Yugoslavs

Jovan Cvijić Gavrilo Princip Aleksandar Stamboliyski Josip Broz Tito
Total population
cca. 450,000[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
United States 325,907 (2010) [1]  Serbia 80,721 (2002) [2]  Canada 65,305 (2006) [3]  Montenegro 1,154 (2011) [4]  Slovenia 527 (2002) [5]  Croatia 176 (2001) [6]
Languages
English, Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Related ethnic groups
Other Slavic peoples, especially South Slavs

Part of a series of articles on
Yugoslavs
in the former Yugoslav states Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Macedonia Montenegro Serbia (Kosovo • Vojvodina) Slovenia
Diaspora Australia France United States
Culture Cinema • Music
History Yugoslavism Creation of Yugoslavia History of Yugoslavia
Languages Slovene • Macedonian Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian • Croatian • Serbian Montenegrin)  • languages of the minorities living on the territory of today's Yugoslav states
Related nations Bosniaks • Bulgarians Croats • Macedonians Montenegrins • Serbs Slovenes
Other topics List of Yugoslavs • Yugoslavism
v t e

Yugoslavs (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslaveni, Jugosloveni; Cyrillic script: Југословени; Slovene: Jugoslovani; Macedonian: Југословени; Bulgarian: югославяните) is a designation that was originally designed to refer to a united South Slav people. It has been used in two connotations, the first in an ethnic or supra-ethnic connotation, and the second as a term for citizens of the former Yugoslavia. Cultural and political advocates of Yugoslav identity have historically ascribed the identity to be applicable to all people of South Slav heritage, including those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and the presently disputed region of Kosovo, Slovenia, and the Republic of Macedonia.^[7]

Ethnic Yugoslavs referred to those who exclusively viewed themselves as Yugoslavs with no other ethnic self-identification. Yugoslavs has also historically been used referred to a Yugoslav supra-ethnic nation that has "tribal" ethnicities, such as Croats, Serbs, and others within it.^[8]

In the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official designation for those who declared themselves Yugoslav was with quotation marks, "Yugoslavs" (introduced in census 1971). Quotation marks were meant to distinguish Yugoslav ethnicity from Yugoslav citizenship – which was written without quotation marks. Shortly before the dissolution of Yugoslavia many of those who had identified themselves as ethnic "Yugoslavs" reverted to or adopted traditional nationalities such as Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Muslims by nationality, Slovenes—and other small Yugoslav groups in Yugoslavia not officially represented by the state, including Bulgarians, Janjevci, Bunjevci, and Šokci. Some also decided to turn to sub-national regional identifications, especially in multi-ethnic historical regions like Istria, Vojvodina, or Bosnia. The Yugoslav designation however continues to be used by some.^[2]

Background[link]

The term Yugoslavs refers to Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, and Montenegrins as a single people. Slovenes and Macedonians are slightly different linguistically, but were an extended and crucial part of the Yugoslav identity— their cultural differences due to empires that ruled their tribes in the past. For instance, Austrian, Venetian, and Hungarian influence on the Yugoslavs is mainly found among the (Catholic) Croatian and Slovene regions, the (Muslim) Bosnian region under the Ottoman influence, and the Orthodox and Byzantine Serbian and Montenegrin region under Greek and Russian influence.

History[link]

Since the late 18th century, when traditional European ethnic affiliations started to mature into modern ethnic identities, there have been numerous attempts to define a common South Slavic ethnic identity. The word Yugoslav itself, means South Slavic.

Before the First World War[link]

The first modern iteration of Yugoslavism was the Illyrian movement from Croatia. It identified southern Slavs with ancient Illyrians and sought to construct an Illyrian language based on the Shtokavian dialect.^[9] The movement was led by Ljudevit Gaj, whose script became one of two official scripts used for the Serbo-Croatian language.^[9]

