Socialist Republic of Serbia
TheSocialist Republic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian:Социјалистичка Република Србија/Socijalistička Republika Srbija), previously known as thePeople's Republic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian:Народна Република Србија/Narodna Republika Srbija,lit. 'National Republic of Serbia'), commonly abbreviated asRepublic of Serbiaor simplySerbia,was one of the sixconstituent republicsof theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviain what is now the modern day states ofSerbiaand the disputed territory ofKosovo.Its formation was initiated in 1941, and achieved in 1944–1946, when it was established as afederated republicwithin Yugoslavia. In that form, it lasted until the constitutional reforms from 1990 to 1992, when it was reconstituted, as theRepublic of Serbiawithin theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia.It was the largest constituent republic of Yugoslavia, in terms of population and territory. Its capital,Belgrade,was also the federal capital of Yugoslavia.[2][3][4]
History
[edit]
World War II
[edit]After the collapse of theKingdom of Yugoslaviain theApril War(1941), the entire country was occupied and partitioned betweenAxis powers.Central territories of Serbia and the northern region ofBanatwere occupied byNazi Germany,that enforced direct control over theTerritory of the Military Commander in Serbia,with a puppetGovernmentinstalled in Belgrade. Southern regions ofMetohijaandKosovowere occupied byFascist Italyand annexed into theItalian Albania.Region ofBačkawas annexed byHungary,whileSyrmiawas possessed by theIndependent State of Croatia.Southeastern parts of Serbia were occupied byBulgaria.[5]
At the beginning of the occupation, there were two resistance movements:ChetniksandPartisans.They had conflicting ideological and political programs, with Chetniks abandoning initial joint resistance efforts alongside Partisans by the end of theUprising in Serbia,switching instead to extensive collaboration with Axis forces. Partisans advocated transformation of Yugoslavia into a federation, with Serbia becoming one of its federal units. In the autumn of 1941, first provisional institutions were established by partisans in some liberated territories, headed by theMain National Liberation Committee for Serbia.It was seated inUžice,and thus the movement became known as theRepublic of Užice.However, the German offensive crushed this proto-state in December of the same year. After that, main partisan forces moved to Bosnia.[6]
People's Republic of Serbia
[edit]
Serbia was liberated in the autumn of 1944, by partisan forces and theRed Army.Soon after the liberation ofBelgradeon 20 October, creation of new administration was initiated. In November 1944, theAnti-fascist Assembly for the People's Liberation of Serbiawas convened, affirming the policy of reconstituting Yugoslavia as a federation, with Serbia as one of its federal units. Thus was laid the foundation for the creation of theFederated State of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic:Федерална Држава Србија), as afederated statewithin newDemocratic Federal Yugoslavia.[7][8]
The process was formalised in April 1945, when the provisionalPeople's Assembly of Serbiawas created, also appointing the firstPeople's Government of Serbia.Two newly created regions,Autonomous Province of VojvodinaandAutonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija,decided to merge into Serbia.[9]On November 29 (1945), Yugoslavia was officially proclaimed as federalrepublic,and in January 1946, after thefirst Constitutionof federal Yugoslavia was adopted, the Federated State of Serbia was renamed toPeople's Republic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian:Народна Република Србија/Narodna Republika Srbija).[10][11]
In November 1946, elections for theConstitutional Assemblyof Serbia were held,[12]and in January 1947, Constitution of Serbia was adopted, reaffirming its position within Yugoslav federation, and also regulating the position of autonomous units (Vojvodina as autonomous province; Kosovo and Metohija as autonomous region). In 1953, a constitutional law was adopted, introducing further social reforms.
