History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Content focus 2: Major conflicts after WWII and attempts to make peace –
causes and development of racial conflicts in the Balkans
Q.1
Study Sources A, B and C carefully.
Source A
The following extract is cited from a book entitled Reading the World Disputing Map.
Owing to the “repression” by the two superpowers in the past, weak states and nations
might not dare use force against one another even if they had conflicts. In other words,
the Cold War had acted as a pressure-cooker suppressing the fact that there were many
conflicts among nations. As soon as the Cold War has ended, however, all sorts of
national and religious confrontations immediately rush out as if they were wild horses
without reins.
Source B
The following extract is cited from a speech given by Mr. Yaushi Akashi, Chairman of
the Japan Preventive Diplomacy, at the UN Inter-Regional Forum on Coping with
Crises and Conflicts in 1991.
…In a larger historical perspective, we have to work for a better dialogue between
civilizations and cultures as well as between religions and national groups…Beyond
these long-term measures, we should focus more on short-term causes of conflicts,
which are found mostly in deficiencies in political and constitutional
arrangements…At the same time, I suggest that, while broad elements for conflicts
outbreak might be present in a situation, conflict may not actually take place in the
absence of inflammatory and irresponsible action by political leadership…
1
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Source C
The following extract is cited from a speech given by Ion Iliescu, President of
Romania, in 2001.
The main causes of the present conflicts in the Balkans are partly due to unsolved
problems of the past, yet most of them are due to the present situation. In my opinion,
there are two main groups of crises we are confronting with and will be confronting
with in the future: social and identity crises. Both social and identity crises have an
extremely high potential of generating internal and inter-state conflicts…I wish to
express my hope that through intelligent and responsible actions, the countries in the
area will change the undeserved image of the Balkans as Europe’s “powder keg”.
a. Which countries did the “two superpowers” (Source A) refer to?
b. According to Source A, what effect did the end of the Cold War bring to the
modern world? Support your answer with reference to clues from the Source.
c. Summarize the reasons leading to conflicts of the modern world with reference to
Sources A, B and C. Explain your answer with reference to clues from the
Sources.
d. With reference to Sources B and C, how can international conflicts be avoided?
Explain your answer with reference to clues from the Sources.
e. i.
ii.
What is the connotation of “powder keg” (Source C)?
Why was the Balkans called Europe’s “powder keg” from time to time?
Explain with reference to historical events that happened there in the 20th
century.
2
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.2
Study Sources A and B carefully.
Source A
The following extract reflects the author’s view about the relationship between
nations and territories.
Places and territories are important and form part of human identity, including
national identity. Certain places and territories are significant to nations. Nations
develop strong emotional bonds to and become very protective of these places and
territories.
Source B
The following extract reflects the author’s view of nation, ethnic group and national
consciousness.
A nation and an ethnic group refers to a “territorially-based community” whose
members “share a distinct variant of modern culture, are bound together by a strong
sentiment of unity and solidarity, marked by a clear historically-rooted consciousness
of national identity, and possessing, or striving to possess, a genuine political
self-government.” An ethnic group in a country may not be aware of nationhood
unless they are suppressed and badly treated. Once they have developed national
consciousness, they will be in clash with the dominant ethnic group and will start
fighting for their own state.
a.
According to Sources A and B, what factors will arouse national consciousness?
Explain your answer with clues from the Sources.
b.
Use one example from the history of the 20th-century Balkans to support your
answer for (a).
3
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q. 3
Study Sources A, B and C carefully.
Source A
The following extract is a description of Kosovo.
Kosovo became the heartland of Serb political and cultural identity in the 14th century
when Serbia, under the rule of King Duscan, expanded southwards into modern-day
Albania, Macedonia and Greece. The area lost to the Ottomans in 1389 when the
Serbian forces were defeated by an invading Ottoman army. It is known as the Battle
of Kosovo and the day on which the Serbian forces were defeated has been memorized
as St. Vitus’s Day by the Serbs. Since then Kosovo has become a historical important
place to Serbia and the Serbs. In 1989 Milosevic made a speech to mark the 600th
anniversary of Serbia’s defeat in Kosovo. He reiterated that the unification of Serbia
and its territory of Kosovo would bring prosperity to the Serbian people.
Note: Kosovo become an Albanian-dominated area since its occupation by the
Ottomans. In the late 1980s over 80% of its population was Albanians.
