Civil war in BH and Serbian national identity

In this article the author analyses the relation between war and national identity in the case of the Serbs in the Republic of Srpska, and the role that the civil war in B&H, in the period from 1992-1995, have had in the shaping of their national consciousness. It is emphasized that the biggest part of the history of the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been marked by numerous wars against foreign occupiers and centuries spent under the governance of foreign powers, which, beyond doubt, have had a strong influence on the Serb national identity. However, the author believes that the role of the civil war in B&H in the affirmation of the national identity of the Serbs in this region is specific when compared to the wars that happened before it; this war has created ethnic and territorial divisions in B&H, which had never existed in this region, and which have had a huge impact on the national identities of all peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Serbs who live in the Republic of Srpska; apart from that, the most powerful countries in the Western civilization have had important media, political, and military role in the war, which had a profound impact on the Serb community