Understanding the Framework

How do historians define and analyze ethnic cleansing? This section provides the conceptual tools needed to understand systematic forced displacement.

Additional Reference Resources

What You'll Learn

• The historical origins of the term "ethnic cleansing" (Yugoslav Wars, 1990s)
• Who coined the term and why it emerged in international discourse
• How ethnic cleansing differs from genocide, deportation, and war crimes
• The structural patterns that characterize ethnic cleansing campaigns
• Analytical frameworks historians use to study state violence
• The Srebrenica massacre (1995) as a defining case study

Key Concepts Covered

Key Elements

• Systematic: Organized and deliberate, not random violence
• Forced Removal: Displacement through coercion, not voluntary migration
• Group Targeting: Based on ethnic, religious, or national identity
• Territorial Goal: Creating homogeneous space by eliminating diversity
• State/Militia Power: Requires organized force to implement

Yugoslav Wars Context

The presentation explores in detail how the term emerged from the Yugoslav Wars (1992-1995), where Serbian forces conducted systematic campaigns of violence against Bosnian Muslims and Croats. The Srebrenica massacre of July 1995—where over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were systematically executed—represents the moment ethnic cleansing crossed into genocide.

Learning Objectives

After completing this framework section, you will be able to:

1. Define ethnic cleansing and distinguish it from related concepts
2. Identify the historical origins of the term in 1990s Yugoslavia
3. Analyze the structural patterns that characterize ethnic cleansing
4. Apply this conceptual framework to diverse historical cases
5. Evaluate how historians use comparative analysis to study state violence