ABSTRACT
The collapse of the Soviet-style system in Eastern Europe and its own internal problems placed insupportable strains on the Yugoslav federation. Slovenia seized its chance to move closer to the more advanced states of central Europe while Serbia retreated into an old-fashioned state socialism and an even more old-fashioned aggressive nationalism. Slovenia's secession from the federation could be relatively easily managed not least because it had relatively few Serbs in its population. But if Slovenia left the federation Serbia would become totally dominant within it, and this Croatia's nationalists could not tolerate. Croatia, however, had a large Serb population which itself could not feel secure in a separate Croatia. The tensions this problem caused precipitated international intervention, first in an attempt to prevent the war and then to try and ameliorate its effects. When war in Croatia subsided the conflict moved to Bosnia and Hercegovina where it was more complex, more intense and more bloody. It was a conflict which did much to change the nature of international relations.
