Composition of the former Yugoslavia and their capital. Which states did Yugoslavia break up into, or do the Slavs remember?

In 1992, Yugoslavia disintegrated. Which states? How many are there? Why did the collapse happen? Not every European can answer these and other questions.

Even residents of neighboring countries can hardly describe the events of the 90s of the last century. The Yugoslav conflict was so bloody and confusing that without proper analysis it is difficult to understand the processes that took place there. The collapse of this Balkan country is considered the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Prerequisites

1992 was not the first time Yugoslavia fell apart. Many did not remember into which states and to what extent it had broken up in the past. But it was then, on the eve of World War II, that the bomb was planted under the future country. Until the beginning of the 20s, the Balkan Slavs were under the yoke of Austria-Hungary. The lands were divided into different areas. After the defeat of Austria-Hungary in the First World War and its subsequent collapse, the Slavs gained freedom and created their own state. It united almost all territories from Albania to Bulgaria. Initially, all peoples lived in peace.

However, the Balkan Slavs were never able to become a single ethnic group. Due to a number of reasons, including low internal migration, the country's relatively small population was divided into five or six ethnic groups. National differences flared up from time to time, but did not lead to acute conflicts. The country developed slowly. After all, local authorities had no experience in conducting independent politics.

First breakup

When a new war began, the country took the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. And in 1941 Yugoslavia collapsed. The Nazis decided which states the kingdom would be divided into.

The Nazis, in full accordance with the well-known principle of “divide and conquer,” decided to play on national differences among the Balkan Slavs. Within a few weeks, the country's territory was completely occupied by Axis troops. The state of Yugoslavia collapsed. It was decided on April 21 which states the country would be divided into. As a result, the independent Croatian state, Serbia and Montenegro, was formed. The remaining parts of the country were annexed by Italy, the Third Reich, Hungary and Albania.

Croatian nationalists supported the Germans from the first days. Subsequently, a partisan movement developed throughout the country. The war was waged not only against the Germans, but also against their Croatian minions. To which the latter responded with mass genocide of the Serbs. Albanian collaborators also carried out ethnic cleansing.

After the war

When the war ended, the new Federal State of Yugoslavia was formed.

At the same time, the new socialist government deliberately drew borders so that they did not correspond to ethnic settlement. That is, on the territory of each republic there were enclaves with a population that did not represent the titular nation. Such a system was supposed to balance interethnic contradictions and reduce the influence of separatism. At first, the idea yielded positive results. But he played a cruel joke when Yugoslavia collapsed. It was already clear in the fall of 1991 which states the federal republic would split into. As soon as Josip Tito died, nationalists came to power in all the republics. They began to kindle the fire of hatred.

How Yugoslavia broke up, into which states and how it was destroyed

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, socialist regimes began to be overthrown throughout Europe. A deep economic crisis began in Yugoslavia. Local elites sought to concentrate more power in their hands. They wanted to achieve this through nationalist populism. As a result, by 1990, nationalist parties came to power in all republics. In every region where representatives of different nationalities lived, minorities began to demand secession or autonomy. In Croatia, despite the huge number of Serbs, the authorities banned the Serbian language. Serbian cultural figures began to be persecuted.

Day of Wrath

The day the war began is considered to be mass riots at the Maksimir stadium, when Serbian and Croatian fans carried out a massacre right during the game. A few weeks later, the first republic, Slovenia, will secede from the country. Ljubljana becomes the capital of the independent state. The central leadership does not recognize independence and sends in troops.

Combat clashes between local armed groups and the Yugoslav army begin. Ten days later, the command withdraws soldiers from Slovenia.

How Yugoslavia broke up, into which states and capitals

Macedonia was the next to separate, with its capital in Skopje. And then Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia also separated. Serbia and Montenegro entered into a new union.

Thus, Yugoslavia broke up into 6 states. Which of them were considered legitimate and which were not was unclear. Indeed, in addition to the “main” powers, there were many semi-independent enclaves. This happened due to acute ethnic contradictions.

