r/Balkans

▲ 19 r/Balkans

I realized soon i will have to take one of the biggest decisions of my life

my heart wants to stay in my village forever while my mind wants to escape this place and go as far as possible

u/rynqxx — 2 days ago

Don't hate pls: Why is Albania different from the rest?

Yes we know the differences (religions, geographic differences, and even the different ways Balkan countries may experience the same historic events), and we know the shared aspects of the countries. But how come Albania feels different (both for the better and worse)? Is it because it has had a relatively different recent history (especially 20th century history)?

reddit.com
u/Outrageous_Slide_693 — 3 days ago
▲ 48 r/Balkans+2 crossposts

The Dissolution of Yugoslavia

The Dissolution of Yugoslavia

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Josip Broz Tito established a federal state comprising six republics:

  1. Serbia

  2. Croatia

  3. Slovenia

  4. Bosnia and Herzegovina

  5. North Macedonia

  6. Montenegro

Within Serbia, two autonomous provinces were incorporated:

  1. Kosovo

  2. Vojvodina

Tito governed with a careful balancing act, ensuring that no single nationality predominated over the others.

In 1974, Tito promulgated a constitution that granted the six republics—alongside the two provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina—exceptionally extensive powers. These included:

  1. The administration of their own internal affairs.

  2. The right of veto.

  3. Equal representation within the collective presidency.

At the time, Tito's aim was to reassure the diverse nationalities and to prevent the hegemony of Serbia, which represented the dominant force within the Federation.

Yet the constitution soon revealed its flaws, as it left the federal government considerably enfeebled. This weakness grew only more pronounced after Tito's death in 1980, for the Union now lacked a strong hand to preserve its cohesion. In the years that followed, a host of grave problems arose: mounting foreign debt, soaring inflation, rising unemployment, a deteriorating economy, and—most dangerously—an intensification of nationalist fervour. Each republic began to clamour for greater autonomy or outright secession.

In April 1987, Slobodan Milošević travelled to Kosovo, where he met with protesting Serbs. Albanian-led demonstrations had first erupted in 1981, initially calling for improved conditions, but these soon evolved into demands for Kosovo to be granted the status of a full republic within the Federation. This development deeply unsettled the Serb population within the province, for although Kosovo was legally subordinate to Serbia, the vast majority of its inhabitants were ethnic Albanians.

Milošević proceeded to revoke most of Kosovo's autonomy, placing it under direct Serbian control, and advocated for the reinforcement of Serbia's influence throughout the Federation, while simultaneously curtailing the autonomous status of both Kosovo and Vojvodina. Other republics—particularly Slovenia and Croatia—viewed these moves as a direct threat to their own standing within the Federation, and this perception soon spurred their own declarations of independence.

First: The Independence of Slovenia and Croatia

On 25 June 1991, Slovenia and Croatia proclaimed their independence. The Yugoslav People's Army, whose ranks were overwhelmingly composed of Serbs, intervened in Slovenia in an attempt to block the secession. A brief conflict, known as the Ten-Day War, ensued, but it ended swiftly with the army's withdrawal, owing to the paucity of the Serb population within Slovenia. Slovenia thus became the first republic to secede successfully.

Croatia, however, presented a far more complex case. It contained numerous regions with substantial Serb minorities, who refused to accept the declaration of independence. War consequently broke out between Croatian forces and the Serbs, the latter being supported by the Yugoslav army. The conflict dragged on for four years, concluding with Croatia reclaiming the greater part of its territory.

Second: The Independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia was the most ethnically heterogeneous of all the Yugoslav republics, containing a mosaic of different peoples:

  1. The Bosniaks (Muslims).

  2. The Serbs (Orthodox Christians).

  3. The Croats (Catholic Christians).

Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence in 1992. This proclamation, however, was met not with acquiescence but with fierce resistance. The Bosnian Serbs rejected it outright and proclaimed their own separate entity. The new state was recognised by the European Communities in April 1992, followed shortly thereafter by the United States, and it was admitted to the United Nations on 22 May 1992.

Nevertheless, the Serbs remained obstinate in their opposition. The Bosnian Serbs argued that the independence referendum did not represent them and therefore refused to participate. Even before the declaration of independence, they had already announced the establishment of the Republika Srpska, affirming that they would remain closely tied to Serbia. With the backing of the Yugoslav army, they succeeded in seizing large swathes of Bosnian territory.

In April 1992, the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina officially commenced. Fighting erupted among the Bosniaks (Muslims), the Bosnian Serbs, and the Croats. The conflict was marked by:

  1. The Siege of Sarajevo, which lasted for nearly four years.

  2. Widespread ethnic cleansing and mass displacement.

  3. The Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed—an atrocity later classified by international tribunals as genocide.

The Srebrenica Massacre

On 11 July 1995, the forces of the Army of the Republika Srpska, commanded by General Ratko Mladić, entered the town of Srebrenica after a protracted siege. Thousands of civilians had gathered around the United Nations base in the village of Potočari, seeking protection, but the international contingent there was small in number and lightly armed, and proved unable to prevent the town's fall.