Famous Croat sculptor Ivan Meštrovic became a supporter of Yugoslavism and Yugoslav identity after he traveled to Serbia and became impressed with Serb culture.^[10] Meštrovic created a sculpture of Serbian folk-legend hero Prince Marko at the International Exhibition in Rome in 1911, when asked about the statue, Meštrovic replied "This Marko is our Yugoslav people with its gigantic and noble heart".^[11] Meštrovic wrote poetry speaking of a "Yugoslav race".^[12] Those who knew Meštrovic's views referred to Meštrovic as "The Prophet of Yugoslavism".^[13]

Jovan Cvijić, in his article "The Bases of Yugoslav Civilization", developed the idea of a unified Yugoslav culture and stated that "New qualities that until now have been expressed but weakly will appear. An amalgamation of the most fertile qualities of our three tribes [Serbs, Croats, Slovenes] will come forth every more strongly, and thus will be constructed the type of single Yugoslav civilization-the final and most important goal of our country."^[8]

Vladimir Dvorniković, a famous philosopher, later advocated the establishment of a Yugoslav ethnicity in his 1939 book entitled "The Characterology of the Yugoslavs". His views included eugenics and cultural blending to create one, strong Yugoslav nation.^[8] He did not dismiss the differences among people that inhabited Yugoslavia, but stressed that these differences were "contingent and temporary and that they mask a deeper and more profound racial unity".^[8] He also believed that "the primary ability of Yugoslavs is their ability to sacrifice themselves for a higher goal".^[8]

In the 18th century Hristofor Zhefarovich promoted the idea of unity between South Slavic people, in particular the kinship between Bulgarians and Serbs. This idea was somewhat revived during the late 1940s when Tito and Stalin contemplated extending Yugoslavia to include Bulgaria as well.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term Yugoslavs started to be used as a synonym for South Slavs, especially to denote those in Austria-Hungary.

Also was the fierce debate and controversies on whether or not the Croats, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Slovenes shared any similarities among each other or are considered part of the Serbian people, thus caused division and friction among Yugoslavian, Serbian and other ethnic nationalists in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.^{[citation needed]}

World War I[link]

On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, in Sarajevo. Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, a group whose aims included the unification of the Yugoslavs and independence from Austria-Hungary.^[14] The assassination in Sarajevo set into motion a series of fast-moving events that eventually escalated into full-scale war.^[15] After the assassination, Princip was captured. During his trial he stated "I am a Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be free from Austria."^[16]

Corfu Declaration[link]

During June and July 1917, the Yugoslav Committee met with the Serbian Government in Corfu and on 20 July the Corfu Declaration that laid the foundation for the post-war state was issued. The preamble stated that the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes were "the same by blood, by language, by the feelings of their unity, by the continuity and integrity of the territory which they inhabit undivided, and by the common vital interests of their national survival and manifold development of their moral and material life." The future state was to be called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and was to be a constitutional monarchy under the Karađorđević dynasty.^[17]

Before the Second World War[link]

After the First World War, when South Slavic lands were united in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the term Yugoslavs was used to refer to all of its inhabitants, but particularly to those of Southern Slavic origin. In reality and according to Croatian, Bosnian and other Yugoslav nationalists: the hands of power resided in an ethnic Serb majority who ruled the multi-ethnic kingdom from the capital of Belgrade in Serbia and the demographic fact Serbs were the largest ethnic group: 40–45% of the country's population to hold "majority" status.

In 1929, King Alexander sought to resolve a deep political crisis brought on by ethnic tensions by assuming dictatorial powers in the so-called 6 January Dictatorship, renaming the country "Kingdom of Yugoslavia", and officially pronouncing that there is one single Yugoslav nation with three tribes. The Yugoslav ethnic designation was thus for a time imposed on all South Slavs in Yugoslavia. Changes in Yugoslav politics after King Alexander's death in 1934 brought an end to this policy, but the designation continued to be used by some people.

Second Yugoslavia and later[link]

After liberation from Axis Powers in 1945, the new socialist Yugoslavia became a federal country, and officially recognized and valued its ethnic diversity. Traditional ethnic identities again became the primary ethnic designations used by most inhabitants of Yugoslavia. However, many people still declared themselves as "Yugoslavs" because they wanted to express an identification with Yugoslavia as a whole, but not specifically with any of its peoples.

