Bosnia-Herzegovina

Ottoman Bosnia

The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1384 and the Kingdom of Bosnia finally fell in 1463. The conquest of the Ottomans was the most important event in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina and had enormous religious, linguistic, cultural, political, and military consequences for the region.

A significant number of Bosnians converted to Islam after the conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 15th century, giving it a unique character within the Balkan region.

The Ottoman rule also saw many architectural investments in Bosnia and the creation and development of many new cities including Sarajevo and Mostar. This is mostly because of the high esteem the Bosnians held in the eyes of the Sultans and the Turks. The Empire also promoted close relations between Turks and Bosnians, and many Turks during Ottoman times felt a trust for and a kinship with the Bosnians.

The Austro-Hungarian Era

Following the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), in 1878 the Congress of Berlin was organized by the Great Powers. The resulting Treaty of Berlin caused Bosnia and Herzegovina to nominally remain under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire but was de facto ceded to Austria-Hungary. Three decades later, in 1908, Austria-Hungary provoked the Bosnian Crisis by formally annexing the occupied zone, and establishing the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the joint control of Austria and Hungary.

During this period, Bosnia-Herzegovina was integrated into the administrative structures of the empire, resulting in cultural, political, and economic influences.

Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the six constituent federal states forming the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was a predecessor of the modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, existing between 1945 and 1992.

Because of its central geographic position within the Yugoslav federation, post-war Bosnia was strategically selected as a base for the development of the military defense industry. This contributed to a large concentration of arms and military personnel in Bosnia; a significant factor in the war that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. However, Bosnia's existence within Yugoslavia, for the large part, was peaceful and prosperous.

Within Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina was a unique federal state with no dominant ethnic group, as was the case in other constituent states, all of which were also nation-states of Yugoslavia's South Slavic ethnic groups. It was administered under strict terms of sanctioned consociationalism, known locally as "ethnic key" or "national key", based on the balance of political representation of the 3 largest ethnic groups (Bosnian, Croats, and Serbs).

Bosnian War

The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started on 6 April 1992, following several earlier violent incidents. The war ended on 14 December 1995 when the Dayton Accords were signed. The main belligerents were the forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, those of the Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Republika Srpska, proto-states led and supplied by Croatia and Serbia, respectively.

The war was part of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Following the Slovenian and Croatian secessions from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, the multi-ethnic Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a referendum for independence on 29 February 1992. Political representatives of the Bosnian Serbs boycotted the referendum and rejected its outcome. Anticipating the outcome of the referendum, the Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Constitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 28 February 1992. Following Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of independence (which gained international recognition) and following the withdrawal of Alija Izetbegović from the previously signed Cutileiro Plan (which proposed a division of Bosnia into ethnic cantons), the Bosnian Serbs, led by Radovan Karadžić and supported by the government of Slobodan Milošević and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), mobilized their forces inside Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to secure ethnic Serb territory. Then war soon spread across the country, accompanied by ethnic cleansing.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the wake of the devastating Bosnian War (1992-1995), embarked on a challenging journey towards recovery, reconciliation, and the reconstruction of a fractured nation. This brutal conflict, driven by ethnic and religious divisions, left deep and lasting scars on the country and its population. The Dayton Agreement brokered in 1995, ended the conflict, ushering in a fragile peace. This accord established a complex power-sharing arrangement with a rotating presidency and a division of governmental structures based on ethnicity. While the agreement succeeded in halting the violence, it also institutionalized these ethnic divisions, resulting in political stagnation and persistent ethnic tensions.

In the post-war era, Bosnia and Herzegovina faced the formidable task of rebuilding infrastructure, restoring social cohesion, and fostering economic development, with substantial assistance from the international community. However, the country has grappled with corruption, political gridlock, and a struggling economy, which have impeded its progress. Moreover, Bosnia and Herzegovina's multi-ethnic society remains fragile, with the wounds of the past still visible. Ethnic divisions persist, undermining the country's political stability and societal unity.

Recent years have seen a growing desire for change, particularly among the younger generation, who seek a more unified and inclusive Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nation's journey after the Bosnian War is marked by a complex struggle to balance the legacies of the past with a vision for a more harmonious and prosperous future. The nation's future hinges on its ability to overcome these challenges and forge a path toward lasting peace and progress.