94460 - The Crisis And Fall Of Yugoslavia

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Interdisciplinary research and studies on Eastern Europe (cod. 8049)

Learning outcomes

The course will focus about the reasons that have provoked the Yugoslav collapse, and about its consequences in terms of power legitimation, human and minority rights protection, regional and international power politics, cooperation with the ICTY and regional destabilization in spite of the EU expanding commitments in the area. The failure of communist system, prolonged economic crisis and international relations will be put into context of the state and system crisis. A study of Yugoslav political system that was unique will help understanding the crisis of Yugoslavia. The course will follow development of nations in the region. The rise of religion as important factor in national identities will be specially analyzed. The issue of post-communist developments in general will be addressed. Students are expected to develop an in-depth knowledge on the role of nationalism in a breakup of the state. Finally, students will have a strong framework of reference of the events that are still in the political agendas and will influence further developments in SEE.

Course contents

The course will examine what were the causes of the Yugoslav Crisis, the role of nationalism, failure of communist system, international relations, economic crisis, general society, culture and development. It will also check on the role of history in creating Yugoslav crisis and its demise. The course will observe the rise of identity politics, development of nations in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and will also discuss national identities in post-communist societies, migrations, both internal and external and how they affect contemporary societies. The connection to political systems, democratisation and revival of religion will receive a particular attention. Case studies of the regional ethnic conflicts in former Yugoslavia will be analysed thoroughly as will the internationalisation of the crisis. The classes will be made of both empirical and theoretical sections including lectures, presentations, seminars and discussions.

COURSE AIMS

The course aims to provide students with knowledge of the major contemporary studies of the region and the empirical developments. It will introduce theoretical debates and help understand issues involved in the study of nationalism, national minorities and (re)development of a nation-state in post-communist societies. A solid theoretical and historical basis will be provided by the course in order for the understanding of contemporary developments within the Eastern Europe and the Balkans in particular. Finally, the aim is to to check and possibly demystify the notion of a ‘clash of civilizations’ by comparative study of the alleged fault-line and contemporary nationalism in the Balkans. “The end of history’ will also be checked and put into the specific context of the post-Yugoslav space.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

On completion of the course students should be able:

  • to apply the key theories of nation and nationalism to the study of this region;
  • to understand the nature of contemporary international relations and area studies of Eastern Europe;
  • to account for the main modern and post-modern developments in the countries of former Yugoslavia;
  • to provide a critical analysis of the major international and inter-ethnic conflicts in the region;
  • to identify and discuss what are the most significant developments in the nation-building processes in contemporary Europe;
  • to be able to understand and evaluate importance of migrations and diaspora in setting out national objectives and policies;
  • to be able to articulate this knowledge through essays, and also orally through participating in class discussions and presentations, which should provide a foundation for further academic study in the subject.

Readings/Bibliography

READING

Lectures will provide a basic overview of the subject and should be used as introduction to the literature. Students are strongly encouraged to read as much and as widely as possible in preparation for classes. When writing essays, it will be of particular importance to be familiar with literature and sources. Success in this module and a full understanding of many of the complex and challenging issues it addresses relies also on regular intake of international news. Students should read and check websites of the leading newspapers like The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Le Monde Diplomatique, Der Spiegel, etc. Beware that many foreign language newspapers have editions in English language and are very useful for the study of this course.

Reading List:

Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities(Verso: London 2002).

Neven Andjelic, Bosnia-Herzegovina: The End of a Legacy (Frank Cass Publishers, London 2003).

Gerasimos Augustinos (ed.), The National Idea in Eastern Europe (Lexington & Toronto: D.C. Heath, 1996

Ivo Banac, The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics (Cornell University Press: Ithaca/London 1994)

Stefano Bianchini & George Schöpflin (Ed.), State Building in the Balkans. Dilemmas on the Eve of the 21st Century (Ravenna: Longo Editore, 1998).

Rogers Brubaker, Nationalism Reframed (Cambridge University Press, New York 1996).

Sumantra Bose, Bosnia after Dayton. Nationalist Partition and International Intervention (London: Hurst, 2002).

David Chandler, Bosnia. Faking Democracy after Dayton (London-Sterling VA.: Pluto Press, 1999).

Ivan Colovic, Politics of Symbol in Serbia (London: Hurst, 2002).

Srdjan Cvijic, Swinging the Pendulum: World War II History, Politics, National Identity and Difficulties of Reconciliation in Croatia and Serbia (Nationalities Papers, Volume 36 Number 4, September 2008, Association for the Study of Nationalities, Taylor and Francis, Oxford) pp.713-741

Ernest Gellner, Nations and nationalism (Blackwell, Oxford 1983).

Joel M. Halpern, David A. Kideckel (eds.) Neighbors at War: Anthropological Perspectives on Yugoslav Ethnicity, Culture and History (University Park, Pa.: Penn State University Press, 2000)

Eric Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780:Programme, Myth, Reality (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England 1992).

Michael Ignatieff, Blood and belonging (Vintage: London 1994).

Jelavich, Charles & Barbara Jelavich, The Establishment of the Balkan National

States, 1804-1920 (Seattle/London: University of Washington Press, 1993).