Source B
The following extract is cited from a speech given by Slobodan Milosevic in 1989 to
mark the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo.
The Serbs’ “national and historical being has been throughout the whole of history and
through two world wars, as it is today. They liberated themselves and when they could
they also helped others to liberate themselves.”
4
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Source C
The following cartoon comes with a caption “Milosevic’s domestic affairs”.
a.
What is the importance of Kosovo to the Serbs? Explain your answer with
reference to clues from Source A.
b.
How did Milosevic rationalize his decision of military operation in Kosovo?
Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B.
c.
Would the cartoonist of Source C agree to the explanation of Milosevic you
suggested in (b)? Explain your answer with clues from Source C.
5
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.4
Study Sources A and B carefully.
Source A
The total population of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (known as
“former Yugoslavia” hereafter) was 22.5 million in 1991. The following bar chart
shows the major ethnic groups in former Yugoslavia.
Note: The data provided above is derived from the 1991 census that was conducted by
the Federal Government of the former Yugoslavia. It allowed inhabitants the
possibility to self-define as “Yugoslavs”. Muslims are Muslim Slavs who are also
known as Bosnians.
6
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Source B
The following extract is cited from an article on languages used in former Yugoslavia,
published in 1991.
The three official languages of former Yugoslavia were Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, and
Macedonian. Serbo-Croatian is written in the Latin alphabet in Croatia and in the
Cyrillic alphabet in Serbia and Montenegro. Both alphabets are used in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Slovenian is written in Latin alphabet while Macedonian has elements of
both Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian. Significant minority languages included Albanian,
Hungarian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Italian, etc. Children were required to study
one of the three official languages at school.
a.
With reference to Source A, identify two features about the ethnic pattern of
former Yugoslavia.
b.
Support the statement “Serbia is influential in former Yugoslavia” with clues
from Source B.
c.
With reference to Sources A and B, infer causes that led to racial conflicts in
former Yugoslavia.
7
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.5
Study Source A carefully.
Source A
The following extract is a story told by a Bosnian medical doctor who was born and
lived in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In the pre-war period, cultural differences were not so obvious in big cities in
Bosnia-Herzegovina. People of different ethnic groups used to live together, work
together, attend each other's celebrations, funerals, and often intermarry. Up to one
third of the marriages were mixed. Nobody paid much attention to religious
differences. A Bosnian medical doctor said, “At the beginning of the war
(1992)…everybody was hoping that the thing was going to resolve itself very soon and
that the hostilities were not going to escalate, but, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Little by Little we were moving towards war…There was a complete confrontation of
the opposing parties in the conflict, the ethnic factions. The propaganda spread by the
media was fierce…different versions of the news were coming from Zagreb, Belgrade,
and Sarajevo from the three ethnic groups. So by the time the conflict started, the
confusion and the division of ethnic groups were complete.”
a.
With clues from Source A, describe the historical background of the story.
b.
Does Source A adequately reflect the major causes of the Balkan conflicts?
Explain your answer with reference to Source A and using your own knowledge.
8
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.6
Study Source A carefully.
Source A
The following table shows Serbian and Albanian attitudes towards Kosovo in 1995.
Total number of interviewees: 200
Albanian
response (%)
Serbian
response (%)
How can the Kosovo question be solved?
Join Albania.
Create own state.
Make Kosovo part of Serbia.
43
57
3
62
Whose human rights are violated?
Serbs.
Albanians.
Both Serbs and Albanians.
91
7
52
1.5
23
Is a war likely?
Yes.
No.
17
37
42
49
Who would start the war?
Albanians.
Serbs.
Foreigners.
9
71
15
45.2
4.8
28.6
Questions/ Answers
a.
With reference to Source A, what was the attitude of the Albanians towards the
Serbs? Explain your answer with reference to clues from Source A.
b.
“The Albanians and Serbs held different views towards the solution of the
Kosovo question.” Support this statement with clues from Source A.
c.
Why did the Albanians and the Serbs hold different views on the solution of the
Kosovo question? Explain your answer with reference to concrete historical
facts.
9
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.7
Study Sources A and B carefully.
Source A
The following cartoon reflects a view on the intervention to the Kosovo question by
the international force led by NATO and the United States in the 1990s.
Source B
The following is a summary of a speech given by Lord Roberston, Secretary General
of NATO, in April 2000.