Long-standing grievances were remembered. To protect their national interests, several regions of Croatia inhabited by Serbs declare independence. The Croatian authorities issue weapons to nationalists and begin forming a guard. The Serbs do the same thing. Conflict breaks out. The Croatian army is committing genocide against the Serbs, trying to expel them from the country.

Similar processes are beginning in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are riots in the capital Sarajevo. Local Muslims are arming themselves. They are supported by Albanian and Arab Islamists. The Serb and Croat communities are arming themselves to defend their rights. These territories require secession from the federation. The war begins in Bosnia. The bloodiest clashes took place here. Another hot spot was the Serbian Krajina, where Croatian troops tried to retake territory inhabited by Serbs.

NATO's role in the conflict

In Bosnia, the Serbs managed to defend their lands and even advance to Sarajevo. However, then NATO forces entered the war. Together with Croatian and Muslim militants, they managed to suppress the military advantage of the Serbs and push them back.

Uranium ammunition was used during the bombings. At least three hundred civilians died due to radiation exposure.

The Serbs were unable to fight modern NATO aircraft. After all, they only had at their disposal the old air defense systems that Yugoslavia “left” for them when it collapsed. The Americans now decided which states the former republic would be divided into.

Kingdom Yugoslavia was formed in 1918 as a union of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after the end of the First World War. After World War II in 1945. Yugoslavia began to be called a socialist federation of six union republics and occupied an area of ​​255.8 thousand sq. km. and the capital Belgrade. Having existed for about 88 years, the state collapsed after 2006. no longer existed as a single state space.
The flag of Yugoslavia contained blue, white and red stripes, with a large five-pointed star in the foreground.

Step 2

So, Yugoslavia, a European state that existed on the Balkan Peninsula and had access to the Adriatic Sea, now consists of six independent states and two autonomous regions.
Today, the former Yugoslavia is the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, which includes 2 autonomous regions of Vojvodina and Kosovo, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro.

Step 3

Bosnia and Herzegovina, capital of the state Sarajevo. The country's area is 51,129 thousand sq. km. The country has several official languages: Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian.
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, and then the city became a center of military operations during the Yugoslav civil war in 1992-1995.
Today the country is popular for its therapeutic balneological resorts, ski resorts and beach holidays, because... has a narrow outlet to the Adriatic Sea.

Step 4

Macedonia, capital of the state Skopje. This is an ancient city that dates back to the 3rd century BC. The country's area is 25.7 thousand square kilometers, the official language is Macedonian. Macedonia is a mountainous country, almost the entire area is occupied by mountain ranges of varying heights. Macedonia does not have access to the sea, but on its territory there are several ski resorts and historical monuments associated with the Roman Empire and Turkish rule in this part of the Balkan Peninsula.
Macedonia

Step 5

Serbia, capital of the state Belgrade. The country's area is 88,361 thousand square kilometers, the official language is Serbian.
Belgrade arose in the first century AD, from 1284 it came under Serbian rule and today is its capital. Of all the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has the most flat fertile land and deciduous forests. There is no access to the Adriatic Sea, but there is an artificial Belgrade Sea. Also, rivers of extraordinary beauty flow through Serbia, on the mountainous part of which you can raft. The largest river in Serbia is the Danube.
Serbia also includes two autonomous provinces Kosovo, capital Pristina And Vojvodina, capital Novi Sad.
Serbia

Step 6

Slovenia, capital of the state Ljubljana. The country's area is 20,251 thousand square kilometers, the official language is Slovenian.
Slovenia is a small but very beautiful country. It has everything, snow-capped Alpine peaks, valleys with gardens and vineyards, and the Adriatic coast. Even the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, has an unusual history: according to legend, the city was founded by the Argonauts when they returned from Colchis after their journey for the Golden Fleece.
Slovenia today mainly lives on tourism, and also has a developed industry, including pharmaceuticals.
Slovenia.

