In the 1800s the Hungarians took control over the region and improved industrialization in the region. However, this period also encouraged nationalism and divided the people as they began to view their religious differences as extending to also include ethnic differences. Along with growing differences, the people also united to rebel against the ruling Austrian-Hungarians and in 1914 a Serb nationalist in Sarajevo killed the Archduke, igniting World War I (WWI). As Austria declared war on the people in the area of Yugoslavia, the Russians and French swept in to support the southern Slavs, hence starting WWI. After the war the Austrians lost and the southern Slavs gained independence, creating the country of Yugoslavia in 1929.
At the outbreak of World War II, Yugoslavia was quickly taken over by the Germans, who the Croatians welcomed. By war's end however the southern Slavs liberated themselves and inserted a communist government, which, unlike eastern European communist countries, was not attached to Moscow.
In 1990 the communists were removed from government and independence was sought by numerous groups. The Serbs wanted to control the region of Yugoslavia, but Bosnians and Croatians wanted independence from Serbia and gained that. Unfortunately, this independence came at the expense of a civil war beginning in 1992, which primarily took place within modern-day Bosnia & Herzegovina.