By that time, internal political life in Serbia was fully dominated by theCommunist Party of Serbia,formed in May 1945 as a branch of the rulingCommunist Party of Yugoslavia.In order to suppress remainingmonarchistopposition, communists initiated the creation of a wider political coalition, thus establishing thePeople's Front of Yugoslavia(PFY), in August 1945. Other political parties were soon dissolved, and remnants of political life were constrained within the PFY, that was under full control of the ruling Communist Party.[13][14][11]
Socialist Republic of Serbia
[edit]
In 1963, a newYugoslav Constitutionwas adopted, renaming the federal state into theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,and its federal units intosocialist republics,thus introducing the name:Socialist Republic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic:Социјалистичка Република Србија).[15][16]
In 1966, one of the most prominent Serbs in the Communist party and also vice-president of Yugoslavia (1963–1966) and founder of Yugoslav intelligence agencyOZNA,Aleksandar Rankovićwas removed from positions due to allegations of spying on SFRY PresidentJosip Broz Tito.[17][18]
Afterthe Croatian Springin 1971, almost whole party leadership of Serbia was removed from office, under the charge of being "liberal".Latinka PerovićandMarko Nikezićwere marked as leaders of this liberal movement inside League of Communists of Serbia.
In 1974, new constitution was adopted, increasing the powers of provinces, and making themde factorepublics. For the first time the institution of president was formed, asPresident of the Presidency of Socialist Republic of Serbia.Assembly was electing 15 members of the presidency and one president for a 4-year term, and later 2-year term. The new constitution practically suspended Serbia's authority over the provinces.
After the new constitution was adopted,Dragoslav Marković,then President of Serbia ordered a secret study on this issue. In January 1975, the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia requested a revision of constitutional solutions with explanation that the constitution divided the republic into three parts, thus preventing Serbia from exercising its "historic right to a nation state in the Yugoslav federation".[9]Furthermore, the study Marković requested was completed in 1977 and was namedThe Blue Book.Although there were differing opinions in the state leadership on the position of the provinces – for example,Edvard Kardeljsupported the demands of Serbian leaders – the result of the arbitration was the conclusion that the position of the provinces within Serbia should not be changed. The Federal leadership, led by Tito, believed that the constitutional solution from 1974 could satisfy all the claims of the Socialist Republic of Serbia, but also respect the specifics and special interests of the autonomous provinces. Although the conflict was (temporarily) pacified in this way, the issue remained unresolved.
For most of its existence in the SFRY, Serbia was loyal and generally subordinate to the federal government. This changed after the death ofJosip Broz Titoin 1980, when Albanian, as well as Serbiannationalismin Kosovo arose. In 1981,major protests erupted in Kosovodemanding the status of republic. The League of Communists was split on how to respond. At the same time, an economic crisis in Yugoslavia started. The leaders of the country were unable to carry out any reforms due to the political instability.
President of League of Communists of SerbiaSlobodan Miloševićvisited Kosovo in April 1987 and promised rapid action in order to protect peace and theSerbs of Kosovo.Ethnic tensions in Kosovo heated up when a Kosovo Albanian soldier opened fire on his fellow soldiers inParaćin,in an event known as theParaćin massacre.ThenPresident of SerbiaIvan Stambolićwanted to make compromise, rather than fast solution. He found himself in a clash with Milošević. This conflict culminated with8th Sessionand replacement of Stambolić withPetar Gračaninas President of Serbia.
Constitutional reform
[edit]In 1988, new amendments to the Yugoslav Constitution were adopted, initiating a process of democratization. During 1988 and 1989, a successfulround of coups in the Communist party leadership,known asAntibureucratic revolution,in Vojvodina, Kosovo as well as Montenegro, replaced autonomous leaderships in this regions. The coups were led bySlobodan Milošević;supporter of Serbian nationalism. The events were condemned by thecommunistgovernments of the western Yugoslav republics (especiallySR SloveniaandSR Croatia), who successfully resisted the attempts to expand the revolt onto their territories, and turned against Milošević. The rising antagonism eventually resulted in the dissolution of the rulingLeague of Communists of Yugoslaviain 1990, and subsequently in thebreakup of Yugoslavia.
In 1989, Slobodan Milošević was elected as President of the State Presidency of Serbia. He demanded that the federal Yugoslav government act for the interests of Serbia in Kosovo by sending in theYugoslav People's Armyto suppress separatism in the province. At the same time, several reforms of federal electoral system were proposed, with Serbia supporting a "one-citizen, one-vote" system, which would have given a majority of votes to Serbs. By that time, ethnic tensions in Yugoslavia increased, and the rulingLeague of Communists of Yugoslaviacollapsed, followed by the crisis of federal institutions. After these events, in 1989 Assembly of Socialist Republic of Serbia voted for constitution amendments that revoked high autonomy for provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo.
