Alija Izetbegović

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Alija Izetbegović (8 August 1925 – 19 October 2003) was a Bosnian politician, Islamic philosopher and author who served as the president of the presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1990 to 1996. He later served as the first chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1996 to 1998, and then briefly in 2000. He was also the founder and first president of the Party of Democratic Action. Shortly after his term began, the country's Serb community under the leadership of the Serb Democratic Party created the Republika Srpska and attempted to prevent the secession of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Yugoslavia. This would lead to the outbreak of the Bosnian War. As President, Izetbegović served as the political head of the Bosnian government. The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) initially fought in an uneasy alliance with Croat forces. This alliance collapsed when Croat forces, backed by Croatia, launched a military campaign to establish the...

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