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The lands governed by the Republic of Macedonia were part of a number of ancient states and former empires; Paionia, the kingdom of ancient Macedon (which established the name for the whole Macedonian region), the Roman and Byzantine empires as well as medieval Bulgarian and Serbian states. In the 14th century the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
Following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, it became part of Serbia and was known as Ju?na Srbija ("Southern Serbia"). After the First World War Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was officially renamed Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called "banovinas". The territory of the modern Republic of Macedonia became a part of the Province or Banate of Vardar (Vardarska Banovina 1).
In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers. The Banate of Vardar was divided between Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania. Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to support the resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito, who became Yugoslavia's president when the war ended. After the end of the Second World War in , the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established, in which the People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming to Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
The Republic of Macedonia remained at peace through the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s but was destabilised by the Kosovo War in 1999, when an estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country. They returned quickly following the war but soon after, Albanian radicals on both sides of the border took up arms in pursuit of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of the Republic. A short war was fought between government and ethnic Albanian rebels, mostly in the north and west of the country, in March-June 2001. It ended with the intervention of a NATO ceasefire monitoring force and the government promising to devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the Albanian minority.
Following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, it became part of Serbia and was known as Ju?na Srbija ("Southern Serbia"). After the First World War Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was officially renamed Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called "banovinas". The territory of the modern Republic of Macedonia became a part of the Province or Banate of Vardar (Vardarska Banovina 1).
In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers. The Banate of Vardar was divided between Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania. Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to support the resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito, who became Yugoslavia's president when the war ended. After the end of the Second World War in , the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established, in which the People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming to Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
The Republic of Macedonia remained at peace through the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s but was destabilised by the Kosovo War in 1999, when an estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country. They returned quickly following the war but soon after, Albanian radicals on both sides of the border took up arms in pursuit of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of the Republic. A short war was fought between government and ethnic Albanian rebels, mostly in the north and west of the country, in March-June 2001. It ended with the intervention of a NATO ceasefire monitoring force and the government promising to devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the Albanian minority.