Step 7

Croatia, capital of the state Zagreb. The country's area is 56,538 thousand square kilometers, the official language is Croatian. Zagreb is quite a large but cozy city with many architectural and historical attractions.
Croatia is a country that has the longest Adriatic coast of all the countries of the former Yugoslavia. That is why it is famous for its resorts around the cities of Split, Shebenik, Trogir, Dubrovnik. On the territory of Croatia there are unique nature reserves Krka, Paklenica, Kornati, etc. One of the cities of Croatia, Split is one of the oldest cities in Dolmatia (region of Croatia), its age exceeds 1700 years. In the center of the city of Split there is Diocletian's Palace, which now houses residential apartments for the city's residents.

The city was divided into three parts: the Muslims dug in in the center, under the mosques, the Croats - on the outskirts, closer to their church, the Serbs broke through from the river. There were corpses lying all over the place. It was impossible to walk without stepping on someone's hand or foot; blood flooded the entire pavement. They killed women, children, and old people in a row simply because some were baptized and others prayed to Allah. Not a single intact building remained - they either burned or collapsed. The old bridge was blown up and fell into the water.

"We were swimming in blood"

Taxi driver Aziz takes me through Mostar, a city in Bosnia, on its streets in 1992-1995. former citizens of the former Yugoslavia fought for every block. Some of the houses have been restored (the “Gift of the European Union” signs have been screwed in), but those that are away from the tourist paths still bear traces of bullets and shrapnel on the walls. The bridge was also restored, and now it is like new. Aziz points to the window from where he shot his Croatian neighbor.

But I didn't get it. He is more skilled and has a good machine gun. He wounded me in the shoulder.

Why did you shoot at him in the first place? Was the relationship bad?

Why? Great guy, we drank vodka together. It’s just, you know, we used to be Yugoslavs, and then somehow suddenly we started dividing the country. And yesterday's neighbor is the enemy. Believe it or not, I myself don’t understand why we suddenly grabbed knives to cut each other.

...Now Aziz drinks vodka in the evenings again - with the same neighbor who once successfully put a bullet in him. Both try not to remember the past. It should be noted that in the former Yugoslavia they generally do not like to talk about the war. Not a single person could clearly explain to me the reason why he went to kill his neighbors, friends, acquaintances who always lived next to him, side by side. Muslims against Serbs and Croats. Croats against Serbs and Muslims. Serbs against everyone. “We were swimming in blood and couldn’t stop,” the Croatian tells me Stanko Milanovic. “It was mass madness - we devoured human flesh like zombies.” During the fighting in ex-Yugoslavia, 250 thousand people died (out of a population of 20 million), 4 million fled abroad. The ex-capital Belgrade (along with dozens of other cities) was bombed by NATO aircraft, and Yugoslavia disintegrated into ten states: six “official” and four not recognized by anyone. A handful of weak dwarf countries are all that remains of a powerful power that fought against Hitler, who was not afraid to quarrel with Stalin and possessing an army of 600 thousand. Its greatness has turned to dust: some republics survive on beach tourism, others are begging and asking for money from the West, and NATO troops are comfortably stationed on the territory of Bosnia, Serbia and Macedonia.

"Russian? Get out from here!"

We were all running somewhere, he recalls. Maria Kraljic, owner of a cafe in the Bosnian city of Trebinje. - I lived in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and our house was set on fire. My husband and I jumped out the window - he was in shorts, I was in a dressing gown. They wanted to kill us just because we were Serbs. Now we are hiding here and it is clear that we will never return home again.

In Trebinje itself, the old center with Ottoman mosques is empty - the Serbs expelled Muslim residents from the city. Dubrovnik, where Maria fled, is now a luxurious seaside resort, with hotel prices higher than in Moscow. On the outskirts, far from tourists, lurk empty Serbian churches - smoked by fire, with broken windows, painted with graffiti. As soon as you point the camera, well-wishers appear: “Russian? It was you who supported the Serbs. Get out of here while you're still alive! This is not bad - in Kosovo, Orthodox churches are simply blown up. In the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo, when in 1995 the city was divided into two parts, Serbian and Muslim, the Serbs went to “their” side, even taking the coffins of their fathers and grandfathers from cemeteries so that their bones would not be desecrated by infidels. The war ended, and the neighbors, who overnight became enemies, made peace with difficulty, but did not forgive each other for the massacre. Hell, where the flames have gone out, still remains hell... even if it is cool there now.