Dejan Jović, The Disintegration of Yugoslavia: A Critical Review of Explanatory

Approaches (European Journal of Social Theory, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2001) pp.101-120.

Tim Judah, Kosovo: War and Revenge (Yale Nota Benne Book, Yale 2002).

Stuart J. Kaufman, Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War (Ithaca-London: Cornell University Press, 2001).

Will Kymlicka, Politics in the Vernacular: Nationalism, Multiculturalism and Citizenship (Oxford University Press, New York 2001).

Kemal Kurspahic, Prime Time Crime. Balkan Media in War and Peace (USIP, Washington 2003).

John Lampe, Yugoslavia as History. Twice there was a Country (Cambridge: CUP, 2001).

Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (Random House, London 2007).

Danilo Mandic, Myths and Bombs: War, State Popularity and the Collapse of National Mythology (Nationalities Papers, Volume 36 Number 1 March 2008, Association for the Study of Nationalities, Taylor and Francis, Oxford) pp.25-55

Mark Mazower, The Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century (Penguin Press, London 1998)

Mark Mazower, The Balkans. A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2002)

Sabrina Petra Ramet, Nationalism and Federalism in Yugoslavia, 1962-1991(Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1992).

Geoffrey Robertson, Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice, (London, Penguin, 2002)

George Schöpflin, Nation, Identity, Power. The New Politics of Europe (London: Hurst, 2001).

Anthony Smith, Nationalism and Modernism (Routledge, New York 1998).

Mark Thompson, Forging War (London: Article 19, 1994).

Maria Todorova, Imagining the Balkans (Oxford University Press: Oxford/New York 1997).

OTHER SOURCES

Documentaries:

The Death of Yugoslavia

Internet Sources

Many valuable materials, especially official documents and reports, are now available on-line. Students will find the websites below useful and accessible for information on issues relevant to many of the subjects covered in the module. However, students should also be aware that many websites and the material that they offer is of dubious quality, particularly for academic study.

Official Sources

Council of Europe: www.coe.int

European Union: www.europa.eu.int

International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia: www.icty.org

Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development: www.oecd.org

Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe: www.osce.org

(b) Journals and Newspapers

Financial Times: www.ft.com

The Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk

Wall Street Journal: www.wsj.com

New York Times: www.nyt.com

The Economist: www.economist.com

American Political Science Association: www.apsanet.org

New Left Review: www.newleftreview.net

New Internationalist Magazine: www.newint.org

Teaching methods

COURSE BREAKDOWN:

  1. The Idea of Yugoslavia and Its Creation

    Introduction to the course, discussion of the country and the nation, exploration of some theoretical aspects of the problem

    Readings:

    Michael Ignatieff, Blood and belonging (Vintage: London 1994).

    Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities(Verso: London 2002).

    Gerasimos Augustinos (ed.), The National Idea in Eastern Europe (Lexington & Toronto: D.C. Heath, 1996

    Charles Jelavich & Barbara Jelavich, The Establishment of the Balkan National

    States, 1804-1920 (Seattle/London: University of Washington Press, 1993).

    Eric Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780:Programme, Myth, Reality (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England 1992).

    Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (Random House, London 2007).

  2. National Question

    Comparative analysis of the Yugoslav national question, specific problems in relation to the other European regions, main factors that determined the problems, discussion of the federated states

    Readings:

    Ivo Banac, The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics (Cornell University Press: Ithaca/London 1994)

    Srdjan Cvijic, Swinging the Pendulum: World War II History, Politics, National Identity and Difficulties of Reconciliation in Croatia and Serbia (Nationalities Papers, Volume 36 Number 4, September 2008, Association for the Study of Nationalities, Taylor and Francis, Oxford) pp.713-741

    Ernest Gellner, Nations and nationalism (Blackwell, Oxford 1983).

    Joel M. Halpern, David A. Kideckel (eds.) Neighbors at War: Anthropological Perspectives on Yugoslav Ethnicity, Culture and History (University Park, Pa.: Penn State University Press, 2000)

    Michael Ignatieff, Blood and belonging (Vintage: London 1994).

  3. The Second Yugoslavia

    What was unique about this country? Setting up the problem for later periods, discussion of the Cold War, idea of self-management, brotherhood and unity

    Readings:

    Neven Andjelic, Bosnia-Herzegovina: The End of a Legacy (Frank Cass Publishers, London 2003).

    Mark Mazower, The Balkans. A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2002)

    Sabrina Petra Ramet, Nationalism and Federalism in Yugoslavia, 1962-1991 (Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1992).

    John Lampe, Yugoslavia as History. Twice there was a Country (Cambridge: CUP, 2001).

  4. Single Culture or Multicultural Society

    Examining how close were the nations of Yugoslavia to each other, what was the everyday life and what was the official nationalities policy; discussion of culture and sports in everyday life of a Yugoslav citizen and how nationalism gained momentum

    Readings:

    Ivan Colovic, Politics of Symbol in Serbia (London: Hurst, 2002).

