Slobodan Milos̆ević, for example, the Serbian leader later to be charged with crime against humanity and genocide, marked his emergence as a powerful political force by committing an act that was sure to trigger an emotional response and stir up hatred among the Serbs. He deliberately went to Kosovo to give a rousing speech at the site of the Battle of Kosovo Polje, the spot where the Serbs were defeated by the Ottoman Turks in 1389. By playing upon deep-seated Serb fears of defeat and subjugation, he could strengthen his own power, and later push people to commit acts that they might
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