The 1971 census recorded 273,077 Yugoslav, or 1.33% of the total population. The 1981 census recorded 1,216,463 or 5.4% Yugoslavs. In the 1991 census, 5.54% (242,682) of the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared themselves to be Yugoslav.^[19] 4.25% of the population of the republic of Montenegro also declared themselves Yugoslav in the same census.

The Constitution of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1990 ratified a Presidency of seven members. One of the seven was to be elected amongst/by the republic's Yugoslavs, thereby introducing the Yugoslavs next to Muslims by nationality, Serbs and Croats into the Constitutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina although on an inferior level, however to the Bosnian War that erupted in 1992, this Constitution was short-lived and unrealized.

The 1981 census showed that Yugoslavs made up around 8% of the population in Croatia, this to date has been the highest percentage of Yugoslavs within Croatia's borders. The 1991 census data indicated that the number of Yugoslavs had dropped to 2% of the population in Croatia. The 2001 census in Croatia (the first since independence) registered only 176 Yugoslavs.^[20]

Just before and after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, most Yugoslavs switched to more conventional ethnic designations. Nevertheless, the concept has survived into Bosnia and Herzegovina (where most towns have a tiny percentage), and Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006), which kept the name "Yugoslavia" the longest, right up to February 2003.

Ethnicity[link]

When the term Yugoslav was first introduced, it was meant to unite a common people the same way the Germans united with Bavaria and other regions of Germany. In the book A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples by Fred Singleton, it states that Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks are one and the same people. "Once the South Slavs had settled in the Balkans they also became separated from each other, partly because of geographical obstacles, and partly because of the historical circumstances of foreign occupations."^[21]

Josip Broz Tito expressed his desire for an undivided Yugoslav ethnicity when he stated, "I would like to live to see the day when Yugoslavia would become amalgamated into a firm community, when she would no longer be a formal community but a community of a single Yugoslav nation."^[22]

Famous Yugoslavs[link]

Yugoslavs have affected world history on many occasions.^[23] One prime example is the leader, president for life, and founder of second Yugoslavia, Marshal Josip Broz Tito who organized resistance against Nazi Germany in Yugoslavia,^[24][25] he effectively expelled Nazi occupation in Yugoslavia, co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement, and defied Joseph Stalin's Soviet pressure on Yugoslavia. This is also seen as a reason for Austria Hungary to begin the First World War, which it had already planned to attack Serbia.

Other people from Yugoslavia include intellectuals, entertainers, singers and sportspersons, such as:

• Igor Mandic
• Srdjan Dragojevic

Organizations[link]

The Yugoslavs of Croatia have several organizations. The "Alliance of Yugoslavs" (Croatian: Savez Jugoslavena) is an association aiming to unite the ethnic Yugoslavs of Croatia, regardless of religion, sex, political or other views.^[46] The Alliance of Yugoslavs was established on 21 March 2010 in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.^[46]

Its main goal is the official recognition of the Yugoslav nation in every Yugoslav successor state: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.^[47]

Another pro-Yugoslav organization advocating the recognition of the Yugoslav nation is the "Our Yugoslavia" association (Croatian: Udruženje "Naša Jugoslavija"), which is an officially registered organization in Croatia.^[48]

The seat of Our Yugoslavia is in the Istrian town of Pula,^[49] where it was founded on 30 July 2009.^[50] The association has most members in the towns of Rijeka, Zagreb and Pula.^[51]

Its main aim is the stabilisation of relations among the Yugoslav successor states.

The pro-Yugoslav non-governmental organization Our Yugoslavia is active on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, its official registration as an association was denied by the Bosnian state authorities.^[48]

The probably best-known pro-Yugoslav organization in Montenegro is the "Consulate-general of the SFRY" with its headquarters in the coastal town of Tivat. Prior to the population census of 2011, Marko Perković, the president of this organization called on the Yugoslavs of Montenegro to freely declare their Yugoslav identity on the upcoming census.^[52]

Symbols[link]

The probably most frequently used symbol of the Yugoslavs to express their identity and to which they are most often associated with is the blue-white-red tricolor flag with a yellow-bordered red star in the flag's center,^[53] which also served as the national flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia between 1945 and 1991.

