Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the end of World War II to the Yugoslav wars. It was a communist republic that comprised the area of the present-day states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia.

Demographics

SFRY recognised "nations" (narodi) and "nationalities" (narodnosti) separately; the former being reserved for the main and indigenous peoples, and the latter for the minorities and immigrants.

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The country consisted of six republics, most of which had its own clear national majority:

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• Slovenes in Slovenia
• Croats in Croatia
• Serbs in Serbia
• Montenegrins in Montenegro
• Macedonians in Macedonia

The notable exception was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where there were Serbs, Muslims by nationality and Croats and none of them were in a majority.

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There was a separate nationality called the Yugoslavs but it was limited to a small minority of population.

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The diversity of nations was a major factor for the dissolution of the federation. Nationalism during Tito's rule was cracked down upon wherever it sprung up. Nationalism had sprung up after the death of Tito and fuelled by the then leaders of the federation.

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Tito's successors chose a different way towards the nationalists, instead promoting their ideas and taking their side on some issues, claiming they will defend them and fight, even war, for their cause. Nationalists from other nationalities responded with arguments such as "During your rule, our culture had been cracked down upon, our people oppressed ... but now you won't anymore" and so forth, initiating hatred towards the different nationalities.

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The process towards war in order for the leaders to create "ethnically clean" nations had begun, with state-owned media propagating nationalistic ideas, this later led to nationalism seen previously in World War II, the dissolution of the federation and the war that followed.

Related Topics:
Ethnically clean - World War II

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