ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the region's history in order to identify issues that are central to the conflict, to look at whether or not the international community has addressed those issues, and to conclude with one perspective on the future. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia is an expression of national identities, particularly between the Croats and Serbs, in an environment lacking a strong central government. By the fall of 1992, the former Yugoslavia had not only divided along republic lines, but the minorities within Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina had also demonstrated desires for independence or autonomy. The actions of the remaining four republics of the former Yugoslavia are intertwined, Serbia and Montenegro are aligned in opposition to Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina is caught in the middle. Serb-Croat interests conflict in three areas: minority rights, particularly for Serbs who live in Croat lands; territorial goals in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and the amount of local governmental autonomy.
