Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Colin Fluxman
Unabridged: 1 hr 30 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 03/22/2023
Genre: History - Europe
Much has been written about Western intervention during the breakup of Yugoslavia, and whether it made matters worse, prevented worse atrocities, or was simply ineffective. In early 1992, however, what was clear was that Europe was hopelessly divided over the best course of action to take towards Yugoslavia, and after several years of fighting, the Bosnian War was one of the most violent conflagrations in Europe since the end of World War II.
That war had been the byproduct of centuries of tensions in the Balkans, and an attempt in the wake of World War I to redraw the political boundaries of Europe and the Middle East. That included forming the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, initially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, a particularly fragile enterprise, and there was almost constant tension between the majority Serbs and the other Yugoslav nationalities, especially the Croats.
Depending on the source, many authors have focused on different catalysts for Yugoslavia’s demise, but Vesna Drapac may have succinctly summed the situation up when he wrote that by the end, the state “lacked a reason to exist.” There is certainly something in this sentiment, but the disintegration came at an enormous cost.
Given what happened in Yugoslavia, it should be little surprise that Bosnia did not have its fully-established borders until the 19th century, and even in modern times, in many respects the people distinguished and defined Bosnia as a polity more than its shifting borders, and regardless of whether Bosnia operated as an independent state or kingdom. It was during the Middle Ages that Bosnia’s culture and ethnic makeup truly began to coalesce, despite the politically rocky nature of the era in the Balkans.
Much can be said for a nation as proud and ancient as Wales. It is a nation that reaches far back into the shadows of history, from where it struggled to retain its freedom and proud culture. Of Celtic and Brittonic origins, the Welsh people were al...
The history of the Scottish nation is full to the brim with glorious heroes and epic struggles. Throughout the centuries of its fight for independence, Scotland gave birth to some truly exceptional men and women, who went above and beyond the call o...
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Celts, then pay attention...Today, the word Celtic means so many things. To most of us, it means something related to Ireland. We think of intricately designed Irish crosses, four-leaf clovers, ...
A great nation needs a great leader. Just like a ship needs a capable captain, so does a proud and sovereign nation need a competent king to lead it through the tumultuous waves of history. Alas, history taught us that capable leaders are ...
Yeats is widely regarded as one of the most important English-language writers of the 20th century. A hero of the pen rather than the sword. A Nobel Prize winner for Literature and a two-term senator of the Irish Free State, Yeats lived a full, acti...
About empty thrones, a lot can be said. Throughout history, both ancient and near modern, a lack of an heir and the sudden death of a beloved monarch always meant trouble. When the position of a king is up for grabs, a lot of eager hands come forwar...
The French Revolution of the late 1790s was one of the critical events in the history of Europe. It was the defining moment - a historic landslide that ushered the world into a new, completely different epoch. Alas, all such changes come at a great ...
The perfect St. Patrick's Day gift, and a book in the best tradition of popular history -- the untold story of Ireland's role in maintaining Western culture while the Dark Ages settled on Europe. Every year millions of Americans celebrate St. Patric...
Few are those that have not heard of the fearsome Vikings and their daring exploits. These Northern seafarers, the scourge of the Middle Ages, left their mark on the world’s history in a grand fashion. Courageous, defiant, and driven by the de...