PART 7: 1990-2010
Despite being a relatively wealthy country in Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia becomes unstable in the 1990s due to greater national divides. The EEC member states attempt to oversee Yugoslavia become a confederation, but the pace of disintegration increases, with Slovenia and Croatia first becoming republics, then Bosnia Herzegovina is divided between the Republic of Croatia, an autonomous Duchy of Srpska in the East, and a central Bosnian Protectorate under Albania, as volunteered by King Leka of Albania. Macedonia is likewise divided between Albania, Greece and Bulgaria, whilst northern areas are maintained by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia causing some instability.
In the south-west of Russia, Caucasian nationalism comes to fruition with the establishment of the Transcaucasian Republic, though Georgia leaves to form a re-established Kingdom in 2008 after a brief war of secession. Likewise, Belarusians and Ukrainians call for independence for their respective countries, the latter being more vocal. Whilst Russia grants Ukraine complete independence, which becomes a republic, Belarus becomes an autonomous ‘Grand Duchy’. However, the autonomy of the latter is short-lived, as Belarusians express support for Georgia during the 2010 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia over the independence of some of Georgia’s regions. In 2010, direct rule over Belarus from Russia is re-imposed, removing autonomy until Russia deems it the right time to restore it, which has proven controversial across the continent.
However, by 2002, all problems of instability in Yugoslavia are largely overcome, and obligations by the EEC and League of Nations to recognise minorities are put in place. The area that was once Yugoslavia now includes the Republics of Slovenia and Croatia, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (covering Serbia and Montenegro until 2006, when Serbia and Montenegro become separate kingdoms, the former maintaining the Yugoslavian monarch as head of state, while Montenegro installs Nikola II, descendent of its last independent monarch, Nikola I), as well as the areas now classed as Albanian, Greek and Bulgarian territory. As promised, despite the instability of Balkan EEC states, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal still join the EEC. As a consequence of its greater role and intervention, there are plans to extend the EEC’s role to become a European Union.