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The violent disintegration of the former Yugoslavia highlights the importance of a detailed understanding of the Balkan region. The political outlook and behavior of the Serbs and Serbian elites has been particularly bewildering to Western citizens and decision-makers. Serpent in the Bosom provides an analysis of Serbian politics from 1987 to 2002 that centers on an examination of Slobodan Milosevic’s rise to power, his pattern of rule, the war in Kosovo, and the recent democratic "revolution” in Serbia. Lenard Cohen examines Milosevic's shrewd admixture of Serbian nationalism and socialism and his utilization of the media, and other agencies, as part of his "technology of rule.” He explores Milosevic's complex relationship with Serbia's intelligentsia, the Orthodox church, the police, and the army, as well as Serbian-Albanian relations and the Belgrade regime’s ongoing controversy with Montenegro’s political leadership. What emerges is a clearer understanding of Serbia's enigmatic leader, his influence on the Balkans, and the process of political transition in Yugoslavia. This revised and updated edition includes material on Milosevic’s indictment before the International Tribunal at Hague and an analysis of Yugoslav political developments since December 2000.