The war in Bosnia can be difficult to understand because there were many parties involved in the conflict and because the causes of the war were multiple, complex, and deep-rooted. Even after the war, commentators continue to argue about what caused it. The catastrophic results of the war, however, are easier to chronicle.

In the simplest possible terms, the war in Bosnia—or Bosnia-Herzegovina, as the nation is properly called—was caused by deep-seated ethnic conflict, nationalism, and demagoguery. These causes are interrelated and, to be understood, require a brief explanation of the Balkan history leading up to the war. Bosnians share a common Slavic ancestry with the other Balkan peoples—many of whom they would come to fight with in the Bosnian war—but over time, Bosnians and other Slavs began to form distinct identities and establish separate political sovereignties...