1918 Austria-Hungary collapses. Bosnia-Herzegovina becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

1941 Bosnia annexed by Hitler, and becomes part of the Croatian state, a puppet regime to the Nazi leader. Radovan Karadzic's father, Vuk, fights with the remnants of the royal army against the Nazis and also against Tito's Communist partisans.

1945 Liberation from Nazis. Bosnia becomes part of the Yugoslav Socialist Federation, a Communist state led by Tito.

1991 Soviet Union collapses. Nationalists win multi-party elections and form a government in Yugoslavia. Immediate divisions become clear, as Serb nationalists demand that Yugoslavia is led by Belgrade, Croatian nationalists call for independent state while Bosnian Muslims call for independent Bosnia.

1992 In a referendum, Bosnia votes for independence from former Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serb nationalists declare war, take control of more than 50 per cent of the country, and set about driving out Muslim and Croat ethnic groups

1992 Dr Karadzic's Bosnian Serb forces place Muslim-majority city of Sarajevo under siege. For 22 months Serb artillery and snipers rain fire on Sarajevo from hills surrounding the city, and 12,000 people killed with numerous atrocities reported.

1993 As full-scale civil war erupts. UN safe havens for Bosnian Muslim civilians created including Sarajevo, Srebrenica and Gorazde.

1995 Bosnian Serb forces overrun safe-haven of Srebrenica, led by General Ratko Mladic. 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys separated from their families and massacred.

1995 Nato launches air-strikes on Serb positions. Dayton peace accord signed, carving Bosnia up into distinct entities: one for Bosnian Muslims and Croats and one for Serbs.

1996 Last known sighting of Dr Karadzic, in the eastern Bosnian town of Han Pijesak.

1999 Following reports of atrocities and ethnic cleansing, Nato bombs Yugoslavia in Operation Allied Force, from March 24 to June 10, 1999. It is only the second major combat operation in Nato's history.

August 2001 Bosnian Serb General Radislav Krstic found guilty of genocide over Srebrenica massacres. Sentenced for 46 years.

December 2001 Amid growing international pressure, the SDS - the main Serbian nationalist party - votes to expel Dr Karadzic and all other war crimes suspects. His whereabouts are not known.

2006 International Court of Justice in The Hague begins hearings in genocide case brought by Bosnia against Serbia.

2007 Court rules that Srebrenica massacre in 1995 constituted genocide but that Serbia as a whole does not have direct responsibility.

June 2008 Stojan Zupljanin, former Bosnian Serb police chief, arrested and handed over to The Hague for war crimes trial.

July 2008 Dr Karadzic arrested in Belgrade after being found disguised as a New Age doctor.

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