Serbian Flag Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag
Croatia has been immersed in hundreds of wars dating back to the 7th century. The ethnic battles between the Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims were created by power imbalances. The Serbs did not trust the Muslims, fearing that they would want to reclaim their Ottoman Empire, and thus making the Serbs the peasant slaves once more. Media propaganda in the twentieth century threatened the tensions between the groups, thus creating bloodshed and fighting. In the midst of bloodshed, Croatian refugees emerged in the hundreds of thousands. Fleeing from their homeland, escaping political, religious, and economic turmoil, Croatians began to fear for their lives. This caused mass displacement both internally and externally. Many refugees fled to Syria, Austria, and Turkey during World War II . Their persecution led them to seek independence. It was only after years of fighting and civil war that Croatia became its own independent state on June 26, 1991. After repatriation, Croatia has recently become one of the central hubs for refugees fleeing Syria and Turkey on their way to Northern Europe. This full circle of the refugee experience shows the true nature of what a nation in turmoil can do to the individuals living there.
Syrian Flag Turkey Flag
Key Ethnic Clarifications:
Croats: Mainly follow Catholicism since they spent centuries under the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Serbs: Orthodox Christians whose religion was crucial in keeping alive their national identity during almost four centuries of Ottoman Turkish occupation.
Bosniaks: Muslims that have adhered to the Islamic culture, and the Bosnian language since the 15th and 16th centuries. They have predominately settled in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region.
Croats: Mainly follow Catholicism since they spent centuries under the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Serbs: Orthodox Christians whose religion was crucial in keeping alive their national identity during almost four centuries of Ottoman Turkish occupation.
Bosniaks: Muslims that have adhered to the Islamic culture, and the Bosnian language since the 15th and 16th centuries. They have predominately settled in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region.