Safe Area Gorazde Analysis

In 1987, shortly after the death of Yugoslavia’s Communist leader Tito, Slobodan Milosevic made a single promise to the Serbs of Yugoslavia; “You will never be beat again” (Doc.). This statement greatly altered the social and political reality in Yugoslavia, ultimately culminating in the disintegration of the nation. Joe Sacco’s graphic novel Safe Area Gorazde, captures this shift, focusing on the Bosnia, the most multiethnic republic within Yugoslavia at the time. Sacco’s portrayal of the actors involved in the Bosnian conflict demonstrates the significance of actors’ decisions in the outcome of a conflict. The Yugoslavian conflict demonstrates the interplay between various types of actors, how effective their decisions are in inspiring mass …show more content…
Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Serb Republic, was a rational actor who was highly effective in inspiring mass mobilization against the “other”. A rational actor is one who makes decisions on the basis of what the most cost-effective means to reaching their personal objectives. Milosevic single-handedly changed the entire nation’s perception of race and ethnicity. This change in perception is evident in Safe Area Gorazde, one of the first points that Sacco makes is that there was little animosity between Serbs and Bosnian Muslims within Bosnia prior to the war (Sacco, 20). By building animosity between the Serbs and the other ethnic groups in Yugoslavia, Milosevic was able to advance his own interests and ascended to a position of power. Additionally, Milosevic simultaneously gained support for extreme Serbian nationalism and inspired mass mobilization against the “other” (Fearon & Laitin, 865). Serbs all over the country identified with the feeling of victimization and heard Milosevic’s speech as a “battle cry” (Doc). All things considered, as a rational actor, Milosevic was exceptionally effective in gaining mass support for aggression towards the Muslims and Croats in