Conflict Timeline.

1918: Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War One, Kosovo becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbia.

1941: Germany invades the Soviet Union, and much of Kosovo becomes part of a greater Albania controlled by the Italians.

1946: Formation of the ‘Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia’, made up of 6 republics (including Bosnia-Herzegovina), absorbing Kosovo. Communist state, led by Josep Broz Tito, who carefully suppressed national identities within Yugoslavia.

1960: Belgrade shows increasing tolerance for Kosovan autonomy.

1974: Yugoslavian Constitution accords Kosovo autonomy and the status of a ‘federal autonomous unit.’

1980: Death of Tito.

1981: Yugoslav troops sent in as Albanian students riot over poor living conditions in the province. Several deaths result and increasing anti-Serb sentiments prompt some non-Albanians to leave the region.

1987: Slobodan Milosevic is elected President in Serbia.

1989: A decade of rising Serb nationalism culminates in a mass rally, led by Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic, on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo Field. Milosevic warns Serbs will never cede control of Kosovo.

1989: Kosovo autonomy begins to be progressively stripped away.

1990: Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders declare independence from Yugoslavia in July. After declaring itself a Republic, a parallel education structure is created and non-violent civil disobedience campaigns are suppressed. Belgrade reacts by dissolving the province’s government and sacking more than 100,000 ethnic Albanian workers. This leads to wide spread strike action across the remaining workforce.

1991: Final collapse of the Soviet Union. Slovenia and Croatia become the first republics to declare independence from Yugoslavia. They are soon followed by Macedonia. Bosnia at this point is a multi-ethnic Republic within the Yugoslavian federation, consisting of approximately 43% Bosniak (Muslim), 31% and 17% Croat population.

1991-1995: Croatian War of Independence between forces of new Croatian government and Serb-controlled Yugoslav People’s Army and local Serb forces. Serb forces were eventually defeated, Croatia achieved independence.

1991: Bosnian-Serbs arrange a referendum and vote in favour of forming a Serb Republic within the borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1991 (Nov): Declaration of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia by Bosnian Croats, with the intention of uniting with Croatia.

1992 (Feb): Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina holds a referendum on independence from Yugoslavia. It is passed by a strong majority of Bosniak and Croat voters but is largely boycotted by Bosnian Serbs. The Yugoslav Constitutional Court rejects the referendum but Bosnia-Herzegovina declares independence, and is recognized as independent by the United States and most of Europe. Bosnian Serbs in turn declare their own independent state of Republika Srpska. Bosnian War commences.

1992 (Mar): After the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro form a new federation

1992 (Jul): Ibrahim Rugova is elected president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo.

1992: War breaks out across the Balkans.

1992-95: Open warfare commences in April 1992 between Bosnian Serbs and Bosniak forces. The Bosnian Serb forces are armed from equipment from the Yugoslav army and soon control over half the country; at their peak they will control 70% of the territory of Bosnia.

1993: Warfare breaks out between the Bosniak and Croat forces, making the conflict 3-ways between the Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs and Bosniaks, until 1994 when the Bosnian Croats and Bosniak forces unite as the ‘Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’. Bosnian Croat forces are backed by Croatia and Bosnian Serbs are backed by the government in Belgrade (still known as Yugoslavia at this point). Atrocities and ethnic cleansing are committed by all sides but the majority are blamed on Bosnian Serb forces. Around 2/3 of the casualties of the war are Bosniaks

1995 (Jul): Srebrenica Massacre of around 8,000 men and boys and the ethnic cleansing of 25,000-30,000 Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces. The massacre was later ruled to be genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

1995 (Dec): Dayton Agreement signed to end the Bosnian war. Agreement splits Bosnia-Herzegovina into two approximately equally-sized entities, Republika Srpska, with an almost entirely Serb population, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is mostly Bosniak, with a large Croat minority.

1996: The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is formed.

1997: As ethnic tension and armed unrest escalates, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is formed and begins to intimidate the non-Albanian population. This drives the minorities from their homes.

1998: The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrilla insurgency gathers pace, meeting with harsh Serb reprisals.

1998 (Sep): NATO offers an ultimatum to President Milosevic to halt the crackdown on Kosovo Albanians.

1998 – present: A series of elections in Bosnia, dominated by ethnically-based parties. The internationally appointed Office of the High Representative plays an active role in Bosnia’s political life, as mandated by the Dayton Agreement.

1999 (Mar): After Belgrade rejects an internationally brokered peace deal; NATO bombs Serb targets. Allegations of ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Kosovar Albanians are rife and hundreds of thousands of Kosovar Serbs flee their homes to neighbouring countries.

1999 (Jun): NATO Air strikes are suspended after Milosevic agrees to withdraw troops. NATO forces arrive in Kosovo and the KLA agrees to disarm. Serb civilians flee revenge attacks.

2001: General elections in Kosovo see Ibrahim Rugova elected President and Bajram Rexhepi Prime Minister.

2001: Milosevic is extradicted to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), signalling Serbia’s determination to integrate into the international community.

2003 (Feb): The “State Union of Serbia and Montenegro” succeeds the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

2003 (Oct): Kosovo Albanian and Serb politicians meet for the first time since 1999.

2003 (Dec): The U.N. sets out its conditions for final status talks due in 2005.

2003: Serb Prime Minister Zoran Djindjić is assassinated

2004: A fresh wave of anti –Serb violence and generalised insecurity leaves 19 dead.

