Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/09. Modern Nations/05. Europe • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AI-generated, sourced to Wikipedia).
Chronological Storyline (29 Milestones)
168 BCE
Rome conquers Illyria
Roman forces defeat Illyrian tribes, incorporating the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina into the expanding Roman Republic. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina By Mladen Kolobarić - Own work. BASED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SHEET:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342986
950 CE
Bosnia first mentioned
Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus records the name 'Bosona' in his work De Administrando Imperio, the earliest known written reference to Bosnia. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Krisztus megkoronázza VII. Konsztantinosz Porphürogennétoszt, elefántcsont, 945., By Wooofer - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134238343
1154 CE
First known Bosnian ban
Ban Borić becomes the first known ruler of Bosnia, appointed by the King of Hungary, marking the emergence of Bosnia as a distinct political entity. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina By Mladen Kolobarić - Own work. BASED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SHEET:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342986
1180 CE
Ban Kulin begins his rule
Ban Kulin ascends to power and governs Bosnia for nearly three decades, bringing stability, economic growth, and relative religious tolerance to the realm. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Ploča Kulina bana By Unknown author - Bosančica –Serbian Cyrillic Bosnian variantion - Bosnian Cyrillic - Slavorum - Slavic Forum, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42208967
Aug 29, 1189 CE
Charter of Ban Kulin
Ban Kulin issues a trade agreement with the Republic of Ragusa, one of the oldest surviving Bosnian state documents written in Bosnian Cyrillic script. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Copy "B" of the Charter of Ban Kulin. By Unknown author - http://www.udruzenjehistoricara-ks.ba/index.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5721001
1203 CE
Bilino Polje abjuration
Bosnian church leaders renounce alleged heresies before papal envoys at Bilino Polje, attempting to reconcile Bosnian Christianity with the Catholic Church. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Plate of Kulin bana By Alenmahovic - Ban Kulin, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15983827
1326 CE
Bosnia expands to the sea
Ban Stephen II Kotromanić conquers Hum (Herzegovina) and extends Bosnian territory to the Adriatic coast, significantly strengthening the Bosnian state. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Relikviář sv. Simeona se smrtí Štěpána II. Bosenského By Denkmäler der Kunst in Dalmatien, Herausgegeben von Georg Kowalczyk, mit einer Einleitung von Cornelius Gurlitt. Autor Georg Kowalczyk 1909 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Tafel_082c_Zara_-_Dom_Reliquiar%2C_Francesco_Milano_1380_Hl._Simeon_-_Heliografie_Kowalczyk_1909.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39884452
Oct 26, 1377 CE
Tvrtko I crowned king
Stephen Tvrtko I is crowned King of Bosnia near the tomb of Saint Sava at Mile, elevating Bosnia to a kingdom and its ruler to royal status. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Seal of Tvrtko I of Bosnia, dated 14 March 1356. By Tvrtko I of Bosnia - Aleksa Ivić (1910) "Otisci pečata" in Stari srpski pečati i grbovi: prilog srpskoj sfragistici i heraldici, Natošević, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40255089
1391 CE
Death of King Tvrtko I
King Tvrtko I dies after a reign that saw Bosnia reach its greatest medieval territorial extent, leaving a powerful but increasingly pressured kingdom. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Seal of Tvrtko I of Bosnia, dated 14 March 1356. By Tvrtko I of Bosnia - Aleksa Ivić (1910) "Otisci pečata" in Stari srpski pečati i grbovi: prilog srpskoj sfragistici i heraldici, Natošević, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40255089
1448 CE
Herzegovina name emerges
Stjepan Vukčić Kosača adopts the title 'Herceg' (Duke) of Saint Sava, giving his lands the name Herzegovina, which persists to the present day. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Blagaj By Matěj Baťha - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2798333
May 1, 1463 CE
Ottoman conquest of Bosnia
Sultan Mehmed II's forces capture the Bosnian king Stephen Tomašević at Ključ, ending the Bosnian Kingdom and beginning centuries of Ottoman rule. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina By Mladen Kolobarić - Own work. BASED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SHEET:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342986
1583 CE
Bosnia Eyalet established
The Ottoman Empire creates the Bosnia Eyalet as a separate provincial administration, reflecting the territory's strategic and administrative importance. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
