History of Bosnia-Herzegovina
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Bosnia and Hercegovina Chronology
| Beginning of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 9th-12th Century |
Bosnia emerged as an independent state in the region after many political shifts between local tribes.
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| Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 12th-15th Century |
Bosnia was subjected to various inner conflicts and struggles for power from the country’s authorities – the nobility called the Bans (Kings). By the end of this period Bosnia was in decline and became an easy target for the invading Ottoman Empire. |
| 1463 |
Bosnia officially fell to the Ottoman Turks.
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| 1482 |
Herzegovina was conquered the Turks.
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| 1463-1878 |
Bosnia was under Ottoman rule. Almost five centuries passed in slavery.
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| 1908 |
Bosnia-Herzegovina was annexed to Austria-Hungary.
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| During the World Wars |
| 1914 |
Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, assassinated the archduke of Austria – Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Thus began World War I.
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| 1918 |
At the end of the war came the end of Austria-Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
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| 1941 |
The country was annexed by a Croatian puppet state made by Hitler. Thousands of Jews, Serbs and Gypsies were sent to death in the camps.
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| 1945 |
Bosnia-Herzegovina was liberated by partisans led by Tito, a Serbian leader and became a republic within the Yugoslav Socialist Federation.
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| After the World Wars |
| 1991 |
After the end of communism the first multi-party elections were won by nationalists who form a coalition without a clear goal – Muslim nationalists demanded a centralized, independent Bosnia, the Serbs wanted a Belgrade-dominated Yugoslavia, Croats wished to join the independent Croatian state.
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| 1992 |
War begins between Serbs, who took control over half of the nation’s territories and the alliance of Croats and Muslims. The Bosnian Serbs are led by Radovan Karadzic. They sieged Sarajevo, which was occupied by the Muslims. Bitter fights and cruelties from both sides followed.
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| 1993 |
The alliance between Muslims and Croats was broken, the old Bridge of Mostar, a Bosnian national landmark, was destroyed. Then Muslims and Serbs, contrary to all logic, formed an alliance against the Croats, which was later replaced by an alliance between Serbs and Croats. All in all everybody fought against everybody in this complex ethnical conflict. |
| 1995 |
Thousands of Muslim boys and men were massacred by the forces of Serb general Ratko Mladic in the presence of UN troops. An international peacekeeping force was deployed. |
| Post-Ethnical Conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| 1996 |
In Hague the International Criminal Tribunal starts work. The first person to be convicted is a Croat who took part in the massacres. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
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| 2000 |
Peaceful but tense situation in the multicultural Bosnia and Herzegovina parliament. |
| 2001 |
In the light of a growing international pressure Radovan Karadzic, the wartime leader, is given to the Tribunal in Hague. |
| 2002 |
Nationalists win the elections for a president, a parliament and for local representatives. |
| 2003 |
Three months after the elections a new government is approved by the parliament, it is led by Adnan Terzic.
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| 2004 |
The Old Bridge of Mostar is reconstructed and a ceremony is held for its reopening.
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| 2004 October |
NATO hands over the peacekeeping duties to the European Union.
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| 2005 |
For Iraq heads a unit from all three main ethnic groups in Bosnia to support the US-led coalition.
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| 2006 |
Radovan Karadzic is still not caught yet Bosnia enters NATO’s Partnership for Peace pre-membership programme.
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