This authoritative exploration of the ethnic history of the former Yugoslavia traces the roots of the conflicts that convulsed the region in the 1990s.

At the end of the 20th century, interregional conflicts in the former Yugoslavia culminated with Slobodon Miloflevic's campaign of ethnic cleansing, which led to NATO intervention and ultimately revolution. What ignited these conflicts? What can we learn from them about introducing democracy in multiethnic regions? What does the future hold for the region?

To answer these questions, this timely volume examines the ethnic history of the former Yugoslavia. From the settlement of the South Slavs in the 6th century to the present—paying special attention to the post-World War II era, the crisis and democratization in the 1980s, and the disintegration of the country in the early 1990s. This comprehensive single volume traces the bloody history of the region through to the fragile alliances of its present-day countries.

• An in-depth survey of the ethnic history of the former Yugoslavia, organized into three main parts: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
• Dozens of tables and maps showing ethnic composition, demographics, and settlement patterns

"This book is a very good overview for students learning about the former Yugoslavia and its ethnic history for the first time." - American Reference Books Annual

Matjaz Klemencic is professor of history at the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia and the University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.

Mitja Zagar is director of the Institute for Ethnic Studies in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and professor of social sciences at the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.