Can you tell me how to get to Bill Clinton Boulevard?

Yes, it’s in the very center...see that idol over there? Monument to a former lover Monica Lewinsky It's hard to miss in Pristina. Albanian separatists in Kosovo are extremely grateful to the US President for the decision to bomb Yugoslavia in the spring of 1999. Two million Serbs fled to the north of the republic and are huddled there in shabby houses. Walking down the street, we talk with the Montenegrin driver in a whisper: for speaking Serbian in Kosovo they can kill you - just like that, for no reason. The owner of the hotel in Pec looks at my passport with a double-headed eagle (the same one on the coat of arms of Serbia) and quietly says: “If you were the devil himself, I need guests. Move in, just don’t say anywhere that you’re Russian.”

...Perhaps the only thing that now unites the inhabitants of a country torn to shreds is a passionate love for its founder Marshal Josip Broz Tito. “We will never live as cool as we lived under Tito,” sighs the Albanian Hassan, driving me to the Serbian border guards checkpoint. “You never dreamed of this in the Soviet Union,” echoes the Bosnian Jasko. “It was a real paradise: shops are full of food, you can travel to Germany and France without a visa, there is almost no crime.” “In Europe we were respected, but now they consider us to be poor relatives,” the Croatian spits Stephen. “Tito was a great man.” According to polls, if the leader of Yugoslavia, who died in 1980, wished to become the head of state now, 65 (!) percent of the population would vote for him. But the dead are prohibited from running for president - and the country itself is already dead...

“The scenario for the collapse of Yugoslavia was also prepared for the USSR, and is now being planned for Russia.”

The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, which was formed on the Balkan Peninsula in 1918, have always had fairly close but complex relations.

Initially, the state, which included Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dalmatia, Serbia and Montenegro, was dominated by a monarchy, and the country itself was called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (KSHS).

However, everything changed in 1945: on this day a declaration was adopted, according to which the monarchy was abolished, and the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was formed on the territory of the former kingdom. Later, in 1963, the country received a new name - the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). This state existed until 1992, and then divided into six independent countries and one partially recognized state - Kosovo.

At first, the communist regime introduced by Josip Broz Tito aroused the approval of the USSR, but in 1948, the seemingly strong relationship began to crack.

In the context of the Cold War with the United States, which began in 1947, he sought to maximize control over the countries of Eastern Europe. In particular, he insisted on the inclusion of Yugoslavia in the Balkan Federation. Tito, on the contrary, after the Second World War, during which he managed to organize a massive partisan movement, felt his independence and refused to obey Stalin.

As a result, the Soviet Union stopped all cooperation with Yugoslavia and began an active campaign of criticism against Tito, which was later joined by all communist parties.

This conflict had important consequences for Yugoslavia. After the break with the USSR, the country's leadership began to actively cooperate with Western countries, especially with the USA.

The complex history of these relations, starting with the formation of Yugoslavia and ending with its collapse and the conflict in Kosovo, was described in an interview with Istoriya.RF by Elena Yuryevna Guskova, Doctor of Historical Sciences, head of the Center for the Study of the Modern Balkan Crisis at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Entire generations were forbidden to talk about love for Russia

Elena Yuryevna, our country and Yugoslavia had a rather long and difficult relationship. How did they influence modern contacts with Serbia, Croatia and other countries that are now in the place of the SFRY?

Many Orthodox peoples of the former Yugoslavia, including Serbia, have a long history of friendship, patronage and mutual assistance, dating back to the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. And we have always been on the same side with the Serbian people. But, for example, we were unable to build good relations with the Croats or the Muslim people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were in the opposite camp in World War I and World War II. After World War II, our cooperation with the partisan movement of Josip Broz Tito began. But the relationship was quite difficult; it is divided into several periods.

