Fall of Yugoslavia

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

○ After WWII Yugoslavia was set up a federation of 6 republics.
§ Slovenia
§ Croatia
§ Bosnia
§ Macedonia
§ Serbia
§ Montenegro
○ Two autonomous provinces were set up in Serbia
§ Kosovo
□ 90% Albanian
§ Vojvodina
○ Each Republic had its own branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia party.
§ Any kind of tension was solved at the federal level.
○ Tito had kept the country centralised and balanced.
§ Relatively successful economy until his death.
○ After Tito’s death stagnation of economy and political weaknesses caused tensions.

Question 2

Causes-Economic

Answer 2

§ Yugoslavian debt was leading to economic recession.
§ The recession lead to:
□ Economic Austerity
□ Corruption at the Federal Level.
§ Support for Federalism waned due to the failures of it.

Question 3

Causes-Nationalism

Answer 3

§ Milosevic pursued policies that centralised on Serbs over minorities.
§ Milosevich was against all forms of nationalism.

Question 4

Rise of Slobodan Milosevic

Answer 4

○ Slobodan Milosevic becomes leader of Serbia in 1987.
§ Acquired de-facto control through populist movements:
□ Kosovo
□ Vojvodina
□ Montenegro
§ High level of support for his centralist policies.

Question 5

Internal Opposition

Answer 5

○ Opposition from Slovenia and Croatia demanded greater democracy
§ Inspired by 1989 revolutions.
○ The Croats and Slovenes supported delegating power to the republics.
§ Were voted down in every motion.
○ The Croatian delegation and Slovenian delegation left congress.
§ Lead to the end of the all-Yugoslav party.
○ External pressure lead to multi-party systems in the republics.
○ The league of communists of Yugoslavia dissolved on the federal level.
○ All republics ushered in ethnic-separatist parties and ousted communists except:
§ Serbia
§ Montenegro

Question 6

Croation Tensions

Answer 6

§ Croatian Democratic Union elected to power.
§ Controversial President lead to power.
□ Nationalist policies of protecting the Croats from Serbs.
§ This lead to Serbs wary of the new nationalist Croatian government.
□ Flashbacks of the holocaust.
® Croatians willingly participated in genocide of the Serbians.
§ Fears of the nationalist government lead to minority Serbs supporting a union with Serbia of their self proclaimed government.
§ The government of Serbia endorsed the Serbian separatists of Croatia.
§ Lead to the Log Revolution.
□ Serbs blocked off key routes and hoarded supplies.
□ Yugoslavia sent fighter jets to intercept and Croatian helicopters and send them to Zagreb.
® Made the Croatians worry that Yugoslavia was under control of Serbs.
§ Croatia joined Bosnia, Slovenia in opposing the demands to proclaim state of emergency.
□ Would have allowed Yugoslavia to operate under martial law.

Question 7

Independance of Slovenia and Croatia

Answer 7

§ 1990 Slovenian Independence referendum
□ 88.5% voted for independence.
§ Debate over martial law intensified.
□ The delegates of each republic were called to vote on martial law.
□ Warned that disintegration will happen without martial law.
§ 1991 Croatian Independance referendum
93.34% voted for independence.

Both Slovenia and Croatia declared independence on 25 June 1991.

Question 8

Yugoslav conflict with Slovenia

Answer 8

§ Yugoslavia sent tanks towards Slovenia
□ There was an unofficial policy of no first fire.
§ Slovenians took over airports and border posts bloodlessly.
§ An agreement was reached on 7 July 1991 (Brijuni Agreement):
□ Yugoslavia would pull out from Slovenia in 3 months.
□ Lead to the EU’s plans:
® European Union failed to restore the federation so they supported republicanism.
® European Union promised President Milosevic that the EU will ensure Serbs outside Serbia would be protected.
□ Milosevic refused the EU’s plan
® EU had no right to dissolve Yugoslavia
® Plan was not in interests of the Serbs as it would divide the Serbs in four republics.

Question 9

Bosnia Conflict

Answer 9

§ The SAO Krajina (Serb secessionists) declared secession 1 April 1991.
□ Other Serb states such as
® SAO eastern Slavonia
® SAO Western Slavonia
□ Combined to become the proto-state Republic of Serbian Krajina. 19 Dec 1991.
§ Other significant Serb communities joined the SAO Krajina.
§ Serb paramilitaries supported Yugoslavian military in urban warfare and massacred Croats.

Question 10

Legacy

Answer 10

• Bombing campaign destabilized the region more than Milosevic.
• Breaking up of the former Yugoslavia.
• EU membership for Slovenia and Croatia.
• EU candidacy for Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro.
• Slowed down economic reform and necessitated economic rebuilding.
• The occupation by NATO troops of Serbia’s autonomous Kosovo region, and the subsequent recognition of Kosovar independence by the United States and a number of Western European powers.
○ Helped provide Russia with an excuse to maintain its large military presence in Georgia’s autonomous South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions.