We will use blue to keep track of Bosniaks in this story.

The word Bosniaks refers to Muslims who live in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Mr. Izetbegović was a devout Muslim. He represented the political party who wanted to see national unity. He believed Bosnia-Hercegovina could be a new country that was home to people of every ethnicity. This put him at odds with many Serbs, who did NOT want to share power with Bosniak people.

We will use light purple for the Serbs who live in Bosnia.

Mr. Karadžić didn't want Serbs to become a minority in this new country of Bosnia. To him, that was insulting!

He said: if Bosnia went through with independence, the streets would “run with blood.” Instead, he wanted to use force to establish a separate country, Republika Srpska.

We will use purple to keep track of the Serbian government in this exhibit.

When parts of Yugoslavia broke away, that left Mr. Milošević to become Yugoslavia's President... at least for all the regions that were left! The biggest part remaining was the republic of Serbia.

Milošević had the same goal as the Bosnian Serbs: to let them form their own country, separate from Bosnia. Then maybe in the future, Republika Srpska might decide to unite with Serbia...?

We will use red to keep track of Croat people in this story.

In 1991, Mr. Tudjman became president of the newest country next door: called Croatia.

He realized that if Bosnia DIDN'T successfully become a new country, then maybe he could split up that land with Serbia, and make Croatia a bigger country!