- Tell us about these stages.

The first period began immediately after the Second World War, it was, let's say, the first five-year plan. The relations were very good, because Josip Broz Tito simply copied our Soviet system, borrowed this entire socialist model and became very similar to Stalin himself - in the manner of management, in the manner of rejecting the opposition, etc. But in 1948, between Stalin and Tito a conflict occurred that affected all subsequent periods in the development of our relationship. Therefore, after 1948, several generations grew up in Yugoslavia who were forbidden to talk about love for Russia, and in the Soviet Union they talked very little about Yugoslavia in general, practically not at all. If the newspapers wrote about this country, it was only about sports and a little about culture.

- But then there was a favorable period?

Relations leveled off in the mid-1950s and were fairly smooth, but with minor periods of complications. For example, this was the case after the entry of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia. This greatly influenced the period of our relationship in the late 1980s - the beginning of the 1990s and especially during the period of the beginning of the collapse of Yugoslavia.

According to a number of historians, there are some similarities in how the USSR and the SFRY ceased to exist. What significance did the collapse of Yugoslavia have for our country? And why did this even happen?

Our periods of collapse practically coincided: at the end of 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, at the beginning of 1991 Yugoslavia began to disintegrate. Moreover, an external factor played a very important role in the collapse of Yugoslavia. The United States of America (now we can talk about it) conducted almost an entire special operation to collapse Yugoslavia. In addition, they tried to do everything to prevent the Soviet Union and later Russia, God forbid, from helping Serbia in this situation. Therefore, when the country's leadership (especially the military leadership) at the end of 1990 turned to Moscow with a request for help, Moscow responded with a categorical refusal. The answer came from Mikhail Gorbachev and from our Ministry of Defense.

Yugoslavia began to disintegrate in a bloody manner: there was a short but still significant war in Slovenia, then there was a very bloody war in Croatia in 1991, from 1992 to 1995 there was a war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All this time, Russia took a very pro-Western position. The entire Foreign Office system was dedicated to trying to bring Russia into a new, democratic society led by the United States. Therefore, in this situation, the Serbs themselves had to defend, as they believed, justice and do this without the support of Moscow.

"Our Minister of Foreign Affairs"

You said that our leadership refused to help Yugoslavia. Why? Did we even have any opportunity to intervene in this conflict? Didn’t we conclude some kind of new cooperation agreement with Yugoslavia to replace the one that was terminated in 1949?

No, we didn't have any agreement. If there could have been some kind of agreement, it would have been with the SFRY, but the country was falling apart. About his withdrawal (from Yugoslavia - approx. ed.) declared Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro remained with us (on friendly terms - approx. ed.). And in this situation, out of old friendship, remembering the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, they call Moscow and ask: “Can you help us in this situation?” They understood perfectly well that the West was helping these republics (Croatia, Bosnia and others - approx. ed.) secede from Yugoslavia. And then Russia refused. Why? Because the Minister of Foreign Affairs then was Andrei Kozyrev. At that time he was even called “our minister of their foreign affairs.” Kozyrev did not defend Russia’s national interests, he did not know about them at all and asked American politicians about them! There are documents left that confirm this.

Why did Kozyrev deal with such important state issues that the head of state had to decide?

The position of the entire leadership of the country was as follows. Despite the fact that, according to the Constitution, the foreign policy of Russia should be formed by the president, Yeltsin completely left foreign policy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a special decree was even issued for this purpose. Therefore, it was Kozyrev who formed and implemented the entire foreign policy of Russia.

Some experts note that when Yugoslavia was led by Tito, the country played the role of a kind of mediator between the West and some communist countries - for example, China during the reign Mao Zedong. How did Yugoslavia manage to become such a link?

When Yugoslavia emerged from the socialist camp after the 1948 conflict, it continued to build socialism but remained isolated. Therefore, Yugoslavia had to maneuver between restoring relations with the Soviet Union and supporting the West, which immediately gave the green light to relations with it. The West dreamed that Yugoslavia would become the wedge that would break the entire Soviet bloc. Therefore, Yugoslavia received money from the United States and other countries and politically created a system of non-alignment, which was indeed a serious factor in foreign policy.