Prior to World War II, the symbol of Yugoslavism was a plain tricolor flag of blue, white and red, which was also the national flag of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav state in the interwar period.

See also[link]

• Yugoslavism
• Yugoslavs in Serbia

• South Slavs
  • Serbo-Croats
  • Serbs
  • Croats
  • Slovenes
  • Montenegrins
  • Bosniaks
  • Macedonians

• Demographics of Yugoslavia
  • Demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Demographics of Croatia
  • Demographics of the Republic of Macedonia
  • Demographics of Montenegro
  • Demographics of Serbia
  • Demographics of Slovenia

References[link]

v t e Slavic ethnic groups East Slavs Belarusians • Russians • Ukrainians (Rusyns) West Slavs Czechs (Moravians) • Silesians • Poles (Kashubians) • Sorbs • Slovaks South Slavs Bosniaks • Bulgarians (Pomaks) • Croats (Bunjevci • Burgenland Croats • Janjevci • Krašovani • Molise Croats • Šokci) • Macedonians • Montenegrins • Serbs • Slovenes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yugoslavs

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

Yugoslav People's Army Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija Југословенска народна армија Jugoslovanska ljudska armada
Founded	1945
Disbanded	1992
Service branches	Yugoslav Ground Forces (KoV) Yugoslav Navy (JRM) Yugoslav Air Force (JRV) Territorial Defense (TO)
Headquarters	Belgrade
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Josip Broz Tito (1945–1980) Presidency of SFR Yugoslavia (1980–1992)
Minister	Federal Secretary of People's Defence
Commander	Marshal of Yugoslavia (1945–1980) General of the Army or Admiral of the Fleet (1980–1992)
Manpower
Military age	15–65
Conscription	18
Available for military service	circa 8,000,000 (1978), age 15–65
Active personnel	642,000
Reserve personnel	>3,200,000
Related articles
History	History of the JNA
Ranks	Yugoslav People's Army Ranks

The Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army (YNA), (Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian: Југословенска Народна Армија or Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija – JNA,^[1] Cyrillic script: Југославенска народна армија or Југословенска народна армија – JHA^[2]; Slovene: Jugoslovanska ljudska armada) was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Origins[link]

The origins of the JNA can be found in the Yugoslav Partisan units of World War II. As part of the antifascist People's Liberation War of Yugoslavia, the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ), a predecessor of the JNA, was formed in the town of Rudo in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 22 December 1941. After the Yugoslav Partisans liberated the country from the Axis Powers, that date was officially celebrated as the Day of the Army in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia).

In March 1945, the NOVJ was renamed the Yugoslav Army (Jugoslovenska Armija) and finally on its 10th anniversary on 22 December 1951, received the adjective "People's" (Narodna).^[3]

Organization[link]

The JNA consisted of the ground forces, air force and navy. It was organized into four military regions which were further divided into districts that were responsible for administrative tasks such as draft registration, mobilization, and construction and maintenance of military facilities. The regions were: Belgrade (responsible for eastern Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina), Zagreb (Slovenia and northern Croatia), Skopje (Republic of Macedonia, Southern Serbia and Montenegro) and Split Naval Region. Of the JNA's 180,000 soldiers, more than 90,000 were conscripts.

In 1990, the army had nearly completed a major overhaul of its basic force structure. It eliminated its old divisional infantry organization and established the brigade as the largest operational unit. The army converted ten of twelve infantry divisions into twenty-nine tank, mechanized and mountain infantry brigades with integral artillery, air defense and anti-tank regiments. One airborne brigade was organized before 1990. The shift to brigade-level organization provided greater operational flexibility, maneuverability, tactical initiative and reduced the possibility that large army units would be destroyed in set piece engagements with an aggressor. The change created many senior field command positions that would develop relatively young and talented officers. The brigade structure had advantages at a time of declining manpower.

