Germany’s threat to recognize Croatia and Slovenia has been the biggest sticking point in Europe’s handling of the crisis. H. van den Broek, the E.C. President, condemned the idea outright.

Not long ago, the reputation of the Balkans as the tinderbox of Europe seemed , to have faded. Now the region is once again in flames, igniting fears of a broader conflagration. For years, Yugoslavia was the acceptable face of communism: estranged from Moscow, a pioneer of peaceful coexistence with…