Kosovo: not unique, but a precedent

On one of the sites dedicated to Serbia, I came across the following statement: “The Russian Federation is currently the most active force that refuses to recognize the independent Kosovo state. The issue of Kosovo’s status thus becomes one of the controversial issues in cooperation between Moscow and the West.” Is it so?

When Kosovo announced its desire for independence, Russia immediately opposed it. Kosovo was immediately supported, first of all, by the United States. In general, Kosovo is a Washington project. Russia justified its position by the fact that this fact should become a precedent in international law. That is, this case should concern not only Kosovo, but become universal for all humanity. International organizations must develop criteria for territories to secede from multinational and multi-religious states. And every territory that wants to secede will know whether it meets these criteria or not.

- What should these criteria be?

For example, can a territory exist economically independently, are there any ethnic clashes there, is there a war there, is there genocide against some population, etc. Many such criteria can be developed. So, if such criteria existed, then Kosovo would never have been able to claim independence. But the Americans said that this would only apply to Kosovo, since this is an exceptional case for humanity. Russia has warned that after Kosovo, a whole movement for independence will begin in the world. Therefore, in 2007, Russia in the UN Security Council blocked the project of Martti Ahtisaari (President of Finland, Finnish diplomat, UN employee - approx. ed.) on the independence of Kosovo. But the Americans ignored the decision of the Security Council and began to implement the Ahtisaari plan, but in parts and ignoring the instructions of the UN.

- Does our diplomacy in terms of relations with the West suffer from this situation?

No, our diplomacy does not suffer in any way. On the contrary, it is becoming independent if we compare it with the 90s: now it acts both in the interests of its country and in the interests of our friends - in this case, Serbia. We told Serbia that we would never change our position on Kosovo and would never vote for the independence of this region in the Security Council unless Serbia itself resolved this issue in favor of Kosovo.

- Does such a possibility exist?

Belgrade and Pristina are negotiating, and there is a tendency that Serbia will slowly recognize Kosovo. In this case, we will support Belgrade's position.

Yugoslavia has long been a significant and important state on the world stage: developed economy and industry, especially the production of weapons, cars and chemicals; a huge army, the number of which exceeded 600 thousand soldiers... But the internal strife and conflicts that tormented the country reached their apogee in the 90s of the last century and led to the collapse of Yugoslavia. Today all schoolchildren who study history know which states it was divided into. These are Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo, a partially recognized power.

At the origins

Yugoslavia was once the largest state. The peoples living on these lands had very different customs and traditions, culture and even religion. But, despite this, they all lived in the same country: Catholics and Orthodox, those who wrote in Latin and those who wrote in Cyrillic.

Yugoslavia has always been a tasty morsel for many conquerors. Thus, Hungary captured Croatia back in the 12th century. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the Ottoman Empire, and many residents of these lands were forced to convert to Islam. And only Montenegro remained free and independent for a long time. Over time, the Turkish state lost its influence and power, so Austria took possession of the Yugoslav territories that previously belonged to the Ottomans. Only in the 19th century did Serbia manage to be reborn as an independent state.

It was this country that united all the scattered Balkan lands. The King of Serbia became the ruler of the Croats, Slovenes and other Yugoslav peoples. One of the monarchs, Alexander I, organized a coup in 1929 and gave the state a new name - Yugoslavia, which translates as “land of the South Slavs.”

Federal Republic

The history of Yugoslavia in the 20th century took shape against the backdrop of world wars. During World War II, a powerful anti-fascist movement was created here. The communists organized a partisan underground. But after the victory over Hitler, Yugoslavia never became part of the Soviet Union as expected. It remained free, but there was only one leading party - the communist one.

