British House of Commons: Defence Committee-Lessons on Kosovo Vol. I & II (2000)

The death of Tito in 1980, a growing desire for change in the constituent parts of Yugoslavia and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe led after 1990 to the implosion of the Yugoslav Federation. With the restraints of the Cold War removed, a spasm of war convulsed the area over the 1990s. A state simply disintegrated. Rioting in 1981 in Kosovo, and the removal in 1989 of the previous Kosovan autonomy, had presaged the conflicts to come, and it was war in Kosovo, and NATO's bombing campaign against the residue of Yugoslavia, which ended the millennium. This report looks at the events leading up to the engagement of NATO forces over Kosovo, concentrating on events in the period since May 1997 for which the current Administration has responsibility; at developments in Kosovo since Milosevic's forces withdrew, and at the future for Kosovo and the rest of the region, and in particular for Montenegro which many identify as the next potential flashpoint.

This report does not aim to provide a comprehensive history of the crisis—there are a number of academic and other works available which do this. The aim is to make political recommendations to the British Government on the lessons of the crisis and in the future.

Two Volumes included

Vol. 1- 153 pages

Vol. 2- 271 pages