Exploros | Foreign Affairs During the Clinton Administration

Foreign Affairs During the Clinton Administration

Students watch a video from 1992 network news about life during the Balkan Wars. Then, they identify facts about the wars, and use a map to develop questions about the region. Next, they analyze the Oslo Accords. Finally, they use their knowledge of the Balkan Wars to demonstrate their understanding of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Overview

In this experience, students view a photo gallery depicting life during the Balkan Wars. Then, they identify facts about the wars, and use a map to develop questions about the region. Next, they analyze the Oslo Accords. Finally, they use their knowledge of the Balkan Wars to demonstrate their understanding of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Objectives

Explain the context of the ethnic wars in the Balkans.
Explain the U.S. role in the Dayton Accords.
Describe U.S. involvement in the Oslo Accords.

President Bill Clinton’s administration (1993–2001) was a time of relative peace and prosperity, but the United States participated in two foreign ethnic conflicts as a peacemaking force. In this experience, you’ll learn about the wars in the Balkan region of Eastern Europe and about the American role in trying to find Middle East peace.

Objectives

Explain the context of the ethnic wars in the Balkans.
Explain the U.S. role in the Dayton Accords.
Describe U.S. involvement in the Oslo Accords.

sawing a tree branch in a snowy city street

Besieged residents of Sarajevo collect firewood, 1992

The Balkans are an area of Eastern Europe in which numerous ethnic and religious groups live beside each other in small territories. Historically, this situation has produced a long series of conflicts. The map below shows the Balkan region in the year 2008.

Central Balkan Region, 2008

The Baltic region experienced a major conflict during the Clinton administration. Scroll down to the photos at site: The Bosnian War, in Photos. Look through the photos and read the captions.

What do you think it was like to live in Bosnia during this time?

Post your answer

Use students’ posts to start a discussion about the Balkan Wars. Ask students to formulate questions about the Balkan Wars to which they would like to learn the answers.

Recommend that interested students watch Haunted by the Bosnian War, included in the Student Pack, for a look at the lasting impact of the Balkan Wars on young people who were small children—or not yet born—at the time of the conflict.

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