Timeline

1914- World War 1 started

1918- (World War 1 ended) After World War 1, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is formed. Previously, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina had been part of the Austro-Hungary Empire. Serbia and Montenegro existed as an independent state (Macedonia was then part of Serbia).

1929- The monarchy’s name of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is changed to Yugoslavia.

1939- World War 2 started

1941-Yugoslavia invaded by the Axis powers (Italy, Germany and Japan) and occupied by them

1945- (World War two ended) Yugoslavia now under Prime minister, Josip Broz Tito, becomes a communist republic and name is changed to the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It was made up of six republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro and the two provinces, Kosovo and Vojodina.

1946- Communist government established and now renamed to the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.

1963- Name changed to Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as now a socialist state. 

1980- Until Tito’s death in 1980, ethnic tension had been in check. Now without his pan-Slavic influence, ethnic and nationalist differences began to arise.

1989- Slobodan Milošević becomes president of Serbia (until 1997)

1991- The provinces of Slovenia and Croatia declare independence. Slovenia declared its independence on 25 June 1991. Intervention between the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and the Slovenians forces shortly turned into a brief military conflict. After this ’10-day war’ JNA withdrew its solders.

The Croatian war of independence was fought from 1991-1995. The fairly large minority of ethnic Serbs in Croatia rejected the authority of the newly proclaimed Croatian state wanting to remain within Yugoslavia. The Croatian Serbs rebelled along with the help of JNA and Serbia. The Yugoslav army, representing Serbia, attacks Croatia and the war is begun. The Croatian Serbs declared an independent state consisting of nearly a third of Croatia’s territory where Croats and other non-Serbs were expelled in a violent campaign of ethnic cleansing.

1992- The European Union recognises the independent states of Croatia and Slovenia.

Jan- Macedonia declares independence.

April- Bosnia and Herzegovina declares independence.

Bosnia is 43% Muslim, 31% Serbian, and 17% Croatian. Ethnic tension at highest and conflict between Bosnia and Herzegovina has begun. (1992-1995)

Serbia and Montenegro form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with Slobodan Milosevic as its leader. This new government is not recognised by the United States as the ‘new’ Yugoslavia.

1995- Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign the Dayton Peace Accord to end the war in Bosnia.

Bosnia achieves peace. The country has been parted into three areas and each region governed by one of the three ethnic groups.

1996- The ethnic Albanian community sought independence from Serbia in Kosovo.

1997- Slobodan Milošević becomes president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (until 2000)

1998- Slobodan Milošević sends troops to Kosovo to quash unrest in the province. A guerrilla war breaks out.

1999- January- Due to sanctions, Serbian economy continues to deteriorate

March- after peace talks fail; NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) carries through on its threat to launch airstrikes on Serbian targets.

.