Week 1: From the Middle Ages (7th century) to Ottoman Bosnia (1878)
During the Middle Ages, Christian empires fought for influence in and control over Bosnia. The local population espoused its own version of Christianity in the form of the Church of Bosnia, which was regarded by much of the outside world as heretical. Local leaders eventually controlled local politics and society, with some returning or turning to Catholicism. This period in Bosnian history disappeared after the 14 the century with the arrival of the Ottoman Empire.
Week 2: Bosnia in the Ottoman Empire
We'll explore the impact the Ottoman Empire had on local cultures and see that much changed with the arrival of Islam. We'll observe that Bosnia became a vital part of that empire, and explore how its people served the sultans.
Week 3: The 19th century
With European power becoming global, Ottoman influence in the Balkan region began to wane. Bosnia, now caught between Hapsburg, Russian, and Ottoman interests saw new influences and ideas streaming into all spheres--social, political, cultural--of daily life. We'll investigate how these factors, particularly ideas informed by nationalist movements in states and jurisdictions around Bosnia, took root.
Week 4: Bosnia on the world stage
In 1914, the assassination of a Hapsburg leader in Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo, triggered a series of events that led to catastrophic violence. When it ended, Europe was in ruins. How and why did Bosnia become the catalyst for one of the greatest conflicts in world history? We'll explore Bosnia's role, from the Bosnian side, in the First World War.
Week 5: From Yugoslavia to independence
We'll explore social political, cultural life in Bosnia from the time of the formation of the first Yugoslavia, after World War 1, to the time when, once again, Bosnia became the focal point for events that turned into one of the most violent conflicts to take place in Europe during the 20th century. We'll ask whether or not Bosnia, on the eve of the conflict, had anything resembling a homogeneous culture, or whether it was a patchwork of cultural and social groups who could no longer co-exist within the framework of the given political structures.
Week 6: War and peace
We will explore in depth the war and its effects on Bosnian society. The country emerged from the conflict one state divided into several entities. We will investigate the peace processes and ask how successful efforts to repair the harm caused by the conflict have been. We'll conclude by asking: Wither Bosnia's peace?
