Balkan Regional Historiographies of the 1992–1995 War in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This article provides a brief review and comparative analysis of regional historiography concerning the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). To date, a unified national historiography of the conflict has not emerged in BiH. Instead, three distinct national discourses — Bosniak, Serbian, and Croatian — have developed, each offering diametrically opposed interpretations of the war’s causes, nature, and most dramatic episodes (such as the Siege of Sarajevo, the battles in Eastern Bosnia, and the Srebrenica tragedy). Bosniak historiography characterizes the war as aggression by Serbia and Croatia. In contrast, Serbian historiography views it as a civil war driven by religious and ethnic contradictions, often termed the “Defensive-Patriotic War” (Serb. odbrambeno-otađbinskij rat), emphasizing the Serbian people’s right to self-determination. Croatian historiography treats the conflicts in BiH and Croatia as interconnected components of “Serbian aggression.” The author analyzes key works published in BiH, Serbia, and Croatia, identifying two primary trends in regional historiography: political and reconstructive. The study concludes that Bosniak historiography is heavily politicized and utilized by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) as a tool to exert pressure on the leadership of Republika Srpska.

Received: 27.01.2025.
Revised: 02.02.2025.
Accepted: 17.03.2026.

Citation
Bezruchenko V. I. Balkan Regional Historiographies of the 1992–1995 War in Bosnia and Hercegovina: A Comparative Analysis // Slavic Almanac. 2026. No 1–2. P. 194–216 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2026.1-2.09