Present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes part of the Roman Empire in 9 and it becomes in 379 part of the East Roman Empire. After the collapse of East Roman rule in this area the area is controlled by Slavian tribes. Slavs settle the region in the 7th century, and Serbia and Croatia split control of Bosnia in the 9th century. The 11th and 12th centuries sees the rule of the region by Hungary. The medieval kingdom of Bosnia gains its independence around 1200. Bosnia remains independent until 1463, when it becomes part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1878 the area comes under Austrian administration, but under nominal Ottoman sovereignty, followed in 1908 by a formal annexation by Austria.

After World War I, in 1918, the region becomes part of the newly founded Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The new kingdom is a parliamentary democratic state. It is dominated by ethnic parties, with the exception of the liberal Demokratska Stranka (Democratic Party, DS) and the left-wing parties. The Serbian prime minister Nikola Pasić of the Narodna Radikalna Stranka (People's Radical Party, NRS) becomes the first prime minister of the new kingdom. He is succeeded later in 1918 by Stojan Protić (NRS), in 1919 by Ljubomir Davidović of the Demokratska Stranka (Democratic Party, DS), in 1920 again by Protić and later in 1920 by Milenko Vesnić. Nikola Pasić becomes prime minister in 1921 again. He rules until 1924, when Davidović takes over. Later that year Pasić takes over again. The NRS rule is continued since 1926 by Nikola Uzunović and Velimir Vukicević. After the assassination of the Croatian peasants' leader Nikola Radić, a coalition takes over government under Anton Korošec of the Slovenska Ljudska Stranka (Slovenian People's Party, SLS) as prime minister. Later in 1928 King Alexander establishes a royal dictatorship, based on the Serbs and he renames the country Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. He establishes the only allowed party, the Jugoslovenska Radikalno-Seljačka Demokratija (Jugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy, JRSD). The JSRD delivers the prime ministers: Petar Živković (1929-1932), Vojislav Marinković (DS, 1932), Milan Srškić (1932-1934) and in 1934 Nikola Uzunović. By that time the JRSD is renamed Jugoslovenska Nacionalna Stranka (Yugoslav National Party, JNS). In 1934 king Alexander is assassinated. Bogoljub Jevtić becomes prime minister. With the support of the royal court a list headed by him wins the elections. Milan Stojadinović forms in 1935 the Jugoslovenska Radikalna Zajednica (Yugoslav Radical Union Party, JRZ) and he becomes prime minister until 1939. He is succeeded by Dragisa Cvetković (1939-1941) and in 1941 by Dusan T. Simović. From 1941 to 1944 the region is occupied by Germany. Bosnia is added to Croatia and Herzegovina is annexed by Italy. In 1943 Yugoslavia is reconstituted as Democratic Federative Yugoslavia and the war against the occupies continues. After the liberation Yugoslavia becomes a communist dictatorship in 1945 named Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito and his Jugoslovenska Radikalna Zajednica (Yugoslav Radical Union Party, KPJ). Tito is prime minister from 1945 until 1953. That year he becomes president. The communists reorganize Yugoslavia in 1963 into a federation of republics as the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. The communist party remains under the name Savez Komunista Jugoslavije (League of Yugoslav Communists, SKJ) the only allowed party. When Tito dies in 1980 he is succeeded by a collective presidency.

In 1989 riding a wave of nationalist sentiment, Serbian president Slobodan Milosević reimposes direct rule over the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, prompting Albanians in Kosovo to agitate for separation from Serbia. In 1992 the Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina secedes from Yugoslavia. A civil war between ethnic groups is the result in which Bosnian Serbs, supported by the Yugoslav army, seizes lare parts of the country and ethnically cleanses non-Serbs. The Serbs proclaim the Republic of Srpska. In 1994 the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina is formed out of muslim and Croat controlled territories. The war ends with the Dayton agreement in 1996, in which Bosnia and Hercegovina is restyled into Bosnia and Hercegovina, a confederation under international supervision. Both constituent parts are parliamentary democracies, dominated by ethnic parties. On central level there is a central parliament and a central government, dominated by the parties of the entities. In 2000 the Socijaldemokratska Partija Bosne i Hercegovine (Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Hercegovina, SDP) becomes the largest party. In the 2002 elections the ethnic parties become dominant again.

The federation: The largest parties in the federation are the Stranka Demokratske Akcije (Party of Democratic Action, SDA) of president Alija Izetbegović and the Hrvatska Demokatska Zajednica (Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ). In 2000 the Socijaldemokratska Partija Bosne i Hercegovine (Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Hercegovina, SDP) becomes the second party. This lasts until 2002, when the SDA and HDZ regain position.

Republika Srpska: The ruling party in Srpska is the Srpska Demokratska Stranka (Serbian Democratic Party, SDS) of Radovan KaradŽić. He becomes president and leader of the war against the muslims and the Croats. In 1997 Biljana Plavšić becomes president. When she is explelled from the SDS she forms her own Srpski Narodni Savez (Serbian People's Alliance, SNS). After the elections of 1997 she can form a government without the SDS, but in the 1998 elections the SDS regains position. However the government is lead by Milorad Dodik of the Sranka Nezavisnih Socijaldemokrata (Party of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD). After the elections of 2000 Mladen Ivanić of the Partija Demokratskog Progresa (Party of Democratic Progress, PDP) can lead a government. The SDS regains the prime ministership after the elections of 2002, when Dragan Mikerević become prime minister.