The fragmentation of Yugoslavia : nationalism and war in the Balkans

World War I created the state of Yugoslavia in 1918 and, in a series of wars, starting in 1991, Yugoslavia was replaced by several new and smaller states. The victors had always presented these wars as wars of national liberation: each war was fought for the sacred cause of national liberty. The book traces the origins of ideologies, appealing to the cause of national liberty, and outlines their use in the creation of new states and new political regimes in the Balkans. Contents 6 List of Maps 9 Preface to the Second Edition 10 Guide to Pronunciation 14 Part I. A Common Homeland of the South Slavs 15 1. Yugoslavia at the Crossroads of Competing National Myths 17 2. The First Yugoslavia 39 3. World War II 49 4. The Second Yugoslavia 61 Part II. The Homeland Fragmented 73 5. From a Centralised State to a Semiconfederation 75 6. The Loss of Legitimacy 1980-89 89 7. The Rise of Nationalism: From Dissidence to Power 1980-90 99 8. The Rise of New National Elites 1987-90 115 9. On the Road to War 1990-91 139 10. Wars for Independence: Slovenia and Croatia 1991-95 149 11. Bosnia-Hercegovina: an Unfinished National Liberation? 171 12. Kosovo: National Liberation Through Foreign Intervention 199 Epilogue: National Liberations: is there an end to them? 215 Further Reading 225 Notes and References 227 Index 253 "World War I created the state of Yugoslavia in 1918 and, in a series of wars, starting in 1991, Yugoslavia was replaced by several new and smaller states. The victors had always presented these wars as wars of national liberation: each war was fought for the sacred cause of national liberty. The book traces the origins of ideologies, appealing to the cause of national liberty, and outlines their use in the creation of new states and new political regimes in the Balkans."--BOOK JACKET