The Ottoman flag and Turkey Republic Flag of 1844–1935. Late Ottoman flag which was made based on the historical documents listed in the Source section. Note that a five-pointed star was rarely used in the crescent-and-star symbol before the 19th century. By User:Orwellianist - File:German soldiers celebrate Christmas in Ottoman Empire during WW1.jpg File:Nordenfelt submarine Abdülhamid.jpg Ottoman submarine Abdülhamid (1886) File:Declaration of the 1908 Revolution in Ottoman Empire.png Photo from 1908 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/preww1/Bleriot%20XI%20b%20TuAF.jpg - Photo from 1912 http://www.manorhouse.clara.net/book2/chapter18.htm (image), alternative link - Photo from 1914 http://www.manorhouse.clara.net/book2/chapter21.htm image - Photo from 1914 File:SultanahmetMitingi.jpg Photo from 1919 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/ww1/gothawd12.jpg - Photo from 1915 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/ww1/gothawd2.jpg - Photo from 1915 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/ww1/gothawd13.jpg - Photo from 1915 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/ww1/sakir_feyzi_resimleri2.jpg - Photo from 1915 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/ww1/S.P.A.D13.JPG - Photo from 1918 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/kurtulus/fiat-r2.jpg - Photo from 1920 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/kurtulus/breguet14b2.jpg - Photo from 1922 http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/kurtulus/nieuport27-2.jpg - Photo from 1922 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0086, Kaiser Wilhelm II in Konstantinopel.jpg File:Ceremony to decolate the flag of 27th Regiment with Imtiyaz Medals.jpg File:Ottoman troops with flag.jpg File:Ottoman Navy at the Golden Horn.jpg - Postcard from 1914 http://www.osmanzengin.com/ESKi__iSTANBUL/kararkoy02.jpg - Postcard from 1920 http://www.osmanzengin.com/ESKi__iSTANBUL/tepebasi.jpg - Postcard from 1920 http://www.vicmart.com/ext/en/exrw/item=1416 - Ottoman medal from 1850 File:Aff_ciwl_orient_express4_jw.jpg - 1888-1889 season timetable of the Orient Express File:Ottoman conquests.jpg - Ottoman map from 1914, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7112828
1831 CE
Bosnian uprising begins
Husein Gradaščević leads a major Bosnian rebellion against Ottoman reformist centralization, briefly establishing autonomy before being defeated. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina By Mladen Kolobarić - Own work. BASED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SHEET:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342986
Jul 1, 1875 CE
Herzegovina uprising erupts
Christian peasants in Herzegovina revolt against Ottoman taxation and oppression, sparking a wider regional conflict that draws Great Power intervention. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Leaders and Heroes of the Uprising in Bosnia and Herzegovina, illustration in the Serb calendar Orao (1876) By Аноним - http://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Слика:Vodje_i_junaci_iz_ustanka_u_Bosni_i_Hercegovini_god._1975..png, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14574820
Jul 13, 1878 CE
Austria-Hungary occupies Bosnia
The Congress of Berlin authorizes Austro-Hungarian military occupation and administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, though nominal Ottoman sovereignty continues. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Congress of Berlin, 13 July 1878 oil on canvas 127 × 203 cm 1892 By Anton von Werner - Lebendiges Museum Online (with wrong description), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56203977
Oct 6, 1908 CE
Bosnia formally annexed
Austria-Hungary announces the formal annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending Ottoman claims and triggering an international diplomatic crisis. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Illustration from the French magazine Le Petit Journal on the Bosnian Crisis: Bulgaria declares its independence and its prince Ferdinand is named Tsar, Austria-Hungary, in the person of Emperor Francis Joseph, annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II looks on helplessly By Unknown author - Supplément illustré du quotidien "Le Petit Journal"., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10300859
Jun 28, 1914 CE
Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Gavrilo Princip shoots Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, triggering the July Crisis and the outbreak of World War I one month later. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
The first page of the edition of the Domenica del Corriere, an Italian paper, with a drawing by Achille Beltrame depicting Gavrilo Princip killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo. By Achille Beltrame - Cropped version of Copertina della Domenica del Corriere Anno XVI n. 27 del 5-12.7.1914 illustrata da Achille Beltrame. File:Beltrame Sarajevo.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29686990
Dec 1, 1918 CE
Bosnia joins new kingdom
Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, losing its distinct administrative identity within the new South Slavic state. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Pan-Slavic flag. Emerged from 1848 Prague pan-Slavic conference, or interpretations of the resolutions of the conference. Drawn by Fibonacci. By Fibonacci - SVG file own work by uploader, flag design uncopyrightable (simple geometric), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55021423
Apr 1, 1941 CE
Yugoslavia invaded and partitioned
Axis forces invade Yugoslavia; Bosnia is incorporated into the puppet Independent State of Croatia, leading to brutal intercommunal violence and resistance. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Operațiunile militare ale Axei în Balcani By Maps Department of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. - US gov, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34432111
