The Role of International Intervention in Ending the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina Focusing on NATO's Operation Deliberate Force

A complicated civil conflict that was part of the process of disintegration of Yugoslavia took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the years of 1992-1995. The civil war, during which the warring parties received significant support from external actors, attracted a lot of attention internationally. The approach of the international community to the crisis developed significantly throughout the war. Initially, the strictly neutral peace and humanitarian intervention presented primarily by UNPROFOR did not have a sufficient mandate and was long ineffective in seeking a peace resolution. A major breakthrough in the international community's approach occurred during the summer of 1995 when NATO decided for the first time in its history to conduct a large-scale military campaign following repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions. The demonstration of NATO's air power through the Operation Deliberate Force is often seen as the key factor in forcing the Bosnian Serb leadership to start the process of peace talks which eventually led to the end of the conflict. However, the primary objective of the operation was not to end the war itself, but merely to end the siege of Sarajevo and prevent attacks on other so-called safe areas under the auspices of the UN. Furthermore, Deliberate Force was..