Germany in 1941 was resisted by various partisan bands that fought
themselves as well as the invaders. The group headed by Marshal TITO
took full control upon German expulsion in 1945. Although communist
in name, his new government successfully steered its own path
between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a
half decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to
unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, and The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all declared their independence in
1991; Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. The remaining republics of
Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia" in 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia
led various military intervention efforts to unite Serbs in
neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." All of these efforts
were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1999, massive expulsions by Serbs
of ethnic Albanians living in the autonomous republic of Kosovo
provoked an international response, including the NATO bombing of
Serbia and the stationing of NATO and Russian peacekeepers in
Kosovo. Blatant attempts to manipulate presidential balloting in
October of 2000 were followed by massive nationwide demonstrations
and strikes that saw the election winner, Vojislav KOSTUNICA,
replace MILOSEVIC.
Zambia:
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the
South Africa Company from 1891 until takeover by the UK in 1923.
During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development
and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in
1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a
prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end
to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant
harassment of opposition parties.
Zimbabwe:
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa
Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated to keep whites
in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its
independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded
voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then
called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led
to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980.
Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the
country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and
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