greater Serbia.
Pre-war, 4.5 million inhabitants of fairly healthy Bosnia.
During war, 250,000 killed, 250,000 injured, and 250,000 in concentration camps.2 Until
1995, ethnic cleansing occurred against non-Serbians and Muslims. Bosnian Serbs who
refused to kill were killed as well.
1993 UN declares Gorazde, Srebrenica, and Zepa safe havens for Bosnians.
1995 July, UN established safe areas fall to Bosnian Serb army. Killings, rapes, and sadistic
actions ensue as towns are taken from the victimized Bosnians.
November 16th Peace Talks in Dayton, Ohio: But there comes a time, when you have to
choose between some absolute justice and moving forward in peace.3 Bosnian Serbs
keep captured towns.
1999 Kosovo, The social fabric of a community was shredded. In 1999 this entire pattern
repeated itself in Kosovo.4
May 27, Milosevic tried for war crimes and sentenced to death.
2006 March 11, Milosevic dies in cell from heart attack awaiting death sentence for war crimes
committed in Bosnian Genocide.
1 Much of the pre-contextual information taken from: History.com/topics/Bosnian-genocide.
2 Doubt, Keith. Sociology after Bosnia and Kosovo. 2.
3 Ibid. 8.
4 Ibid. 2

Bosnian War
Symbols and
Motifs
Concerns

Themes

Animals birds in particular

Trees
Sports
Food
Religion Islam
Disruption of Mundane Life
National Identity
Religion

What did it cost to be Islamic?

Who would give up his faith to save his life?

Closing of Schools

What happens when children cannot go to school?

What role does education play in preventing war?

Nationalism

What constitutes a national identity?

How inclusive/exclusive should they be?
What distinctions should be drawn? Should any be drawn?

Media Presence

Whose voice matters?

Should voices be censored?
What should the rest of the world know?
What can they know?

Peace vs. Justice

Which is more productive?

Who gets to determine the reparations to be made?
Can peace and justice converge?

Age and Gender

Should high school girls be forced to become killers?

Who should fight? (Men? Women? Children?)

Representations of Violence

Who tells the story and how?

Who interprets the story?
What is the most effective means of representation?

Offense vs. Defense

Theoretical
Dimensions

When is an offensive more productive than a staunch defense?

Should UN officials have disarmed the Bosnians?
Who should protect whom?
Dr. Keith Doubt Sociology after Bosnia and Kosovo and
Understanding Evil: Lessons from Bosnia