Political Violence: Genocide, Howlett

Kennan Howlett

11/9/12

Blog Post 8

Political Violence: Genocide

            Definitions are difficult to create because words are so loaded with meaning. Each word used in a definition adds to the load given to the defined word. It is therefore a challenging but worthwhile cause to define the types of political violence seen throughout the world. ‘Genocide’ is a particularly difficult category of political violence to define because there are so many necessary elements that must surround the acts of violence. According to author David Samuels, in order for something to be categorized as genocide there must be existing ethnic divisions, ongoing civil war, an unwillingness of other nations to get involved, and there must be ‘explicit and coercive pressure from the government.’[i] Samuels’s proposed definition of genocide is: a coordinated plan seeking to eliminate all members of particular ethnic, religious, or national groups through mass murder.[ii] This blog post will test this definition against the example of Serbian efforts to rid parts of Croatia or Croats in 1991.

            After the death of dictator Tito in 1980, a new president was elected but Yugoslavia was not the same. Tito’s iron will to hold the different republics together worked while he was alive, but there were still many different ethnic identities. Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia were all republics of Yugoslavia, and Kosovo and Vojvodina were two autonomous regions.[iii] Each area had multiple identities, some with a clearer majority than others. Overall, however, Yugoslavia had a majority of Serbs.

            When Tito was no longer around to force the republics to get along (both within themselves and among others), ethnic groups started banding together demanding larger political roles or autonomy. At this time a Serbian nationalist named Milosevic began gaining power. By 1988 it became obvious that his goal was to become a successor to Tito and gain complete control over all of Yugoslavia[iv]. Republics were frightened by this and in 1990 Slovenia was able to effectively secede from Yugoslavia. Croatia tried to do the same, and this is where the violence broke out.

            Croatia, unlike Serbia, had a minority of Serbs, and underneath Milosevic this group became suddenly very nationalistic.[v] In 1991 Serbs bombarded Croat villages and communities under Serb lieutenant Mladic. Croats in areas that weren’t completely leveled by bombardment fought back against the Serbian assault and eventually gained independence.

            The international community did not become involved in the conflict until it was mostly over. The United States did not get involved at all, believing it was a European issue, and the UN Protection Force came late in the conflict, simply patrolling the boundaries of the countries after the most brutal violence was over. The most the international community did for Croatia was recognize it as an independent state.[vi]

            The history of this Serbo-Croat war shows the strong points Samuels’s definition of genocide has. There were strong cleavages within the whole of Yugoslavia, both ethnic and religious, which divided the people and even encouraged nationalism. These independent nationalisms were supported strongly by political and military leaders such as Milosevic and Mladic. With their support and even lead on riding areas of ethnic Croats, theirs were acts of indisputable genocide. The fact that the international community didn’t do anything until the end of the conflict just secures its categorization of genocide.

            Samuels had a spot-on definition of genocide. It is perfectly depicted through the breakup of Yugoslavia which clearly shows each key requirement with ethnic divisions, ongoing warfare, supportive leadership, and lacking international intervention.

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[i] Stoessinger, John G. Why Nations Go to War. “From Sarajevo to Kosovo.” 2011. Pg 140.

[ii] Stoessinger, John G. Why Nations Go to War. “From Sarajevo to Kosovo.” 2011. Pg 142.

[iii] Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. “Political Violence.” 2013. Pg 279.

[iv] Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. “Political Violence.” 2013. Pg 280.

[v] Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. “Political Violence.” 2013. Pg 280.

[vi] Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. “Political Violence.” 2013. Pg 281.