Part 5/9:
As national identities sharpened, Slovenia, Croatia, and Macedonia pushed for independence, each seeking to establish their sovereignty amidst rising ethnic tensions.
The Conflicts Erupt
By the early 1990s, predictions of violent tensions became grim realities. The ethnic divisions highlighted during Tito's rule flared up violently post-independence movements. The wars in Croatia and Bosnia polarized communities that had coexisted peacefully for decades.
The conflicts were characterized by brutal campaigns for ethnic cleansing—the Bosniaks suffering disproportionately from systematic violence and the infamous Srebrenica massacre serving as one of the darkest chapters of modern European history.