Industry[link]

The arms industry was dominant in the Yugoslavian economy. With annual exports of $3 billion, it was twice as large as the second largest industry, tourism. It had modern infrastructure with underground air bases and control centres in several mountains. The biggest and best known installation was the Željava Air Base, also known as the Bihać Underground Integrated Radar Control and Surveillance Centre and Air Base, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Several companies in Yugoslavia produced airplanes and specifically combat aircraft, most notably SOKO of Mostar, with the Soko J-22 Orao being its best known product. Another important manufacturer was Utva in Serbia. The Yugoslav military-industrial complex produced tanks (most notably, the M-84), armored vehicles (BOV APC, BVP M-80), various artillery pieces (mortars, multiple rocket launchers, howitzers), anti-aircraft weapons, as well as various types of infantry weapons and other equipment.

Ground forces[link]

The ground forces led in number of personnel. In 1991 there were about 600,000 active-duty soldiers (including 190,000 conscripts), and over two million trained reservists could be mobilized in wartime. Each of the Yugoslav constituent republics had its own Territorial Defence Forces which in wartime would be subordinate to Supreme Command as an integral part of the defence system. The Territorial Defence (Reserve Force) was made up of former conscripts; they were occasionally called up for war exercises.

The ground forces were organised into infantry, armour, artillery, and air defence, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.

Air force[link]

SOKO G-2 Galeb, the first Yugoslav-made jet aircraft.

The Yugoslav Air Force had about 32,000 personnel including 4,000 conscripts, and operated over 1,000 aircraft and 200 helicopters. In 1991, it was the second largest air force in Europe. It was responsible for transport, reconnaissance, and rotary-wing aircraft as well as the national air defence system. The primary air force missions were to contest enemy efforts to establish air supremacy over Yugoslavia and to support the defensive operations of the ground forces and navy. Most aircraft were produced in Yugoslavia. Missiles were produced domestically or supplied by the Soviet Union.

The Yugoslav Air Force had twelve squadrons of domestically produced ground attack fighters. The ground attack squadrons provided close air support to ground force operations. They were equipped with 165 new Soko J-22 Orao, Super Galeb and J-21 Jastreb, and older Soko J-20 Kraguj fighters. Many ground attack fighters were armed with AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles purchased from the United States. Others were armed with Soviet Kh-23 and Kh-28 missiles. The air force also had about ninety armed Mi-8 helicopter gunships to provide added mobility and fire support for small ground units. A large number of reconnaissance aircraft were available to support ground forces operations. Four squadrons of seventy Galeb, Jastreb, and Orao-1 fighters were configured for reconnaissance missions.

The Yugoslav Air Force had nine squadrons of 130 Soviet-made MiG-21 interceptors for air defence. First produced in the late 1950s, the MiG-21 design was largely obsolete in 1990 and represented a potential weakness in Yugoslavia's air defence. However, the bulk of the MiG-21 fleet consisted mainly of the bis variant, the latest production MiG-21 model, and was armed with Soviet Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll"), air-to-air missiles and some more modern Molniya R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 "Aphid") missiles as well as twin 23 mm cannons. By 1989, Yugoslavia started developing a new domestic multirole fighter called Novi Avion, which was supposed to replace the MiG-21 and J-21 Jastreb fleets entirely. The design of the new aircraft was influenced by both Mirage 2000 and Dassault Rafale fighter types and it was to enter service by early 2000s. As an interim solution, a modernization package was planned for the MiG-21 and it is speculated that India's MiG-21 Bison upgrade was actually intended for Yugoslav aircraft. In 1987, Yugoslavia acquired 16 MiG-29s.

Although not officially known at the time, Yugoslavia was rumoured to have been interested in the purchase of certain numbers of Su-25 attack-aircraft and Mi-24 gunships. Instead of developing its own fighter plane, the Novi Avion, the country made a request to licence-build the F-20, but due to unstable relations with the US, the request was rejected. By the late 1980s, the licensed production of Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters was also envisaged, but due to the dissolution of the country, it was never realized.

One of the most impressive structures operated by the JNA Air Force was the underground Željava Air Base near the town of Bihac in NW Bosnia-Herzegovina. The structure was made to withstand a nuclear explosion and was destroyed by the JNA in 1992 to prevent its capture. Željava was home to the 117th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was composed of the 124th and 125th Fighter Squadrons, equipped with MiG-21Bis fighters, and the 352nd Reconnaissance Squadron, equipped with MiG-21R aircraft.