After Slovenian authorities forbid a group of Serbs supporting his politics to gather in Ljubljana, Milosević started a trade war withSocialist Republic of Sloveniain late 1989. This Serbian–Slovenian conflict culminated in January 1990 on14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslaviawhen Slovenians left the meeting followed by Croatian delegates.[19]
After 1990, the state was known simply asRepublic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian:Република Србија/Republika Srbija), and in December of the same year, Slobodan Milošević was elected as first President of the Republic. In 1992, when theFederal Republic of Yugoslaviawas formed, Serbia became one of its two constituent republics. In 2003, this state union was re-formed intoSerbia and Montenegro,[20]and in 2006,Serbiabecame an independent republic afterMontenegroseparated.
Administrative divisions
[edit]
Within Socialist Republic of Serbia two autonomous provinces existed:Socialist Autonomous Province of VojvodinaandSocialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo.The central part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia located outside of the two autonomous provinces was generally known as "Serbia proper"("Uža Srbija").
Geographically SR Serbia borderedHungaryto the north,RomaniaandBulgariato the east andAlbaniato the south-west. Within Yugoslavia, it borderedSR Macedoniato the south andSRs Montenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovinaand Croatiato the west.
Demographics
[edit]
1971 census
[edit]In 1971, total population of the Socialist Republic of Serbia numbered 8,446,590 people, including:
- Serbs= 6,142,070 (72.7%)
- Albanians= 984,761 (11.66%)
- Hungarians= 430,314 (5.10%)
- Croats= 184,913 (2.19%)
- ethnic Muslims= 154,330 (1.83%)
- ethnic Yugoslavs= 123,824 (1.47%)
- Slovaks= 76,733 (0.82%)
- Romanians(self-declared) = 57,419 (0.62%)
- Bulgarians= 53,800 (0.58%)
- Romani= 49,894 (0.54%)
- Macedonians= 42,675 (0.46%)
- Rusyns= 20,608 (0.22%)
- Turks= 18,220 (0.20%)
- Slovenes= 15,957 (0.17%)
- "Vlachs"(Romanians) = 14,724 (0.16%)
1981 census
[edit]In 1981, total population of the Socialist Republic of Serbia numbered 9,313,677 people, including:
- Serbs= 6,331,527 (67.96%)
- Albanians= 1,303,032 (13.99%)
- Yugoslavs= 441,941 (4.75%)
- Hungarians= 390,468 (4.19%)
- Muslims= 215,166 (2.31%)
- Croats= 149,368 (1.60%)
- Romani= 110,956 (1.19%)
- Macedonians= 48,986 (0.53%)
- Slovenes= 12,006 (0.13%)
Politics
[edit]| History ofSerbia |
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During the socialist era in Yugoslavia, the only legal political parties were the three branches of the federalLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia(SKJ):League of Communists of Serbia(SKS),League of Communists of Vojvodina(SKV) andLeague of Communists of Kosovo(SKK). The Serbian branch remained relatively stable and loyal to the federal party until the late 1980s, when it became split over what action to take in Kosovo when protests and fights broke out between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.
The more traditional Communists supported PresidentIvan Stambolić,who advocated continued neutrality as a means to solve the dispute; while more radical and nationalist-leaning members supportedSlobodan Milosević,who advocated the protection ofKosovo Serbs,who had claimed that their population was being pressured to leave Kosovo by Albanian separatists. Milosević utilized public sentiment and opposition toKosovo Albanianseparatism to rally large numbers of supporters to help him overthrow the Communist leadership in Vojvodina, Kosovo and the Socialist Republic of Montenegro in what was known as theanti-bureaucratic revolution.Afterward, the Serbian League of Communists selected Milosević as its leader. Milosević took a hard stand on Albanian nationalism in Kosovo and pressured the Yugoslav government to give him emergency powers to deal with Kosovo Albanian separatists. Furthermore, he reduced the autonomy of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina and installed politicians loyal to him to serve as their representatives.
