Dayton Accords

Setting the scene

The Dayton Accords were signed on November 21, 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, ending the Bosnian War (1992-1995), the bloodiest conflict in Europe since WWII. The war, part of Yugoslavia's breakup, involved Bosnian Serbs, backed by Serbia, attempting to create an ethnically pure state through ethnic cleansing that killed 100,000 people and displaced 2 million. The Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosniak men in July 1995 prompted NATO intervention.

What happened

The accords were negotiated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for three weeks, mediated by U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke. The agreement, formally signed in Paris December 14, divided Bosnia into two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosniak-Croat) and Republika Srpska (Serb), with a weak central government. It deployed 60,000 NATO troops to enforce peace.

Why it still matters

The Dayton Accords stopped the killing but created a dysfunctional state with complex power-sharing that remains in place. They demonstrated American leadership in ending European wars and the effectiveness of combining military force with diplomacy. The accords ended the worst atrocities in Europe since the Holocaust but left Bosnia divided and dependent on international oversight.

Background

NATO peacekeepers deployed.