Balkans - Timeline

The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Expulsion of Yugoslavia from the communist Comintern due to the suspicions Stalin held about Tito and his followers.

Slobodan Milosevic becomes leader of the Serbian Communist Party.

Milosevic becomes President of the Republic of Serbia.

Slovenia and Croatia declare independence. In response to Slovenia, the Yugoslav army responds with force and over a 10-day period the two countries are at war.

The United Nations administers a truce between the two sides and sets up four protected areas in Croatia, sending in the peacekeeping force known as UNPROFOR.

There is open and brutal fighting between Serb police and KLA operatives. Civilians are caught up in the conflict and suffer severe repercussions. NATO gives President Milosevic an ultimatum in September to halt the violent crackdown on Kosovo Albanians.

Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic is assassinated in Belgrade.

Serbia holds its a referendum to approve a new constitution. As part of that new constitution, it continues to assert that Kosovo is an integral part of the country.

The International Court of Justice announces that Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in 2008 did not violate international law

World War I. As an outcome of WWI the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is formed and quickly regains control of Kosovo.

Along with Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, Serbia becomes one of the six republics that comprise the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the Prime Ministership of Josep Broz Tito