In the congress of the Yugoslav League of Communists in 1990, Milosević and his subordinate representatives for Vojvodina, Kosovo and theSocialist Republic of Montenegroattempted to silence opposition from theSocialist Republic of Sloveniawho opposed the actions taken against Kosovo Albanian leadership, by blocking all reforms proposed by the Slovene representatives. The tactic failed and Slovenia, along with its ally Croatia, abdicated from the Yugoslav Communist Party. This caused the Yugoslav Communist party to fall apart, and then the state of Yugoslavia itself one year later.
Government
[edit]Since 1945, the most senior state official in Serbia, and thusde factohead of state, wasPresident of the People's Assembly of Serbia,who also presided over the collectivePresidency of the People's Assembly(1945–1953), andPresidency of the Assembly(1953–1990). In 1974, new Constitution of Serbia was adopted, and collective state presidency was formed, not as a committee of the Assembly, but as a supreme governing body. Since then, President of the Presidency served as the most senior state official of the Socialist Republic of Serbia. At first, President was elected for 4 years mandate, but in 1982 it was lowered to 2 years.
Main executive body, since 1945, was the People's Government of Serbia. In 1953, it was renamed as the Executive Council of Serbia. It served as the executive branch of the People's Assembly. President of the Executive Council had a role of Prime Minister.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Устав Републике Србије (1990) — Викизворник, слободна библиотека".sr.wikisource.org(in Serbian).Retrieved20 July2023.
У Републици Србији у службеној је употреби српскохрватски језик и ћириличко писмо, а латиничко писмо је у службеној употреби на начин утврђен законом.
- ^Pavlowitch 2002.
- ^Cox 2002.
- ^Ćirković 2004.
- ^Ćirković 2004,p. 260–270.
- ^Ćirković 2004,p. 270–271.
- ^Pavlowitch 2002,p. 153–154.
- ^Ćirković 2004,p. 273.
- ^ab"PETAR ATANACKOVIĆ: Srbija iz tri dela... mora biti cela".Autonomija(in Serbo-Croatian). 2013-09-02. Archived fromthe originalon 2022-01-11.Retrieved2022-01-10.
- ^Pavlowitch 2002,p. 159.
- ^abĆirković 2004,p. 274.
- ^National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia: After Second World War
- ^Pavlowitch 2002,p. 154.
- ^Cox 2002,p. 103-104.
- ^Pavlowitch 2002,p. 170–171.
- ^Cox 2002,p. 107.
- ^Pavlowitch 2002,p. 172.
- ^Cox 2002,p. 107–108.
- ^"UPHEAVAL IN THE EAST: Yugoslavia; A Sign of Bad Times in Yugoslavia: Trade War Between Two Republics".The New York Times.28 January 1990.
- ^Miller 2005,p. 529–581.
Sources
[edit]- Bataković, Dušan T.,ed. (2005).Histoire du peuple serbe[History of the Serbian People] (in French). Lausanne: L’Age d’Homme.ISBN9782825119587.
- Bokovoy, Melissa K.; Irvine, Jill A.; Lilly, Carol S., eds. (1997).State-Society Relations in Yugoslavia, 1945-1992.London: Palgrave Macmillan.ISBN9780312126902.
- Ćirković, Sima(2004).The Serbs.Malden: Blackwell Publishing.ISBN9781405142915.
- Cox, John K. (2002).The History of Serbia.Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.ISBN9780313312908.
- Dimić, Ljubodrag(2005)."Ideology and culture in Yugoslavia (1945-1955)".Velike sile i male države u hladnom ratu 1945–1955: Slučaj Jugoslavije.Beograd: Filozofski fakultet. pp. 303–320.
- Jelavich, Barbara(1983).History of the Balkans: Twentieth Century.Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press.ISBN9780521274593.
- Miller, Nicholas (2005). "Serbia and Montenegro".Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture.Vol. 3. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 529–581.ISBN9781576078006.
- Pavlowitch, Stevan K.(2002).Serbia: The History behind the Name.London: Hurst & Company.ISBN9781850654773.
- Tomasevich, Jozo(2001).War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: Occupation and Collaboration.Vol. 2. San Francisco: Stanford University Press.ISBN9780804779241.
External links
[edit]
Media related toSocialist Republic of Serbiaat Wikimedia Commons
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