why it occurred
The countries in southeast Europe (Balkans) have been engaged in brutal fights for hundreds of years, namely massacres between ethnic groups. The latest one, the breaking-apart of Yugoslavia, happened mainly due to these ethnic and religious clashes. Bosnia is inhabited by Croatian, Islamic, and Serbian groups, between which there has been feuding, conflict, and distrust for eons. Because the Balkans are essentially part of both Europe and the Near East, several ethnicities and national groups clash, and the three religions; Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Orthodox Christianity; as well.
After World War II, the Balkan states were unified into Yugoslavia. After the Yugoslav leader died in 1980, nationalism between the former states grew and put the union at risk. This only increased when Serbian president Milosevic came into power and helped ferment conflict even more between the regions. In a 1991 census, out of about 4 million people, 44% were Bosniak, 31% Serb, and 17% Croatian. Late 1990s elections resulted in a coalition government that roughly represented these ethnicities in their proportions and was led by the Bosniak Alija Izetbegovic. As tensions escalated, the Bosnian Serb leader and his Serbian Democratic Party pulled out of the existing government and set up their own "Serbian National Assembly." The Bosnian Serbs wanted to be part of a dominant Serbian state in the Balkans and after some stuff happened, they launched their first offensive, in Sarajevo.
After World War II, the Balkan states were unified into Yugoslavia. After the Yugoslav leader died in 1980, nationalism between the former states grew and put the union at risk. This only increased when Serbian president Milosevic came into power and helped ferment conflict even more between the regions. In a 1991 census, out of about 4 million people, 44% were Bosniak, 31% Serb, and 17% Croatian. Late 1990s elections resulted in a coalition government that roughly represented these ethnicities in their proportions and was led by the Bosniak Alija Izetbegovic. As tensions escalated, the Bosnian Serb leader and his Serbian Democratic Party pulled out of the existing government and set up their own "Serbian National Assembly." The Bosnian Serbs wanted to be part of a dominant Serbian state in the Balkans and after some stuff happened, they launched their first offensive, in Sarajevo.