Mar 1, 1943 CE
Battle of the Neretva
Yugoslav Partisans under Josip Broz Tito defeat Axis forces in a major offensive along the Neretva River, a turning point in the resistance war. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Cropped map describing the First Phase of the Fourth Enemy Offensive and Partisan Counter Offensive (20 January to 25 February 1943), focussed on the main area of operations By Vojnoistorijski institut JNA [Military History Institute of the JNA] - Istorijski atlas oslobodilačkog rata naroda Jugoslavije [Historical Atlas of the Yugoslav Peoples Liberation War], 1952, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Map 16. reproduced here, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30065634
Nov 29, 1945 CE
Socialist republic established
Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes one of six constituent republics of the new Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia under Marshal Tito's leadership. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of the Bosnia and Herzegovina during the SFRY times. By Zscout370 - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=478012
Feb 8, 1984 CE
Sarajevo Winter Olympics
Sarajevo hosts the XIV Winter Olympic Games, showcasing the city as a symbol of Yugoslav multiculturalism and international cooperation. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
オリンピックのロゴ By Miroslav Antonić Roko - https://olympics.com/ioc, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146492587
Feb 29, 1992 CE
Independence referendum held
Bosnian voters overwhelmingly choose independence from Yugoslavia in a referendum boycotted by most Bosnian Serbs, setting the stage for armed conflict. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Ballot paper used in the referendum for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina held on 29 February and 1 March 1992. (form, without official stamps) By Z1KA - Own workInspiried by this image, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=192826625
Apr 5, 1992 CE
Siege of Sarajevo begins
Bosnian Serb forces encircle Sarajevo, beginning the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare, lasting nearly four years and killing over 11,000 people. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Siege of Sarajevo, 1992-1996. By PattyB0YY - File:Sarajevo_Siege_Crashed_Bullet_Holed_Car.jpg File:United_Nations_peacekeepers_in_Sarajevo,_1996.JPEG File:Sarajevo_may_1996.png File:Evstafiev-sarajevo-building-burns.jpg File:Bombing_republika_srpska.jpg File:Evstafiev-bosnia-serbs-boy-gun-to-head.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114518164
Apr 1, 1992 CE
Bosnian War erupts
Following international recognition of Bosnia's independence, armed conflict breaks out between Bosniak, Serb, and Croat forces across the country. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Town of Bosanska Krupa after the war in 1992 By Original uploader was Bushido at bs.wikipedia - Transferred from bs.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Smooth_O using CommonsHelper., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5776794
Jul 11, 1995 CE
Srebrenica massacre
Bosnian Serb forces under Ratko Mladić kill over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in the UN-declared safe area of Srebrenica, the worst atrocity in Europe since WWII. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Gravestones at the Potočari genocide memorial near Srebrenica By Michael Büker - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6405619
Nov 21, 1995 CE
Dayton Agreement initialed
Negotiations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio produce a peace agreement ending the Bosnian War and creating a complex two-entity state structure. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, President Alija Izetbegovic of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and President Franjo Tudjman of the Republic of Croatia initial the draft of the Dayton Peace Accords. The Balkan Proximity Peace Talks were conducted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Nov. 1-21, 1995. The talks ended the conflict arising from the breakup of the Republic of Yugoslavia. The Dayton Accords paved the way for the signing of the final “General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina” on Dec. 14 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. By U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Brian Schlumbohm, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6887750
Sep 1, 1996 CE
First post-war elections
Bosnia and Herzegovina holds its first post-war national elections under international supervision, establishing the institutions created by the Dayton peace accord. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina By Mladen Kolobarić - Own work. BASED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SHEET:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342986
May 1, 2014 CE
Catastrophic floods hit Bosnia
The worst flooding in over a century devastates large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, displacing tens of thousands and causing billions in damage. Source — Wikipedia, "Bosnia and Herzegovina":
The impact of 2014 Yvette storm in Southeast Europe and Balkans. By NASA Worldvıew - [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32951294