Lord Roberston said that by early 1999 both the United Nations Security Council and
NATO were deeply concerned with the situation in Kosovo, as there was much
evidence that the rights of non-Serb races were violated, and there was a threat to
peace and security. He said, “If we allowed this ethnic cleansing to go unanswered, we
would fatally undermined the modern Euro-Atlantic community we are trying to
build…After all these decades of working towards ethnic tolerance in our countries,
how could we stand aside and allow nearly two million people to be terrorized,
brutalized and expelled from their homeland…” He reiterated that NATO’s move was
correct and its air campaign brought lasting peace and security to the region.
a.
Infer the intention of the cartoonist and the author of Sources A and B
respectively. Explain your answer with reference to clues from the Sources.
b.
What are the usefulness and limitations of Sources A and B in reflecting the
causes of the NATO intervention in Kosovo? Explain your answer with reference
to the Sources and using your own knowledge.
10
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Provenance of sources
Q.1
Source A: ROMU 國際出版社編著，蕭志強譯：
《閱讀世界紛爭地圖》
（台北：世
潮出版有限公司，2003 年），頁 4。
Source B: Yasushi Akashi, “Conflict Management Tools and Techniques,” in
Inter-Regional Forum on Coping with Crises and Conflicts, UNDP Romania
website – Publication: Democratic Governance, Section III part 1, p.36 (online),
http://www.undp.ro/publications/section_p1.pdf [accessed 7 October 2003].
Source C: Ion Iliescu, “The Situation in the Balkans,” The President of Romania
website (online),
http://www.presidency.ro/eng/discursuri/2000-2001/dis-010608-Italia_Balkans.htm
[accessed 7 October 2003].
Q.2
Source A: George W. White, Nationalism and Territory: Constructing Group Identity
in Southeastern Europe (Lanham; Boulder; New York; Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers, Inc., 2000), pp.15 and 27.
Source B: Konstantin Symmons-Symonolewicz, “The concept of nationhood:
Towards a theoretical clarification,” in Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism, 12
(Fall), pp.215-22.Leo Tindemans, et al., Unfinished Peace: Report of the International
Commission on the Balkans (Berlin: Aspen Institute; Washington, DC: Carnegie
Endowment, 1996), p.176.
Q.3
Source A:
John R. Lampe, Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a country (Cambridge; New
York, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2000), pp. 24-5.
Bring Down a Dictator – A Brief History and Timeline (online),
http://www.pbs.org/weta/dictator/classroom/timeline.html [accessed 9 October 2003].
Jared Israel, “Milosevic’s Speech at Kosovo Field in 1989,” on The Emperors’ New
Clothes (online),
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/Jared%20Israel/what%20milosevich%20really%
20said.htm [accessed 9 October 2003].
Source B: Jared Israel, “Milosevic’s Speech at Kosovo Field in 1989,” on The
Emperors’ New Clothes (online),
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/Jared%20Israel/what%20milosevich%20really%
20said.htm [accessed 9 October 2003].
Source C: Christo Komarnitski, Kosovo Crisis (online)
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/5500/kosovo00.html [accessed 15 January
2004].
11
History (S4-5)
Theme B: Conflicts and Cooperation in the Twentieth-Century World
Sub-theme d: Major conflicts and the quest for peace
Q.4
Source A: Leo Tindemans, et al., Unfinished Peace: Report of the International
Commission on the Balkans (Berlin: Aspen Institute; Washington, DC: Carnegie
Endowment, 1996), p.176.
Source B: Federal Research Division, The United States Library of Congress,
“Yogoslavia: Languages,” in Country Studies Online,
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html [accessed 7 October 2003].
Q.5
Source A: Zlatko Haveric, “A young doctor’s reflections on the causes of war in
Sarajevo,” on the UN Refugee Agency web page – Refugee Stories (online),
http://www.unrefugees.org/dynamic.cfm?ID=95 [accessed 13 October 2003].
Q.6
Source A: J. Mertus, “A wall of silence divides Serbian and Albanian opinion on
Kosovo,” Transition, 22 March 1996, p.51.
Q.7
Source A: Christo Komarnitski, Kosovo Crisis (online)
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/5500/kosovo00.html [accessed 15 January
2004].
Source B: The Right Honorable Lord Roberston of Port Ellen, “Kosovo: The Real
Story,” NATO – On-line Library, http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/2000/s000406a.htm
[accessed 16 October 2003].
12