The Bosnian Serbs sought NATO action against violations while the UN pressed them to respect freedom of movement and stop attacks on civilians. Ratko Mladic favored demilitarizing Sarajevo because it would release thousands of Serb troops from the siege lines for use elsewhere. The Bosnian government, however, could not accept disarming the forces defending its capital. Rose's account exposes the strategic calculation beneath diplomatic formulas: a measure that appears to reduce violence locally can redistribute combat power and intensify fighting on another front.
Chapter · 4:53-5:54
Sarajevo and the bargaining logic of demilitarisation
General Michael Rose's Bosnia memoir shows how a seemingly stabilising demilitarisation proposal could shift thousands of troops elsewhere and therefore produce incompatible incentives for the belligerents.