THE DISINTEGRATION OF YUGOSLAVIA : AN ASSESSMENT

This article provides an assessment of the violent disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It traces the long-term historical and political causes of the collapse, including the legacy of unresolved national questions and the weakening of federal institutions after the death of Tito. The study analyzes the immediate catalysts for the break-up, particularly the rise of Serbian nationalism under Slobodan Milošević and the corresponding independence movements in Slovenia and Croatia. The research details the descent into brutal inter-ethnic warfare and the failure of the international community, particularly the European Community, to prevent the escalation of the conflict. The paper argues that the Yugoslav case represents a catastrophic failure of a multi-ethnic federal state. The analysis concludes by reflecting on the tragic consequences of the rise of virulent nationalism in the post-Cold War era.

The violent collapse of Yugoslavia was one of the great tragedies of the post-Cold War era. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the causes and course of its disintegration. The analysis begins by exploring the long-term structural weaknesses of the Yugoslav federation, arguing that the complex system of checks and balances established by Tito was unable to survive his death in 1980. It examines the growing economic disparities between the republics and the paralysis of federal institutions in the face of these challenges. The core of the study is an analysis of the rise of exclusionary and aggressive nationalisms in the late 1980s, with a particular focus on the Serbian nationalist project led by Slobodan Milošević. The paper details how his actions, particularly the revocation of Kosovo's autonomy, provoked a powerful counter-reaction from the other republics, leading to the declarations of independence by Slovenia and Croatia in 1991. The paper then chronicles the descent into war, from the brief conflict in Slovenia to the much more brutal wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It provides a critical assessment of the international response, arguing that the early diplomatic efforts by the European Community were indecisive and ultimately failed to stop the aggression. The findings paint a grim picture of a state consumed by nationalist hatreds, a cautionary tale about the dangers of unresolved national questions in the absence of democratic and federal institutions.