Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wanted these wars. And so finally comes the inevitable question: Why did any of it happen
in the first place?
Explanations tend to gravitate to two extremes. Some observers consider this part of
the world to be inherently warlike—a place where deep-seated hatreds and age-old ethnic
passions unavoidably flare up. This point of view sees an air of inevitability about the re-
cent wars and the potential for future conflict. And it's hard to deny that the residents of
the region tend to obsess about exacting vengeance for wrongdoings (real or imagined) that
happened many decades or even centuries in the past.
For others, however, this theory is an insulting oversimplification. Sure, animosity has
long simmered in the Balkans, but for centuries before World War II, the various groups
had lived more or less in harmony. The critical component of these wars—what made them
escalate so quickly and so appallingly—was the single-minded, self-serving actions of a
few selfish leaders who shamelessly and aggressively exploited existing resentments to ad-
vance their own interests. It wasn't until Miloševi
ć
, Karadži
ć
, Tu
đ
man, and others expertly
manipulated the people's grudges that the region fell into war. By vigorously fanning the
embers of ethnic discord, polluting the airwaves with hate-filled propaganda, and carefully
controlling media coverage of the escalating violence, these leaders turned what could have
been a healthy political debate into a holocaust.
Tension still exists throughout the former Yugoslavia—especially in the areas that were
most war-torn. Croatians and Slovenes continue to split hairs over silly border disputes,
Bosnia-Herzegovina groans under the crippling inefficiency of four autonomous govern-
ments, and Serbs ominously warn that they'll take up arms to reclaim Kosovo. Observers
can'tescapethepainfultruththat,justasgrudgesheldoverfromWorldWarIIwerequickly
ignited in the 1990s, holdover tensions from the recent wars could someday ignite a new
wave of conflict. When the people of this region encounter other Yugoslavs in their travels,
theyinstantlyevaluateeachother'saccenttodetermine:Aretheyoneofus,oroneofthem?
For the visitor, it's tricky to get an impartial take on the current situation, or even on
historical “facts.” As the people you meet will tell you their stories, sometimes it's just as
important to listen to the tone and subtext of their tale as it is to try to judge its veracity. Are
they preaching a message of reconciliation or one of provocation?
With time, hard feelings are fading. The appealing prospect of European Union mem-
bership is a powerful motivator for groups to set aside their differences and cooperate. The
younger generations don't look back—teenaged Slovenes no longer learn Serbo-Croatian,
have only known life in an independent little country, and get bored (and a little irritated)
when their old-fashioned parents wax nostalgic about the days of a united Yugoslavia. A
middle-aged Slovene friend of mine thinks fondly of his months of compulsory service in
the Yugoslav People's Army, when his unit was made up of Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Bos-
niaks, Albanians, Macedonians, and Montenegrins—all of them countrymen, and all good
