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The rich history of Bosnia and
Herzegovina demonstrates the uniqueness of a country where four
religions (Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Christian Orthodoxy and Islam)
have each given their personal mark to the development of a specific
civilization, combining the heritage of the Neolithic, Iliric,
Classical, Greco-Roman and Slavic cultural elements.
Mutual influences and the unity of those cultural and natural values
on a relatively small geographic area, resulted in the specific
political, economic, cultural and international character of Bosnia and
Herzegovina throughout history.
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Xth Century
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The State of Bosnia first appeared in the Xth Century. At
that time Bosnia extended from the Drina river to the Adriatic sea. The
socio-legal position of Bosnia in the Medieval period was challenged by
Byzantium, Hungary and the neighboring states of Croatia and Serbia who
tried to take Bosnian territory to expand Catholicism and Christian
Orthodoxy. During the reign of Kulin Ban (1180-1204), Bosnia was
developing as an independent and internationally recognized country. At
the same time, her neighbors tried to destroy the specific religion
known as the Bosnian-Bogomil Church. Being created between the two
Christian religions, this Bosnian-Bogomil Church gave specific emphasis
to the spiritual development of Bosnia during three centuries. |
XIIth Century
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During the XIIth Century, the Bosnian State was
established on the parliamentary principle, with specific religious and
political relations. With the crowning of King Tvrtko I (in 1377),
Bosnia became a kingdom, and during his rule (1353-1391) Bosnia reached
maximum size stretching from the Sava river to the islands of Korcula
and Hvar, and from Zrmanja and Knin to Sjenica and Lim. Subsequently,
Bosnia was ruled by the Kotromanjic dynasty. |
The times of the Ottomans
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During the occupation of the Balkan countries by the
Ottoman Empire, Bosnia came under Turkish rule in 1463 when the Sultan
Mehmed Conqueror captured the Castle of Babovac and ended the
Kotromanjic Dynasty. The Turks established the area called Bosnian
Sanjak. From 1580 the Pashadom was the form of rule in Bosnia. The
Ottoman Empire brought numerous changes to the Bosnian society. A large
part of the Slavic population converted to the Islam religion, and
became known as Bosniacs. New towns of the Islamic-Oriental type were
developed, and the economy was changed by the introduction of an
estate-landowner system. The Bosniacs included in the Ottoman system
supported the Turkish occupations of the West Balkans and Central
Europe. After the big Vienna War (1683-1699) Bosnia became the West
Province of the Ottoman Empire. The Karlovac Peace Contract (1699)
confirmed the historical borders of Bosnia on the North, West and South.
During the XVIIIth Century, and in the first half of the XIXth Century,
the Bosniacs engaged in defensive wars against Austria and Venice, and
at the same time were also demanding an autonomous status within the
Ottoman Empire. Adopted Ottoman institutions (landowners, captains,
janissaries) were accepted as Bosnian. There were numerous reforms and
rebellions, such as the movement of Huseinbeg Gradascevic (1831-32),
which finally defined the extent of Bosnian autonomy within the Ottoman
Empire. By the military intervention of Omer-pasa Latas, the Bosnian
beys were defeated with long historical consequences. The undertaken
reforms during the 1860's brought to Bosnia certain provincial autonomy. |
The times of Austria-Hungary
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After the Christian Rebellion (1875-78) in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, the great Eastern Crisis began which resulted in the Berlin
Congress (1878) giving a mandate to Austria-Hungary to occupy Bosnia.
After great resistance, mostly by the Bosniacs, the Austro-Hungarian
Empire established its authority in Bosnia, leaving the country as
"Corpus Separatum" within its historical borders. Thus, Bosnia
entered the group of countries known as European countries. After this
annexation (1908), Bosnia established its Parliament in 1910 to include
representation of all its nations. During the years of the
Austro-Hungarian power, Bosnia and Herzegovina had important changes in
both the economic and cultural sense. At the end of the First World War,
Bosnia and Herzegovina was separated from the Habsburg Empire by its
National Council, and, together with Croatia and Slovenia, created the
State of the Slovenians, Croats and Serbs, which was united with Serbia
into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians by the Geneva Treaty. |
Between the two world wars
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According to the Vidovdan Constitution (1921) Bosnia and
Herzegovina maintained its specific position up to the abolishment of
this Constitution in 1929. After that, the country was divided into four
parts. In 1939, by the Cvetkovic-Macek Agreement, one part of Bosnia was
included in the Banland of Croatia. |
WWII and after
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After the disintegration of Yugoslavia (1941), Bosnia and
Herzegovina came under the authority of the Independent State of
Croatia, being on the separation line between the German and Italian
occupation zones. During the Second World War (1941-1945), Bosnia and
Herzegovina supported the antifascist fight. In November 1943, the
Anti-Fascist Council was established and Bosnia and Herzegovina regained
its statehood and legal status. Documents from the First Session of the
Anti-Fascist Council placed Bosnia and Herzegovina in the State of
Yugoslavia as a separate unit based on the principles of equality of all
nations living within Bosnia. In 1946, within the Yugoslav State, Bosnia
and Herzegovina got its constitution and the status of a Republic.
Within the Yugoslav Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only
Republic which was defined by its historic existence, instead of a newly
created national one. |
Sovereignty
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In the process of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, after
the multi-parties elections in 1990, and after the citizens' Referendum
(conducted February 28 to March 1, 1992), Bosnia and Herzegovina
determined to be an independent and sovereign country within its
historical borders. By Resolution Number 755 of the United Nations
Security Council, on May 20, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina was
internationally recognized as an independent country.
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War Continues
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But peace was far removed from this newly formed union. On April 5, 1992, Milosevic sends
the Yugoslav National Army along with Serb nationalist forces across the Drina River into
eastern Bosnia where hundreds of thousands are killed or wounded. As Serbian "ethnic
cleansing" continues by Serbian rebels, Croat nationalists begin their own "ethnic
cleansing" campaign of Bosnian Muslims in an effort to carve an all-Croat homeland out of
Herzegovina. In response, NATO begins air patrols to enforce U.N. bans on flights and to
support the 14,000 peacekeeper U.N. Protection Force.
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The Beginning of Peace
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In March 1993 the U.S. arranges an end to the war between Muslim and Croat forces, although
Serb forces continue to fight. Following a Serb attack against Gorazde, NATO launches it's
first of many air strikes against Serbian rebels. At the same time, a U.S. delegation
mediates peace talks between Serb and Bosnian forces, and a truce is signed on January 1,
1995. War continues during the spring of 1995 when the Croat army attempts to retake
territory held by Serbs since the beginning of the conflict. After 7 months of sporadic
fighting, peace talks begin in November between leaders from each ethnic group at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. On December 14, 1995, the Dayton Peace Accord is
signed in Paris by presidents Franjo Tudman (Croatia), Aliji Izethegovic (Bosnia), and
Slobodon Milosevic (Serbia).
For more information about the history and
other facts concerning Bosnia-Herzegovina, visit this site: www.bosnianembassy.org
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