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KOSOVO CRISIS OF 1998-1999

KOSOVO CRISIS OF 1998-1999 AND ITS RAMIFICATIONS

This research paper traces the origins and course of the current dispute in Kosovo and discusses its potential for destabilizing further the Balkans, including the possibility of a wider war in the region, and ways in which tensions there might be heightened or reduced.

The roots of the conflict in Kosovo lie deeply embedded in the histories of the Albanian and Serbian peoples, especially during the occupation of the region by the Ottoman Empire, and tensions and conflicts between them, primarily of an ethno-religious nature, which intensified at periodic intervals during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Those tensions and conflicts have been greatly accentuated by the rise of Serbian ultranationalism after the collapse of communist Yugoslavia and the reactive growth of separatist pressures among the Albanian majority in Kosovo and the broader Greater Albania movement.

Four times in this century, in 1912-1913, 1918-1920, 1941 and 1998-1999, culminating in the recent air war by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against the rump state of Yugoslavia, one or more great powers have imposed or sought to impose solutions to the problem of Kosovo. Previous international efforts not only failed to solve that problem, they exacerbated it. Both the actions of the Yugoslav government since 1987 and the NATO air attacks have had profoundly destabilizing effects on Kosovo and surrounding areas. Regardless of the terms of a truce among the warring parties, any postwar settlement is likely to be extremely fragile and unstable. To prevent further major outbreaks of communal violence, political upheaval and wider war in Kosovo and surrounding areas, a very substantial, expensive and protracted indigenous and international co-operative effort will be required.

Historical Origins of the Kosovo Conflict

In justifying the reluctance of the administration of American Pres...

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KOSOVO CRISIS OF 1998-1999. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 22:10, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1707665.html