During the 19th century two centers that aspired to unite South Slavs (sometimes excluding Bulgarians) were Zagreb and Belgrade. Zagreb sought to integrate the South Slavs of the Habsburg Monarchy (that would hopefully conquer the Balkans as well) in a state that would be dominated by Roman Catholic Croats. Belgrade sought to liberate the South Slavs and unite in a new, hopefully democratic state, that would be dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Serbs.

In 1878 Austria-Hungary managed to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina, after crushing a huge popular revolt led by the Muslims and the Serbs alike (Hadži Lojo's Rebellion). The oppressive regime of Austria-Hungary led to the people forming various revolutionary organization. Young Bosnia was one of them. Her main ideologist, Bogdan Žerajić (a Serb), attempted to assassinate the colonial governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, General Marijan Varešanin in 1910. Assuming that he managed to kill Varešanin, Žerajić killed himself. He became a symbol of the Young Bosnia members (Young Bosnia was formed in the same year) and the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina in general.

The discontent of the Serbs and political situation in the Balkans (Serbia's victories against the Ottomans in the Balkan Wars) caused the revolutionary societies to be dominated by the Serbs. Even without that, one needs to remember that the Serbs were the predominant nation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (~44% of the population). The Croats were generally content and hoped that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be annexed to the Kingdom of Croatia. The colonial government worked on separating the Muslims and the Serbs by favoring the former ones.

Therefore, even though the Young Bosnia was heterogeneous, it was oriented towards Belgrade and cooperated with various nationalist organization from Serbia (not with the government, however).