    Srdjan Cvijic, Swinging the Pendulum: World War II History, Politics, National Identity and Difficulties of Reconciliation in Croatia and Serbia (Nationalities Papers, Volume 36 Number 4, September 2008, Association for the Study of Nationalities, Taylor and Francis, Oxford) pp.713-741

    Joel M. Halpern, David A. Kideckel (eds.) Neighbors at War: Anthropological Perspectives on Yugoslav Ethnicity, Culture and History (University Park, Pa.: Penn State University Press, 2000)

    Will Kymlicka, Politics in the Vernacular: Nationalism, Multiculturalism and Citizenship (Oxford University Press, New York 2001).

  5. Reflection of Geopolitical Changes in Yugoslavia, Media and the Spread of the Crisis

    The end of the Cold War, its reflections in Yugoslavia, the role of the media in spreading the crisis of the system and the state

    Readings:

    Mark Thompson, Forging War (London: Article 19, 1994).

    Kemal Kurspahic, Prime Time Crime. Balkan Media in War and Peace (USIP, Washington 2003).

  6. The Failure of Liberal Concept: Nationalism Versus Liberalism

    Different options to the solution to the crisis – liberal and nationalistic – that did not really compete; why it was different to Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union – the other two communist federations – was the rise of nationalism a failure of the intellectual class

    Readings:

    Neven Andjelic, Bosnia-Herzegovina: The End of a Legacy (Frank Cass Publishers, London 2003).

    Dejan Jović, The Disintegration of Yugoslavia: A Critical Review of Explanatory

    Approaches (European Journal of Social Theory, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2001) pp.101-120.

  7. Kosovo: The Beginning and the End of Yugoslavia

    Case study of the territory (province or the state?) that was at the core of the crisis; how did Albanians regard Yugoslavia and what does Kosovo mean to an ordinary Serb

    Readings:

    Tim Judah, Kosovo: War and Revenge (Yale Nota Benne Book, Yale 2002).

    Stuart J. Kaufman, Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War (Ithaca-London: Cornell University Press, 2001).

    Elez Biberaj, The Albanian National Question: The Challenges of Autonomy,

    Independence and Separatism in Michael Mandlebaum (ed.), The New European

    Diasporas. National Minorities and Conflict in Eastern Europe (New York: Council of Foreign Relations, 2000), pp. 214-288.

  8. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Utopian Idea or Permanent Reality

    Was Bosnia-Herzegovina ‘small Yugoslavia’ as multiethnic society; why Yugoslavia does not exist any more and whether Bosnia-Herzegovina will survive; study of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina

    Readings:

    Sumantra Bose, Bosnia after Dayton. Nationalist Partition and International Intervention (London: Hurst, 2002).

    David Chandler, Bosnia. Faking Democracy after Dayton (London-Sterling VA.: Pluto Press, 1999).

  9. International Humanitarian Intervention

    Ever since 1934 and the resolution by the League of Nations, Yugoslav case was making precedents for international law and international humanitarian intervention. What was the case of international involvement in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo; how different this cases are and are there any similarities; reflections on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

    Readings:

    Danilo Mandic, Myths and Bombs: War, State Popularity and the Collapse of National Mythology (Nationalities Papers, Volume 36 Number 1 March 2008, Association for the Study of Nationalities, Taylor and Francis, Oxford) pp.25-55

    Geoffrey Robertson, Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice, (London, Penguin, 2002)

  10. Nation State in the Balkans: Past, Present and Future

Review of the course; analysis of the history of the nations in the region of former Yugoslavia, discussion of the current affairs and the view into future; what is the future of nation-state in general

Readings:

Stefano Bianchini & George Schöpflin (Ed.), State Building in the Balkans. Dilemmas on the Eve of the 21st Century (Ravenna: Longo Editore, 1998).

George Schöpflin, Nation, Identity, Power. The New Politics of Europe (London: Hurst, 2001).

Anthony Smith, Nationalism and Modernism (Routledge, New York 1998).

Maria Todorova, Imagining the Balkans (Oxford University Press: Oxford/New York 1997).

Assessment methods

COURSEWORK AND ASSESSMENT

Every student has to prepare one presentation of around ten to fifteen minutes. The presentation should be a ‘research proposal’ for the mini-project that will result in an essay of around 1500. Thus the presentation is the first step when a student is not expected to show knowledge but intentions and questions in addition to the plan how to fulfil the objectives in the essay at the end of the project. The subject of the (essay) research paper will have to be the topic presented in class. It is supposed to be developed further following the in-class presentation and the feed-back from colleagues. Marking will be based on participation in class (20 %), the in-class presentation (30 %), the final paper (50 %).

REFERENCES

Please ensure:
  • use appropriate referencing style;
  • inclusion of a full Bibliography representing the actual texts consulted
  • ·non-English sources are allowed and encouraged

Teaching tools

TEACHING ARRANGEMENTS

Teaching and learning takes place by means of lectures, seminars and class presentations by students individually or in groups.

Multiple platforms will be used to enhance the learning experience. Online sources, media, both traditional and new, will be exploited to bring the full understanding of the topic.

Office hours

See the website of Neven Andjelic