Publication

This paper examines the history of ethnic conflict in the Balkans during the 20th century. The author describes how some Balkan conflicts spread to engulf all of Europe and have major international consequences, while others were merely overshadowed by larger conflicts such as the Second World War or the Cold War. The paper explains how most of the tense ethnic conflicts in the Balkans developed after the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of former Yugoslavia. The author points out that lasting security and stability in the Balkans is contingent on the success of EU and NATO enlargement to the east and southeast, and that the dream of a free Europe must also include the integration of Southeastern Europe in to the Euro-Atlantic zone of democracy, security, and prosperity.