2004 (Dec): Rugova is re-elected as President and former KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj is elected as Prime Minister.

2005 (Mar): Mr Haradinaj indicted for war crimes tribunal by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. After resigning as prime minister he is succeeded by Bajram Kosumi.

2005 (July): A series of simultaneous bomb attacks near the UN, OSCE and Kosovo parliament buildings in Pristina. Attacks against minority groups continue.

2005 (Oct): U.N. Security Council gives go-ahead for final status talks to begin the following year.

2006 (Jan): President Rugova dies from lung cancer. He is succeeded by Fatmir Sejdiu.

2006 (Feb): Talks on the final status of Kosovo begin. They are brokered by U.N. special envoy, former Finnish President, Martti Ahtisaari.

2006 (May): based on referendum results, Montenegro declares its independence, leaving Serbia and Montenegro two independent countries.

2006 (Jul): Talks in Vienna fail to reach a breakthrough.

2006 (Oct): A Serb referendum approves a new constitution that re-asserts Kosovo’s status as part of the country. Kosovo’s Albanian majority boycotts whilst allegations of massive fraud at polling stations are reported.

2007 (Feb): Special UN envoy Ahtisaari presents an independents plan for Kosovo under European Supervision. Russia threatens to veto the UN resolution. The plan is welcomed by Kosovo Albanians but rejected by Serbia.

2007 (Mar): Talks end in deadlock. Ahtisaari confirms it is now up to the UN Security Council to decide whether to grant the province independence.

2007 (Jun): Although Russia continues to oppose the resolution, U.S. President George Bush clearly states his support for Kosovo independence.

2007 (Nov): UN multi-party talks end with no compromise. Albanian leaders say province will declare independence shortly.

2008 (Jan): Former guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci becomes Serbia’s Prime Minister whilst Serbia’s pro-Western President Boris Tadic wins re-election.

2008 (Feb): Kosovo declares independence.

2008 (Jun): After nine years of UN rule Kosovo’s constitution enters into force; transferring power to a majority Albanian government. Hardline Serbs convene their own rival assembly in the divided city of Mitrovica.

2008 (July): 1.2bn Euros is pledged by international donors to help rebuild Kosovo.

2008 (Oct): The UN General Assembly grants Serbia’s request to ask the International Court of Justice to consider if Kosovo’s secession is legal.

2008 (Dec): EU police and justice mission (EULEX) deploys in Kosovo. Serbia accepts the mission.

2008: Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb leader during the War, found hiding in Serbia and is arrested for war crimes.

2009 (Jan): Kosovo’s government launches a multi-ethnic Security Force under NATO supervision.

2009 (Feb): UN War Crimes Court acquits former Serb President Milan Milutinovic of ordering a ‘campaign of terror’ against Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s.

2009 (Apr): Serb president Boris Tadic makes rare visit to Kosovo.

2009 (Apr): The deadline for parties to submit arguments to the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence passes.

2009 (May): Kosovo joins the International Monetary Fund.

2009 (Jun): Kosovo joins the World Bank.

2009 (Jun): NATO decides to cut its presence in Kosovo from 14,000 to 10,000 peacekeeping troops.

2009: Attempted transition from Bosnian Office for the High Representatives (OHR) to  reinforced EU presence accompanied by widespread tensions between government coalition parties; Dodik threatening with secession of Republic Srpska

2009: EU restrictions on Serbia are loosened, the country’s full EU-membership candidacy accepted.

2010 (Feb): Bosnian Serb Republic passes law making it easier to hold referendums on national issues, in a move seen as a challenge to the international High Representative’s authority and potentially paving the way for a referendum on independence.

2010 (Mar): Serb parliament passes resolution apologising for 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica.

2010 (Jun): A bomb explodes at a police station in Bosnia, killing one officer and injuring six.

2010 (Jul): Serb president Tadic visits Bosnia for ceremony marking 15th anniversary of Srebrenica massacre.

2010 (Jul): The International Court of Justice issues an advisory opinion stating that the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo is justified according to international law.

2010 (Dec): Two winning parties of October elections in Bosnia begin cooperation talks despite their ethnic and ideological differences.

2011 (Feb): 75 countries now recognise Kosovo’s independence. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had previously delivered an advisory opinion (as a reaction on Serbia’s appeal) that Kosovo’s declaration of independence was not to be considered illegal.

2011 (May): Ratko Mladić is caught in Serbia and subsequently sent for trial at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

2011 (Jul): A Dutch appeals court rules that Dutch troops were responsible for the killings of three men who were forced to leave the Dutch military base and consequently were killed in the Srebrenica massacre.

2011 (Jul): The Kosovan government sends its police forces to take control of the border with Serbia after it had issued a ban on the import of Serbian products to Kosovo.

2011 (Aug): Goran Hadžíc, the leader of Croatia’s Serb minority during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, is arrested and brought to International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

2011 (Aug): Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia increase; the security situation remains fragile. KFOR troops are attacked by local Serbs in Kosovo. As a result, KFOR sends further soldiers to the region.

2011 (Oct): Local Serbs in Kosovo set up roadblocks at the Northern border to Serbia to force Kosovan police forces to retreat from the border controls and re-install the Serbian ones. Clashes erupt between Serbs and KFOR forces when the latter ones try to forcefully remove the roadblocks.