This week I watched the 6 part BBC documentary The Death Of Yugoslavia on YouTube, after Gavin Sheridan recommended it in his excellent newsletter. The documentary aired in September 1995, 6 months after the signing of Dayton Agreement bringing peace between the Serbs, Croats, and Bosnians in the former Yugoslavia. The documentary catalogues the Yugoslav Wars with shocking footage and interviews with the main decision makers that talk openly, in most cases, about decisions that were later declared as war crimes.

While it is fascinating to see a snapshot of history captured so close to the real events, it is also shocking to see the horrors of what occurred. I happened to visit Yugoslavia in 1988 as an oblivious child on holiday. I do remember how beautiful the country was and, back then, how little the people had. The documentary is a tough watch but also very historically informative and intriguing, particularly the hostage negotiation phone call for the kidnapped Bosnian president on live TV!