SARAJEVO 1991 – ESCALATION OF THE POLITICAL CRISIS AND THE ROAD TO WAR

Abstract

Drawing on archival sources, contemporary press, and academic literature, this paper examines the political and security circumstances in Sarajevo in 1991, during the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the preparations for the armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although Sarajevo had long been regarded as a symbol of multiethnicity and the Yugoslav idea, the outbreak of war in Slovenia and Croatia led to a significant rise in tensions within the city. During this period, the Muslim population organized paramilitary formations, the most notable being the Patriotic League. Serbian political leaders in Sarajevo, despite growing concerns and political frictions, consistently advocated for the preservation of Yugoslavia. The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the circumstances that contributed to the outbreak of the civil war in Sarajevo.