The problem in Bosnia should be seen as an opportunity for the intentional community to demonstrate that it can be effective, that it does have moral authority, and that the emerging structure of world politics will be conducted in a way that solves problems rather than merely watching them unfold. The essential problem in the region of Bosnia is one that should have been addressed as soon as the Soviet Union ceased its existence, for what was needed was a controlling power either to keep the three peoples together or to separate them in a more orderly fashion. Any solution to be created or imposed today must of necessity provide for all three groups separately, and even then the tensions are so deep that international monitoring will be necessary far into the future. This must be an international effort, much as it has been, and inaction will simply not do. Bosnia is a test of whether international cooperation will have any value in the developing post-Cold War community.
The current ethnic conflict in what was formerly Yugoslavia has roots that extend far back into history. The nationhood of the different ethnic groups in Yugoslavia was always somewhat artificial, brought about by the force of circumstances after World War I more than by a desire on the part of the different groups to be joined together under one banner. The nationalistic feelings in Yugoslavia extend back to the nineteenth century, to the era of nationalism throughout Europe. The ethnic groups in the region have long been divided by cultural differences, religion, and language. Efforts to unify the region failed until after World War I, when the impetus to come together increased for economic and security reasons. Yet, the nation that emerged was always tenuous because the union did not satisfy the needs of all the groups equally. Tensions seethed beneath the surface for the period of independent rule, and they continued under the domination by the C...