7 - Federation to Fragmentation (1945–1990)

Summary

A federalised Serbia was formed after the war, as part of a communist-governed Yugoslav federation. Tito and the Party leadership restored Yugoslavia following four years of occupation and civil war, including a brutal conflict between pro-communist and pro-monarchy Serbs. In the post-war period, Serbia, like the rest of Yugoslavia, experienced modernization and industrialization and it was home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene. Serbia was the only Yugoslav republic that itself was federalized, with the establishment of the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo. In the late 1970s, Serbian political leadership and intellectuals objected, from their different positions, to Serbias status in Yugoslavia. In the second half of the 1980s, the Serbian communist leader Slobodan Milošević adopted a nationalist platform which alienated many non-Serbs, undermined pro-democracy forces in Serbia, and destabilized Yugoslavia. Under the guise of the so-called anti-bureaucratic revolution, Milošević pushed his agenda in 1988-1989 to restore Serbia’s sovereignty over the provinces, and to extend his influence in Montenegro, where pro-Serb sentiments were strong.