THE BALKANS - NATIONAL DIVERSITY AND INTERNATIONAL-RELATIONS

Recognizing the multi-facetted nature of the Balkan conflicts, this ar ticle seeks to analyse the distinct differences between Balkan nations from a religious perspective. Today's conflicts and alliances in the region stem to a high degree from historic inter-national relations. T his historic perspective is also highly relevant as cultural and natio nal factors play dominant roles in contemporary territorial disputes. Although a religious-historic analysis cannot explain all tensions and conflicts in the region, essentially all conflicts have a national an d/or religious/cultural dimensions to them. The article studies the id eological schism within Christianity and the national diversification during the Middle Ages. This latter period also holds the key to many of the national myths which tend to form much of the national sentimen ts today. The Serb dominated regions in Croatia together with Kosovo a nd Macedonia are specifically studied as they exemplify the initimate relation between the above factors. The Islamic ingredient compliances the formula and inter-national relations further and identifies the n uances in different Muslim communities in the Balcans.