At the beginning of 1946, a constitution was adopted here, which marked the creation of the new Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It consisted of six independent units. Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as two autonomous provinces - Kosovo and Vojvodina - formed a new power. What countries would Yugoslavia break up into in the future? It is these small and original republics, among which Serbia has always been the leader. Its inhabitants constituted the largest ethnic group: almost 40% of all Yugoslavia. It is logical that other members of the federation did not like this much, and conflicts and strife began within the state.

Beginning of the End

Tensions between different ethnic groups are the main reason Yugoslavia fell apart. To which states did the leaders of the uprisings direct their discontent and aggression? First of all, to northwestern Croatia and Slovenia, which flourished and seemed to tease poorer peoples with their high standard of living. Anger and tension among the masses grew. The Yugoslavs stopped considering themselves a single people, despite the fact that they had lived side by side for 60 years.

In 1980, the leader of the communists, Marshal Tito, died. After this, the Chairman of the Presidium was elected every year in May from among the candidates submitted by each republic. Despite this equality, people still remained dissatisfied and dissatisfied. Since 1988, the standard of living of all residents of Yugoslavia has sharply deteriorated, production began to decline, and instead inflation and unemployment flourished. The country's leaders, led by Mikulic, resigned, Slovenia wanted full sovereignty, and nationalist sentiments tore Kosovo apart. These events were the beginning of the end and led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia. What states it was divided into is demonstrated by the current world map, where such independent countries as Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina are clearly identified.

Slobodan Milosevic

This active leader came to power in 1988, at the peak of civil strife. He primarily directed his policy towards returning under the wing of the federal and Vojvodina. And although there were very few ethnic Serbs in these lands, many residents of the country supported him. Milosevic's actions only made the situation worse. Whether he wanted to create a powerful Serbian state or simply took advantage of internal conflicts to take a warm government seat, no one knows. But in the end, Yugoslavia fell apart. Today even children know which states it was divided into. The history of the Balkan Peninsula is given more than one paragraph in textbooks.

In 1989, the economy and politics in the FPRY experienced a rapid decline. Ante Marković, the new prime minister, tried to introduce a number of reforms, but it was too late. Inflation reached 1000%, the country's debt to other countries grew to $21 billion. Against this background, Serbia adopted a new constitution that deprived Vojvodina and Kosovo of autonomy. Slovenia, meanwhile, entered into an alliance with Croatia.

Introduction of a multi-party system

The history of Yugoslavia as a single indivisible state ends in the early 1990s. In those years, they were still trying to save the country from collapse: the communists decided to share power with other parties that would be freely and independently chosen by the people. The expression of will was held in 1990. Milosevic's Communist Party won the lion's share of the votes, but complete victory could only be said in Montenegro and Serbia.

At the same time, debates were raging in other regions. Kosovo resisted harsh measures taken to quell Albanian nationalism. In Croatia, the Serbs decided to create their own autonomy. But the biggest blow was the announcement of independence by little Slovenia, for which the local population voted in a referendum. After this, the FPRY began to burst at the seams. What countries did Yugoslavia break up into? In addition to Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia also quickly separated, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over time, Montenegro and Serbia became separate states, which until the last supported the integrity of the Balkan power.

War in Yugoslavia

The FRN government has long tried to preserve the once powerful and wealthy country. Troops were sent to Croatia to eliminate the riots that arose there amid the struggle for independence. The history of the collapse of Yugoslavia began precisely from this region, and also from Slovenia - these two republics were the first to rebel. During the years of hostilities, tens of thousands of people were killed here, hundreds of thousands lost their homes forever.

Further violence erupted in Bosnia and Kosovo. The blood of innocent people has been shed here almost every day for almost a decade. For a long time, neither the ruling authorities nor the peacekeeping troops sent here by the West could cut the so-called Yugoslav knot. Subsequently, NATO and the European Union already waged war on Milosevic himself, exposing his massacres of civilians and atrocities against prisoners of war in camps. As a result, he was court-martialed.

How many countries did Yugoslavia break up into? After many years of confrontation, instead of one power, six were formed on the world map. These are Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is also Kosovo, but not all countries have recognized its independence. Among those who did this first were the European Union and the United States.