RELIGION AS A CAUSE OF SERBIAN PEOPLE DIVISIONS

Abstract

Within relevant historical sources, only mentioned South Slavic tribes in Balkan Peninsula are Serbs and Croats. Today we have four political nations on territories once settled by these two peoples in early middle age. Besides Serbian and Croatian, we have Montenegrin and Bosnian political nations. And main difference between them is a religion. All Serbs are traditionally Orthodox Christians. All Croats are Roman Catholics, Bosnians are Muslims. And Montenegrin, who are also Orthodox Christians, are trying to prove their particular identity by forming new orthodox autocephalous church. History is full of examples how people changed their religion under political oppression. As consequence they also changed their national belongings. Serbs who converted to Roman Catholicism became Croats or even Hungarians. And those who converted to Islam are trying to form new Bosnian ethnical nation. Or they transformed to Turks or Albanians. Same thing happens to Serbs who have moved to Russia, because of their identical religious affiliation with Russians they become Russians too.