Once the Serb forces had taken control, the Bosniak men and boys—those aged roughly twelve and above—were systematically separated from the women and children. The women, children, and elderly were transported by bus to areas under the control of the Bosnian government.

The thousands of men and boys who had been separated were then taken to schools, warehouses, fields, and various other locations, where they were executed without mercy, shot in groups over the course of several days. The victims were buried in mass graves; later, many of the bodies were exhumed and moved to secondary burial sites in a concerted effort to conceal the evidence of the crime.

Subsequent international investigations, together with extensive exhumations and DNA analysis, established that more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys had been killed and annihilated within the span of just a few days in July 1995. The identification of some victims continues to this day, owing to the dispersal of remains across multiple mass graves and the commingling of body parts.

Months after the massacre, the Dayton Agreement was signed, bringing an end to the Bosnian war. The Srebrenica massacre has since stood as a stark and terrible illustration of the consequences of ethnic hatred and nationalist extremism.

The cascade of independence declarations did not cease with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Further secessions followed:

  1. Macedonia declared independence in 1991 (in the same year as Slovenia and Croatia).

  2. The name "Yugoslavia" was formally abolished in 2003.

  3. Montenegro gained independence in 2006.

  4. The province of Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

u/Echo_of_Dusk — 4 days ago

My hypothetical flag design for the Balkans: "Three Ideals".

Here is my flag design for the Balkan peninsula: "The Three Ideals".

So, in the middle, is a golden honey spoon, with a red background.

This is because the name of the Balkans is thought to have come from the Turkish words for "blood (bal)", and "honey (kan)".

The honey spoon has three divisions, for the three ideals that a prosperous Balkan should operate on:

-Mutuality;

-Prosperity;

-Remembrance.

Translates into being mutuals, achieving prosperity, and remembering our heritage.

The diagonal blue sections with the white fimbration look like the rough shape of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, as the Balkans sit between these two seas.

It can also look like stylized mountains, as another theory suggests the name for the Balkans comes from "forested mountains".

It also shares at least one colour with every single country flag in the Balkans.

u/Jaran_sa_Balkana — 4 days ago
▲ 77 r/Balkans+1 crossposts

Tekbir! Allahu ekber! Bošnjaci u Seattlu pokušavaju isprovocirati krščanskog propovjednika

S obzirom da su moderatori na r/bih fašisti, objavljujem video ovdje.

u/ErenYeager91 — 8 days ago
▲ 121 r/Balkans+1 crossposts

Journalist dragged by hair because he asked a question about plan and program for Serbian fake opposition group ProGlas

Currently some bots on the Serbian sub are promoting a former basketplayer Bodiroga for new president, that comes from this organization ProGlas. I was banned from r/serbia and my posts with this hearthbreaking video censored.

u/alkorisno — 7 days ago
▲ 1 r/Balkans+1 crossposts

Greek Revolution | The Albanians - Heroes of the 1821

One of the most informative documentaries on the genesis of modern Greece. It explores the unification of Greek and Albanian populations that led to the creation of the modern Greek state, as well as the role of Albanian heroes in the 1821 Revolution.

Thoughtful opinions and constructive discussion are welcome. If this is high-quality historical content presented by Greek historians, why isn't it reflected more openly in the Greek educational system? Why does the history of the formation of modern Greece remain in the shadows in favor of a more nationalistic narrative that downplays or disputes the Albanian contribution to its history?

youtu.be
u/Diligent_Necessary47 — 8 days ago
▲ 7 r/Balkans+3 crossposts

Is Greece culturaly Balkan ?

Do you guys think Greece is closer to the balkans or arabic middle east culturaly?

No ragebait just looking for honest answers on this. Only polite takes on the matter please. Thank you !

reddit.com
u/Diligent_Necessary47 — 10 days ago
▲ 36 r/Balkans+7 crossposts

zoomer on Instagram: "Studentkinja Univerziteta u Pristini sa privremenim sedištem u Kosovskoj Mitrovici: Univerzitet u Prištini nije samo zgrada, to je oslonac naroda na Kosovu i Metohiji"

instagram.com
u/Other_Marsupial2174 — 7 days ago

My Goal: Improve the Balkans

Good day everyone,

I am a foreigner who has lived in the Balkans the past 8 years. I am originally from America and my native language is English but I also speak some Bulgarian and have lived in Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece and traveled all around it. I think for the next decade, with the exception of Greece, the Balkan nations are going to drastically improve and become heavily influential in Europe for the foreseeable future.

With that being said, my goal is to improve the Balkan nations in their thought process, make them more efficient, and improve their influence without disrupting their deeply seated culture and history. The Balkans doesn't need to copy the west, but instead take what works and what doesn't work, and add it into their culture. Besides politics and governance, which I cannot control, what are some of the things we can do to really help the Balkans in your view? In business, strategy, and improving the lives of the people here?

reddit.com
u/BrigadierPirate — 12 days ago

Albanian students fight for their native language

Maybe they should seek money from the Albanian government if they like the Albanian flag so much. Albanian nationalism 101: We are the strongest outside our borders.

youtu.be
u/CryptoStef33 — 13 days ago