Yugoslavia
After the end of World War I, the empire of Austria-Hungary fell apart. And the dream of many people in the area for a new country that would unite different Slavic groups came true. The new country was named Yugoslavia. But not everyone was happy in the new country. Some people in the different ethnic and religious groups did not feel they had enough power in Yugoslavia. As a result, fighting between different groups continued.

Nazi Germany
The start of World War II brought more change to the region. Yugoslavia was invaded in 1941 by Nazi Germany, and spent the rest of the war divided between Italy and Germany. The war was very difficult for people in the area, as different groups fought against each other and many of the Jewish people who lived there were suffered in the Holocaust.

Communist Yugoslavia
During the war, a group of people led by a Communist leader named Josip Broz Tito began fighting for their freedom. After the war ended, they were successful in reestablishing the country of Yugoslavia. But Yugoslavia was no longer ruled by a king, as it had been before the war. Instead, it was governed by the Communist Party. The new Yugoslavia was made up of six republics. Many of these republics had been independent countries in the past. Five of the republics were set aside mainly for separate ethnic groups. But the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina contained a mixture of several different groups.

During this time, Sarajevo, which was the capital of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. Athletes from around the world came to Yugoslavia to participate in winter sports in the beautiful mountains that are part of the Dinaric Alps range.

Independence and Civil War
The Communist government of Yugoslavia began to lose power in the early 1990s, and several of the country's six republics decided they would prefer to be independent countries rather than remain part of Yugoslavia. During 1991 and 1992, several of the republics, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, declared their independence.

What happened next had its roots in the centuries of history we have just followed. People throughout the region began fighting about whether the Yugoslavian republics should become independent or not and which groups of people should be allowed to live in which country. The war was a very difficult time. Many people had to leave their homes, and many people were killed in the fighting. The war was particularly difficult because in many cases neighbors fought against neighbors, just because of their religion or their race.

Peace at Last
The civil war in the region was ended in 1995. People of different groups agreed to try to live together. Bosnia and Herzegovina was permitted to remain an independent country, although its government is supervised by the United Nations, a group that is made up of countries from all over the world.

People everywhere hope the peace in Bosnia and its neighboring countries will last. They are eager to help the people there learn to live together peacefully. Organizations such as CARE are part of the peace effort by helping people rebuild their homes and towns and start a new life.

Bosnia has certainly had a long and complicated history. But maybe the 21st century will bring new opportunities and new hope to the people of this beautiful country.

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