"I am incapable of devoting myself quietly to creative
work while blood is flowing and everything is calling me to battle. I want
to burn with the spirit of the times. I want all servants of the stage to
recognize their lofty destiny.
I
am disturbed at my comrades' failure to raise above narrow caste interests
which are alien to the interests of society at large. Yes, the theatre can play an enormous part in the
transformation of the whole of existence."
-Vsevolod Meyerhold
1901
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Historical Notes for
NECESSARY TARGETS
TIMELINE OF THE
YUGOSLAVIAN CIVIL WAR
Below
is an all too brief chronology of the basic events of the Yugoslavian Civil
War. This overview only touches on major world events and does not
address the incidents of ethnic cleansing, massacres, rape campaigns, and
other atrocities that are central to the issues contained within Eve Ensler's
play.
It is impossible to overstate the significance of
these atrocities. Anyone who wishes to even begin to appreciate the true
toll of the Yugoslav Civil War is strongly encouraged to explore these
incidents in more detail.
| 1918 |
As an outcome of World War I, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes is formed. Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina had
been part of the fallen Austro-Hungarian Empire; Serbia and Montenegro
existed as an independent state (Macedonia was then part of Serbia).
|
| 1929 |
The monarchy's name is changed to Yugoslavia.
|
| 1945 |
After World War II, the monarchy becomes a communist republic under
Prime Minister Tito, now called the Federal People's Republic of
Yugoslavia. It was composed of six republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Montenegro, as well as two
provinces, Kosovo and Vojvodina.
|
| 1980 |
Tito's tight rein on Yugoslavia keeps ethnic tensions in check until
his death in 1980. Without his pan-Slavic influence, ethnic and
nationalist differences begin to flare.
|
| 1991 |
June
Slovenia and Croatia each declare independence. With 90% of its
population ethnic Slovenians, Slovenia is able to break away with only
a brief period of fighting. Because 12% of Croatia's population is
Serbian, however, rump Yugoslavia fights hard against its secession
for the next four years. As Croatia moves towards independence, it
evicts most of its Serbian population.
|
| 1992 |
January
Macedonia declares independence.
April
Bosnia and Herzegovina declares independence. The most ethnically
diverse of the Yugoslav republics, Bosnia is 43% Muslim, 31% Serbian,
and 17% Croatian (according to the 1991 Yugoslavian census). Ethnic
tensions strain to the breaking point, and Bosnia erupts into war.
Thousands die and more than a million are displaced. By the time a
tenuous peace is achieved in 1995, the country has been partitioned
into three areas, with each region governed by one of the three ethnic
groups. Each enclave is now made up of roughly 90% of its own ethnic
group.
April
Serbia and Montenegro form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with
Slobodan Milosevic as its leader. This new government, however, is not
recognized by the United States as the successor state to the former
Yugoslavia.
|
| 1995 |
November
Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign the Dayton Peace Accord to end the
war in Bosnia.
|
| 1996 |
In the southern Yugoslavian province of Kosovo, the militant Kosovo
Liberation Army (KLA) begins attacking Serbian policeman.
|
| 1998 |
March
Milosevic sends troops to Kosovo to quash unrest in the province. A
guerrilla war breaks out.
|
| 1999 |
March
After peace talks fail, NATO carries through on its threat to launch
airstrikes on Serbian targets.
|
| 2000 |
January
In the face of trade sanctions from the U.S. and other nations, the
Serbian economy continues to deteriorate and dissent spreads.
Montenegro discusses separating from Serbia.
September
Opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica wins elections held Sept. 24.
Milosevic refuses to release the complete results, demanding a runoff
election.
October
A popular uprising begins. A general strike is called and one million
people flood Belgrade. Mobs attack Parliament building, security
forces join them or retreat. Milosevic support crumbles, he steps
down. Kostunica takes office. U.S., European Union begin to lift
economic sanctions, offer aid.
|
| 2001 |
April
Milosevic is arrested by Yugoslavian authorities and charged with
corruption and abuse of power.
June
Milosevic is turned over to the United Nations International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.
September
The UN Security Council lifts its arms embargo against Yugoslavia,
abolishing the last remaining sanction by the international community.
|
| 2002 |
February
Slobodan Milosevic begin his trial at the UN International Criminal
Tribunal on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in
Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo, as well as for committing genocide in
Bosnia. He is the first head of state to face an international
war-crimes court.
|
| 2003 |
February
The nation agrees to form a new state, replacing Yugoslavia with a
loose federation called Serbia and Montenegro. The new arrangement was
made to placate Montenegro's restive stirrings for independence, and
allows for a referendum on independence to occur in three years' time.
|
| 2003 |
March 12
The prime minister of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic, a reformer who helped
bring about the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, is assassinated. A period
of deep national mourning follows. Extreme nationalists, organized
crime, and Serbia's own police and security services were implicated.
|
| 2003 |
December
28
Parliamentary elections saw a resurgence of ultra-nationalists.
Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist party received 7% of the vote, and the
Radical party, whose leader, like Milosevic, is an indicted war
criminal jailed in the Hague, received 27% of the vote.
|
| 2004 |
March 17
Mitrovica, in Kosovo, experiences the worst ethnic violence in the
regions since the 1999 war. At least 22 people are killed, and another
500 are injured. NATO sends in an extra 1,000 troops to restore order.
The violence began after Serbs claimed a Serb teenager was the victim
of a drive-by shooting and ethnic Albanians blamed Serbs for the
drowning of several Albanian children.
|
| 2006 |
May
In May, Montenegro held a referendum on independence, which narrowly
passed. On June 4 the federal president of Serbia and Montenegro,
Svetozar Marovic, announced the dissolution of his office, and the
following day Serbia acknowledged the end of the union. The EU and the
United States recognized Montenegro on June 12, and it became the
192nd member of the UN on June 26.
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