The Air and Air Defence Forces were headquartered at Zemun and had fighter and bomber aircraft, helicopters, and air defence artillery units at air bases throughout the former Yugoslavia: Batajnica Air Base (Belgrade), Niš Constantine the Great Airport, Slatina Air Base (Priština), Golubovci Airbase (Titograd), Skopski Petrovec, Sarajevo, Mostar, Željava Air Base (Bihać), Pleso (Zagreb), Split Airport, Pula, Zemunik (Zadar), Cerklje ob Krki and many other smaller air bases.

Navy[link]

Large Patrol Vessel VPBR-34 "Pula".

JRM submarine P-832 "Drava".

Minor surface combatants operated by the Yugoslav Navy included nearly eighty frigates, corvettes, submarines, minesweepers, and missile, torpedo, and patrol boats in the Adriatic Fleet. The entire coast of Yugoslavia was part of the naval region headquartered at Split (now part of Croatia).

The Partisans had operated many small boats in raids harassing Italian convoys in the Adriatic Sea during World War II. After the war, the navy operated numerous German and Italian submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, and tank-landing craft captured during the war or received as war reparations. The United States provided eight torpedo boats in the late 1940s, but most of those units were soon obsolete. The navy was upgraded in the 1960s when it acquired ten Osa-I class missile boats and four Shershen class torpedo boats from the Soviet Union. The Soviets granted a license to build eleven additional Shershen units in Yugoslav shipyards developed for this purpose.

In 1980 and 1982, the Yugoslav navy took delivery of two Soviet Koni class frigates. In 1988 it completed two additional units under license. The Koni frigates were armed with four Soviet P-15 Termit surface-to-surface missile launchers, twin 9K33 Osa (NATO reporting name: SA-8 "Gecko") surface-to-air missiles, and anti-submarine rocket launchers.

The Yugoslav navy developed its own submarine-building capability during the 1960s. In 1990, the main combat units of the submarine service were three Heroj class submarines armed with 533 mm torpedoes. Two smaller Sava class submarines entered service in the late 1970s. Two Sutjeska-class submarines had been relegated mainly to training missions by 1990. At that time the navy had apparently shifted to construction of versatile midget submarines. Four Una-class midgets and four Mala-class swimmer delivery vehicles were in service in the late 1980s. They were built for use by underwater demolition teams and special forces. The Una-class boats carried five crewmen, eight combat swimmers, four Mala vehicles, and limpet mines. The Mala vehicles carried two swimmers and 250 kilograms of mines.

The Yugoslav navy operated ten Osa class missile boats and six Končar class missile boats. The Osa I boats were armed with four P-15 Termit surface-to-surface missile launchers. In 1990, ten domestic Kobra missile boats were scheduled to begin replacing the Osa I class. The Kobra class was to be armed with eight Swedish RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, and fifteen of them were ordered in late 1989. Armed with two P-15 Termit launchers, the Končar class boats were modeled after the Spica class torpedo boats, and there were plans to upgrade them with Swedish-built missiles. Two Kobra missile boats were built by Croatia as the Kralj-class fast attack craft and both are still in service. The navy's fifteen Topčider-class torpedo boats included four former Soviet Shershen-class and eleven Yugoslav built units.

The Yugoslav navy's mine warfare and countermeasures capabilities were considered adequate in 1990. It operated four Vukov Klanac-class coastal minesweepers built on a French design, four British Ham class minesweepers, and six 117-class inshore minesweepers built in domestic shipyards. Larger numbers of older and less capable minesweepers were mainly used in riverine operations. Other older units were used as dedicated minelayers. The navy used amphibious landing craft in support of army operations in the area of the Danube, Sava, and Drava rivers. They included both tank and assault landing craft. In 1990, there were four 501-class, ten 211-class, and twenty-five 601-class landing craft in service. Most of them were also capable of laying mines in rivers and coastal areas.

