Post by Emperor AAdmin on Jun 12, 2022 12:29:07 GMT -5
Why did Yugoslavia Collapse?
Comments:
SGT Mike
1 year ago
I realize you only have so much time, but there are MAJOR factors left
out, that directly, and almost forcefully, led to the dissolution of the
Former Yugoslavia. These elements did not lie within the borders, namely,
the western powers.
When I first deployed to Macedonia in early 1994, we too were given a
broad-brush explanation as to why we were there.
6 months later, we soldiers of the US 1st Armored Division, found ourselves
in one of the most contested regions of Republika Srbska, the Posavina
Corridor. On the ground, we learned from the perspective of the People
“there”, in Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia.
I feel you did a fine job of covering some of the internal problems, but
maybe consider piggybacking a separate episode explaining how the rest of
Europe, and especially the Untied States influenced the divide.
ZeroRemorse
1 year ago
It's a shame that the various ethnic groups couldn't get along well enough
to stay together under the federation. United they were strong enough to
demand fair trade rules and had a strong enough military to demand the
greater powers of Europe heed their demands. Post break up the former
Yugoslavian nations came out much weaker, more divided and politically
forgotten in Eastern Europe. A real shame.
Csaba Kis
11 months ago
As a hungarian, and already living in those years (albeit as a childí6teenager)
- I have always shaked my head -> history repeats itself, the ethnic groups
there, especially the Serbs, made all the very same mistakes that the hungarians
did in 1867-1918 - not addressing ethnic questions properly. Yugoslavia (or the
predecessor kingdom) was already established in a shaky ground - the senseless,
greedy land-grabbing after WW1 set the stage for failure already ... true, Tito
was a formidable balancing/unifying force BUT he failed to establish a
successor/system which would ensure the continuation of the union. I remember as
a child I was horrified about the media reports from the region - since having
serbian ancestry on the maternal family line, it was especially sad to see how
neighbours jumped onto each other, destroying everything they build in decades.
I also partially recall the 80's - in the Eastern Bloc people were envy of the
general economic/welfare success of Yugoslavia ... I really hope the Balkans
will finally get its long deserved peace -> the only way I see at the moment,
is joining the EU for the remaining non-members ... Greetings from Hungary!
nijetonija
5 months ago
For someone who is not from Yugoslavia:
We should first start from the Balkan Wars and the period before the war, WW1,
and then from WW2. We lived between three big powers: the Ottoman Empire, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia, later Germany, Russia and America. And what
do the great powers do? They play outside their borders. It does not suit the
great powers to have another competition that has perhaps the best position in
the world (the crossroads between everything). Their task was simple, to repeat
a well-known recipe, impoverish the state and bring riots, change a bit their
history in books. It is important to say that not everyone was well during
communism, whose leader was Tito, for the reason that it did not turn out that
Tito maintained peace (there was a lot of fear among the people). The task is
done. They have our best scientists, engineers, craftsmen and workers. And we
are not the only ones, it has been done to all countries in this world. We are
all still colonies of a couple of world powers like Britain, America, Germany,
Russia, China.
Luda glista
3 months ago (edited)
The biggest problem of Yugoslavia is that all the factions of WW2 which were
in war with each other inside the territory of Yugoslavia during WW2 were
basically forced to live together after WW2 ended, and were mixed together,
especially in Bosnia ( Chetniks, Ustase and Partisani also extreme groups of
Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs, living tightly together, lots of households were
mixed, mixed marriages everywhere, mixed neighbourhoods etc). Former enemies
became neighours, and so stories and experiences from father/grandfather were
told to son/grandson what happened in ww2, how bad they had it or which family
member was killed by Croats, by Serbs or by Bosniaks.. So after Yugoslavia
broke up a lot off people were very happy to take guns and "repay" or "revenge"
for things that happened in ww2 on their neighbours
Sizor Unyon
8 months ago (edited)
You have forgotten one very important fact. Before the disintegration, Yugoslavia
was 4th military powers and 39 countries in terms of economy in the world. The great
powers in the world did not want to compete with such a Yugoslavia in which
everything was arranged and was neutral country - Not West - Not East !
George Karagiannakis
8 months ago
While you point out the internal divisions of Yugoslavia you fail to mention
the intervention of the EU led by Germany that prematurely recognised the
independence cf Croatia and Slovenia without any genuine attempts to hold the
Federation together. Truth be said it was in the interest of certain Western
powers to dissolve Yugoslavia.
Amar Mesic
1 year ago
My opinion: Our biggest mistake was thinking that change and unity would go
top-down. This meant the dream of a united Yugoslavia died with Tito.
Is there much Tito could have done to bring bottom-up change after WW2, who
knows? The reality is that we believed in brotherhood and unity while our
factories paid us well, but once we hit hardships we immediately looked to
serve our own interests and divide ourselves. Absurdly enough we took the
Shtokavian dialect and divided it into three languages. And you can't blame
the politicians for the hate either when we literally put them in power.
Each person and every community needs to sort itself out first before looking
at others. We should also realize that we will remain insignificant to the
world until we unite.
Roger Hudson
4 months ago
You didn't take enough detailed account of the external forces that helped
tear Jugoslavia apart. The American government and foreign bankers being
very guilty. The external imposed economic shocks helped destroy 'bratsvo
i jedinstvo' (brotherhood and unity).
Radule Backović
2 months ago
You forgot to mention USA foreign appropriations act 1991 where it states
that if some republic wants to continue getting help from USA due to debts
in which Tito put us, it must break away from Yugoslavia... NATO saw that
as an opportunity when Tito said famous "no" to Stalin... there is more
political shit than just people hating on each other. Even nowadays, people
(and by that, I mean normal people) communicate, get along and have
understanding for one another. I personally don't mind recognizing Kosovo
only if Camp Bondsteel gets dismantled.
And yes, we are all the same (I don't mean historically wise) but we are
from Balkan, we are loud, stubborn, loving and... rakia!
Slidell Robotics
1 year ago (edited)
Bottom line: Tito passed. He (and fear of him) was the only thing holding
it together. I did a term paper on Tito in the late 70's, and while putting
it together, I knew that "Yugoslavia" (an obvious portmanteau of a country)
would fall apart as soon as Tito passed or otherwise lost power. There are
few people able to follow in Tito's bloody footsteps. And heck, "Balkanized"
has been a word since the 19th century. The big question to me was how even
Tito (who lined up prisoners, put a plank over their heads, and hammered them
into line so he could kill many prisoners with one bullet) held that hot mess
together.