Lecturer on Balkan Conflict to Ask "Why Bosnia? Why Kosovo?"

Charles Ingrao of Purdue University will speak on ethnic conflict in Central Europe, a couldn't-be-more-timely topic, on April 8.

Americans have been both appalled and confused by the unfolding tragedies in the former Yugoslavia. To help dispel the myths and misinformation surrounding events in the Balkans, historian Charles Ingrao will give a lecture entitled, "Why Bosnia? Why Kosovo? Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Central Europe" on Thursday, April 8.

Ingrao's talk will identify the historic continuity between recent events in the former Yugoslavia and the catastrophes of two world wars and the Holocaust--and trace them to a common cause. By rejecting the "ancient ethnic rivalries" argument about the Balkan conflict, he brings a new perspective on the Balkan crisis. His visit is in conjunction with several current MHC courses on the Balkans in the history and politics departments.

Ingrao is professor of history at Purdue University, and holds a Ph.D. from Brown University. His many books include The Hapsburg Monarchy, 1618-1815. In connection with his six trips to the former Yugoslavia over the past three years, Ingrao has turned his attention to the current ethnic conflict and published editorials on this topic in the New York Times, Newsday, Germany's Die Zeit, the International Herald Tribune, and the Christian Science Monitor. He has been interviewed on NPR and the BBC in Great Britain, and is currently speaking at organizations worldwide.

For more information, call history professor Jeremy King at x2749.