The Yugoslav Navy had 10,000 sailors (including 4,400 conscripts and 900 marines). This was essentially a coastal defence force with the mission of preventing enemy amphibious landings along the country's rugged 4,000-kilometer shoreline and coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategic Strait of Otranto. The entire coast of Yugoslavia was part of the naval region headquartered at Split. The naval region was divided into three smaller naval districts and a riverine flotilla with major naval bases located at Split, Šibenik, Pula, Ploce and Kotor on the Adriatic Sea, and Novi Sad on the River Danube. The strategic islands of Vis and Lastovo were heavily fortified and unauthorised entry was prohibited. The fleet was organized into missile, torpedo, and patrol boat brigades, a submarine division, and minesweeper flotillas. The naval order of battle included four frigates, three corvettes, five patrol submarines, fifty-eight missile, torpedo, and patrol boats, and twenty-eight minesweepers. One antisubmarine warfare helicopter squadron was based at Split on the Adriatic coast. It employed Soviet Ka-25, Ka-28, and Mi-8 helicopters, and domestic Partisan helicopters. Some air force fighter and reconnaissance squadrons supported naval operations.

Doctrine[link]

The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) had a unique operational military doctrine for a conventional military force. Yugoslavia based its defence doctrine upon the total war concept of "Total National Defence" which drew upon Yugoslavia's successful partisan history during the Yugoslav People's Liberation War during the Second World War. The "Total National Defence" concept gave the JNA the role of defending borders against aggressors with the intention of delaying an invader long enough for Territorial Defence Forces to enter the field and start wearing the invader down with partisan tactics. The entire Yugoslav population was to be engaged in armed resistance, armaments production, and civil defence under this concept. It was believed by the Yugoslav planners to be the best method by which a smaller nation could properly defend itself against a much stronger invader.

Dissolution[link]

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2011)

In January 1990, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia was effectively dissolved as a national organization following its 14th Congress where the Serbian and Slovenian delegations engaged in a public confrontation. The Yugoslav army was left without an ideological support mechanism. 99% of the officers of the Yugoslav army were members of the party.

The dissolution of Yugoslavia began when independent, non-communist governments were established in the Republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. In 1990, the Socialist republic of Slovenia changed its name to Republic of Slovenia and ceased contributing funds to the federal government for a sustained military budget. Soon afterward the Slovenian government began a re-organization of its territorial defense and the government brought the Territorial Defense Forces (Yugoslavia) under its control.

In March 1991, the Yugoslav defense minister, General Veljko Kadijević organized a meeting in a military complex in Topcider. Present at this meeting were all 6 presidents of the Yugoslav republic, presidents of the autonomous republic, the Yugoslav president and all top military officers. Kadijević claimed that there are numerous paramilitary organizations in Yugoslavia sponsored by foreign and domestic enemies of the State. He also stated that YPA was dealing with Ustase, Chetniks and other enemies of the socialism stemming from WW2 conflicts. Kadijević proposed a declaration of martial law. A subsequent vote was held on Kadijević's recommendation of martial law, and the suggestion was vetoed.

In April 1991, the nationalist government of Croatia formed the Croatian National Guard (ZNG), which the Yugoslav People's Army considered to be a paramilitary organization.

On 25 June 1991, Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence from Yugoslavia. On the same day Slovenian territorial defense units captured Yugoslav control posts on borders with Italy, Hungary and Austria. Slovenian forces also established border control posts on their border with Croatia.

As a result of these actions, the Yugoslav Army attacked; its top commanders citing the constitutional obligation to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia.

On 27 June 1991, the Yugoslav Army attacked the Slovenian TO units on borders and also in all other areas which were under Slovenian control. The Slovenian TO blockaded all the Yugoslav Army bases in Slovenia and kept them under siege for 10 days.

A general state of war lasted for 10 days and ended on 6 July 1991. The Yugoslav Army suffered approximately 150 casualties. Many Yugoslav Army soldiers and officers were wounded or captured. After the Brioni Agreement was signed, the Yugoslav Army agreed to withdraw from Slovenia by 10 October 1991, leaving numerous tanks, rifles, trucks and other equipment.

