The political crisis in SFRY after Josip Broz Tito's death

Abstract

Stanje u SFRJ, krajem 1970-ih i poĉetkom 1980-ih, ukazivalo je na poĉetak vrlo duboke i ozbiljne politiĉke krize, koja je bila popraćena snažnom društvenom i ekonomskom krizom. Smrću kljuĉnih aktera jugoslavenske politiĉke scene, prije svega Josipa Broza Tita, nagomilani problemi i sukobi izašli su na vidjelo. Sukob unitaristiĉko-centralistiĉke i konfederalne koncepcije, koji se oĉitovao kroz sukob velikosrpske politike i hrvatskih i slovenskih zahtjeva za konfederalnim preustrojem jugoslavenske federacije, obilježio je posljednje desetljeće jugoslavenskoga politiĉkog života. Uspon Slobodana Miloševića i njegovi pokušaji da, kroz antibirokratsku revoluciju, prvo, nametne promjene u partijskim vodstvima, a onda i da ostvari, navodni san srpskog naroda, temeljen na Memorandumu SANU-a, o stvaranju tzv. velike Srbije, predstavlja presudni korak u raspadu jugoslavenske zajednice. Nemoć republiĉkih vodstava da uspješno odgovore na Miloševićeve planove dovela je razbuktavanja srpskih nacionalistiĉkih tendencija. Promjenom u republiĉkim rukovodstvima, usponom kadrova sklonih demokratskim promjena, zapoĉeo je proces liberalizacije i demokratizacije Hrvatske i Slovenije. Republiĉka vodstva nisu uspjela pronaći zajedniĉki jezik što je dovelo do raspada posljednjeg kohezivnog elementa federacije, Saveza komunista. Izlazak iz tzv. „hrvatske šutnje“, slovenska nacionalna agitacija i promjene u rukovodstvima Makedonije i BiH, doveli su do provođenja prvih višestranaĉkih izbora i odluka o razdruživanju Hrvatske i Slovenije od SFRJ. Kasnije su samostalnost proglasile Makedonija i BiH. No, kako ti potezi nisu bili u skladu s Miloševićevim velikosrpskim planom došlo je do izbijanja krvavog rata među narodima Jugoslavije, nanijevši potonjima neizbrisive traume. Unatoĉ pokušajima da se oĉuva jedinstvo naroda i narodnosti Jugoslavije, pregovorima na vrhu i snažnom potporom međunarodne zajednice, to nije bilo moguće. SFRJ se ugasila međunarodnim priznanjima novih, samostalnih i suverenih republika.The situation in the SFR Yugoslavia in the late 1970s and early 1980s indicated the beginning of a very deep and serious political crisis. The death of prominent individuals on Yugoslav political scene, above all Josip Broz Tito, brought the accumulated problems and conflicts to light. The last decade of the Yugoslav federation was marked by the conflict between Unitarian-centralist and Confederate concept. The conflict was manifested through the conflict between Great Serbia politics and Croatian and Slovenian demands for the reformation of the state along confederal lines. Crucial step in the breakup of Yugoslavia is the rise of Slobodan Milosevic and his attempts to impose changes in party leadership through the anti-bureaucratic revolution and then to realise the supposed dream of Serbian people of the so- called Great Serbia – a concept based on Memorandum of SANU. The leaders of the Republics were unable to successfully respond to Milosevic's plans which meant the overgrowth of serbian nationalist tendencies. The process of liberalization and democratization of Croatia and Slovenia started with the changes of the republican leadership and the rise of people inclined to democratic changes. The republican leaders couldn't find a common language which led to dissolution of the last cohesive element of the Federation, the Communist League. The end of the so-called 'croatian silence', slovenian national agitation and leadership changes in Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina led to the first multy-party elections and decision to separate Croatia and Slovenia from the SFR Yugoslavia. Later, Macedonia and Bosnia proclaimed independence. Those events were not the part of Milosevic's Great Serbia plan so the bloody war broke out among the people of Yugoslavia causing indelible trauma. Despite the attempts to preserve the unity of people and nationalities of Yugoslavia with summits and strong support of the international community, this was not possible. The international recognition of new, independant and sovereign republics meant the end of the SFR Yugoslavia