What was the conflict between Kosovo and Yugoslavia?

Kosovo conflict, 1998–99 conflict in which ethnic Albanians opposed ethnic Serbs and the government of Yugoslavia (the rump of the former federal state, comprising the republics of Serbia and Montenegro) in Kosovo. It was resolved with the intervention of NATO. Learn more about the Kosovo conflict and its history.

What happened to the Albanians in Yugoslavia?

In June NATO and Yugoslavia signed a peace accord outlining troop withdrawal and the return of nearly one million ethnic Albanians as well as another 500,000 displaced within the province. Most Serbs left the region, and there were occasional reprisals against those who remained.

Why did Serbs move from Kosovo to Serbia?

In 1981 it was reported that some 4,000 Serbs moved from Kosovo to central Serbia after the Kosovo Albanian riots in March that resulted in several Serb deaths and the desecration of Serbian Orthodox architecture and graveyards.

Why did NATO intervene in the Kosovo War?

Kosovo War. After attempts at a diplomatic solution failed, NATO intervened, justifying the campaign in Kosovo as a “humanitarian war”. This precipitated a mass expulsion of Kosovar Albanians as the Yugoslav forces continued to fight during the aerial bombardment of Yugoslavia (March–June 1999).

How did NATO respond to the Kosovo War?

In response, NATO began a campaign of airstrikes against Serbian targets, focusing mainly on destroying Serbian government buildings and infrastructure. The bombings caused further flows of refugees into neighboring countries and the deaths of several civilians. In June 1999, NATO and Yugoslavia signed a peace accord to end the Kosovo War.

What happened in the Kosovo War in 1999?

Diplomatic negotiations began in Rambouillet, France, in February 1999 but broke down the following month. On March 24 NATO began air strikes against Serbian military targets. In response, Yugoslav and Serbian forces drove out all of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians, displacing hundreds of thousands of people into Albania,…

What is the Kosovo Liberation Army?

Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo formed the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in the early 1990s. The militant group began attacks on Serbian police and politicians and were engaged in an all-out uprising by 1998.