The Yugoslav Army was also sporadically attacked during the withdrawal period throughout Slovenia.^{[citation needed]}

On 27 June 1991, war in Croatia began. The belligerents were the Yugoslav Army and Serbians on one side and Croatian paramilitary units on the other.

Croatia initiated a siege of the Yugoslav Army's barracks, leaving its soldiers without food, water or electricity for weeks.^{[citation needed]} Some Croatian citizens deserted from the Yugoslav Army and began joining Croatian military forces.^{[citation needed]} Senior officers of the Yugoslav Army also defected to the Croatia, including Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Anton Tus.

The war has spread to the whole of Croatia. The Yugoslav Army was in a difficult position. Soldiers tried to escape from besieged barracks with more or less casualties. Croats captured large amounts of weapons in the Yugoslav Army barracks. Most of their equipment Croats captured in Varazdin when General Trifunovic gave up fighting with Croats.^{[citation needed]}

Throughout the war the Yugoslav Army gave weapons to the Serbs rebels, allied against the Croatian government.^{[citation needed]}

In August 1991, the battle of Vukovar began. This was the biggest battle in the War in Croatia after operations Storm and Flash. In this battle 90% of the city was destroyed.^{[citation needed]} The Yugoslav Army used fighter and attack aircraft, rocket launchers, large amount of tanks and other equipment.

Macedonia declared independence in September 1991.

In October Vukovar was captured and 80% of Croatian forces were destroyed or captured. Many atrocities were made by the Yugoslav Army in the city, including the Velepromet concentration camp, Vukovar massacre, etc.

In mid-October 1991, Yugoslav ground forces, supported by naval and air forces attacked the city of Dubrovnik and the Konavle area where Croats had strongholds, starting the Siege of Dubrovnik. By 6 December, the Yugoslav Army had neutralized all Croat formations in the Konavle area, but the Dubrovnik had not been captured.

After these two big operations, the Yugoslav Army signed the Sarajevo Agreement with Croatia and began to withdraw. In January 1992 Veljko Kadijević resigned after the 1992 European Community Monitor Mission helicopter downing. The last Yugoslav Army soldier would leave Croatia in May 1992, when ships of the Yugoslav navy sailed off Vis island to Kumbor in Montenegro.

The Yugoslav Army left Macedonia in March 1992. Macedonia was left without any heavy equipment, weapons or aircraft.

In March 1992 Bosnia declared independence and the War in Bosnia started between Muslims, Croats and Serbs. The Yugoslav Army officially withdrew from Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 1992.

On 20 May 1992 the Yugoslav People's Army was formally dissolved, the remnants of which reformed into the military of the newly found Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Peacekeeping operations[link]

• United Nations Emergency Force (1956–1967) – 14.265 soldiers in 22 rotations, Colonel Lazar Mušicki as commander of mission (Aug. 1964 – Jan. 1965);
• United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (1963–1964) – one squad;
• United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (1988–1991) – military observers, General Slavko Jović as commander of mission;
• United Nations Transition Assistance Group (1989–1990) – military observers;
• United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (1989–1991) – military observers.

Operational experience[link]

• Yugoslav Front (World War II)
• Trieste crisis
• Yugoslav wars
  • War in Slovenia (1991)
  • War in Croatia (1991)
    • Battle of Vukovar
  • War in Bosnia (1992)

See also[link]

• Yugoslav Partisans
• OZNA
• KOS

Militaries of the former Yugoslavia:

• Military of Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Military of Croatia
• Military of Macedonia
• Military of Montenegro
• Military of Serbia
• Military of Slovenia

Notes[link]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yugoslav People's Army

• Trifunovska, Snezana, Yugoslavia Through Documents: From Its Creation to Its Dissolution, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1994 ISBN 0-7923-2670-9

v t e Yugoslav People's Army (1945–1992) Leadership Commander-in-chief Federal Secretary of People's Defense (Defense Minister) Chief of the General Staff Branches Yugoslav Ground Forces Yugoslav Navy Yugoslav Air Force Yugoslav Territorial Defense Personel Yugoslav People's Army Ranks