Biljana Plavšić
A former biology professor who descended into nationalist politics, becoming the highest-ranking Bosnian Serb convicted for wartime atrocities.
Born 1930 (age 96)·Bosnian Serb politician·Birthday: July 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Biljana Plavšić's early life was one of academic distinction. A professor of biology at the University of Sarajevo, she was a respected scientist, known for her rigorous mind. The collapse of Yugoslavia shattered that world, and she channeled her intellect into a fierce Serbian nationalism. She rose to power as a member of the Bosnian Serb presidency alongside Radovan Karadžić, her hardline rhetoric earning her the moniker 'the Iron Lady.' During the Bosnian War, she was a vocal advocate for ethnic separation. In a dramatic turn, she later succeeded Karadžić as President of Republika Srpska and surprised many by endorsing the Dayton Peace Agreement. This pivot did not absolve her past. Indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, she initially defiantly proclaimed her innocence before becoming the only woman to plead guilty to crimes against humanity for her role in the campaign of persecution and expulsion. Her journey from the laboratory to the political arena to a prison cell in Sweden remains a stark case study of how intellectual authority can be perverted by ethnic hatred.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Biljana was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Biljana Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Biljana's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2026Age 96 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the President of the Republika Srpska, the Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 1996 to 1998.
- Was a founding member and held a senior position in the Bosnian Serb political party, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS).
- Became the only woman convicted by the ICTY, pleading guilty to one count of crimes against humanity for persecution on political, racial, and religious grounds.
- Had a prior career as a tenured professor of biology at the University of Sarajevo, specializing in plant physiology.
Did You Know?
She voluntarily surrendered to the ICTY in 2001, one of the first high-ranking indictees to do so.
Her guilty plea was part of a deal that saw other, more severe charges (including genocide) dropped.
She was released from a Swedish prison in 2009 after serving two-thirds of her 11-year sentence.
In her academic career, she published numerous scientific papers and was considered an expert in her field.
“I saw it as a struggle for survival, a biological necessity.”
