32225 - The Dissolution of Yugoslavia and its Regional Impact

Course contents

During the 20th century, and under the claims of Self-determination, most relevant geopolitical changes have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe (the “New Europe”, as Wilson defined it).  Thus, the aim of the course is to start from controversial political approaches to self-determination, and their impacts on the relations between peace and war, in a historical perspective. The competition of Wilson and Lenin, namely between a Liberal and a Bolshevik conceptions of Nation at the end of the Great War (while facing the dissolution of the Great Empires), offers a stimulating background for understanding the events that influenced the creation of Yugoslavia and the irredentisms of Italy and in the Balkans. Revisionism will be also considered in order to evaluate the arguments raised by disappointed leaderships in order to modify peace treaties, as well as to understand the strategy followed by Hitler in re-drawing the European maps between 1936 and 1943. The course will also focus the attention on the Tito's perception of Self-Determination either when he negotiated the basic ruled of the Yugoslav federation or when he tried to redefine borders and relationships within the Balkans under the communist rule, or taking advantage from the confrontation between the blocs, once his conflict with Stalin became irreversible, and Tito tried to act under the umbrella of the Balkan Pact. Then, the course will analyze the impact of the economic crisis after the Tito's death in the political system of the country, the emerging of divergent strategies of way outs from the crisis up to the decisions that lead Yugoslav leaders to dismembering the country. The course will therefore concentrate to the attempts of the EU Commission in preventing the war, the setting up of the Badinter Commission and the following events that eventually led to a set of treaties (from Dayton agreement to Ohrid, from Kumanovo to Belgrade) with the aim of stabilizing the region.

During classes students are requested to make oral presentations of the documents enlisted below with reference to the suggested readings.

 

 

 

February 11th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 1:

Introduction to the subject and methodology Nationalism, Sovereignty and National Homogeneity: the origins and the meaning of the notion

 

 

Readings:

John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, Nationalism, Oxford U. Press, Oxford, 1994, pp. 15-21; 55-63; 76-82; 89-96 (namely excerpts from Rénan, Stalin, Gellner, Hobsbawm, Anderson).

John Hoffman, Sovereignty, Univ. of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1998, Ch. 4th: The  Problem of Modernity, pp. 32-42.

 

 

 

February 17th, 2009, (T) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 2:

Sovereignty, Self-determination, identities and métissage: the meaning of the notions

 

Documents:

1. Elie Kedourie, Nationalism and Self-Determination, in John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, Nationalism, Oxford U. Press, Oxford, 1994, pp. 49-55.
2. Irina Anisimova,Métissage as an Oppositional Practice, in “Atlantikos”, n. 1, vol. 1, 2006 available at https://www.msu.edu/~atlantik/spring06/metissage.html, pp. 1-10
3. Andrew B. Wachtel, Ivan Meštrović, Ivo Andrić and the Synthetic Yugoslav Culture of the Interwar Period, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 238-251.

 

 

Readings:

Stefano Bianchini, Sanjay Chaturvedi, Rada Ivekovic and Ranabir Samaddar, Partitions. Reshaping States and Minds, Frank Cass, London, 2004, the paragrah: The Attractivness of Partition, pp. 53-67.

Metta Spencer, Separatism. Democracy and disintegration , Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 1998, first part of the chapter: When States Divide, pp. 7-18.

 

 

February 25th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 3:

Leninism and the Bolshevik approach to self-determination

 

Documents:

1. Lenin, The Socialist revolution and the rights of nations to self-determination, Apr., 1916
2. Declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia, Nov. 2, 1917

 

Readings:

Iurii Garushiants, The National Programme of Leninism, in Henry Huttenbach and Francesco Privitera (eds.), Self-Determination. From Versailles to Dayton. Its Historical Legacy, Longo, Ravenna, 1999, pp. 31-47.

 

 

 

March 4th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 4:

WW1 and the American/Liberal approach to self-determination

 

Documents:

1. Link, A.S., The Wilsons's Fourtheen Points, Jan. 8, 1918

 

Readings:

Kosta Pavlowitch, The First World War and the Unification of Yugoslavia, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 27-41.

Allen Lynch, W. Wilson and the principle of «National Self Determination» as applied to the Habsburg Empire, in Henry Huttenbach and Francesco Privitera (eds.), Self-Determination. From Versailles to Dayton. Its Historical Legacy, Longo, Ravenna, 1999, pp. 15-30.

 

 

 

March 11th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 5

Tito, the Balkan geopolitics and self-determination   Documents:

1. Letter by Tito to Tempo on Balkan headquarters, Oct. 9, 1943
2. AVNOJ decision on building Yugoslavia on the federal principle, Nov. 29, 1943

 

Readings:

Francesco Privitera, The Yugoslav Communists between the National Question and Self-Determination before WW2, and Leonid Gibianskii, Tito and Regional Balkan Arrangements, in Henry Huttenbach and Francesco Privitera (eds.), Self-Determination. From Versailles to Dayton. Its Historical Legacy, Longo, Ravenna, 1999, pp. 93-120.

 

 

 

March 18th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 6

Yugoslavism and the Yugoslav federalism

 

Documents:

1. Jovan Djordjević, Federalism, in Jovan Djordjević and others (eds.), Self-Management. The Yugoslav Road to Socialism, Jugoslovenski Pregled, Belgrade, 1982, pp. 357-383.

 

 

Readings:

Dennison Rusinow, Yugoslavia. Oblique Insights and Observations, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 2008, pp. 105-136.
Ramadan Marmullaku, Albanians in Yugoslavia, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 304-316.

John B. Allcock, Explaining Yugoslavia, Columbia Univ. Press, New York, 2000, pp.269-276

 

 

 

March 24th, 2009, (T) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 7

Dividing the nation. The Serbian critique to Yugoslavism and the reactions     Documents:

1. Memorandum of SANU, 1986
2. The Slovene National Question, 1987
3. The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, 1990

 

 

Readings:

Dennison Rusinow, Yugoslavia. Oblique Insights and Observations, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 2008, the chapter: To be or not to be?, pp. 315-340

John B. Allcock, Explaining Yugoslavia, Columbia Univ. Press, New York, 2000, the chapter. Quo vadis Jugoslavijo?, pp. 411-440

 

 

 

April 1th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 8

 

Dividing the nation. The Descent into War

 

Documents:

1. Opinions of the Arbitration Commission, Jan. 11, 1992
2. Branko Horvat, The Association for Yugoslav Democratic Initiative, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 298-303

 

Readings:

 

Laura Silber and Allan Little, Yugoslavia, Death of a Nation, Penguin Books, London, 2007, pp. 119-147.

Dušan Janjić, Ethnic Conflicts and the Breakup of Yugoslavia, in Dušan Janjić (ed.), Ethnic Conflict Management, Longo, Ravenna, 1997, pp. 9-41.

 

 

 

 

 

April 8th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 9

Potential state dissolutions in other contexts

 

Documents:

1. Law on Special Juridical Status of Gagauzia (Gagauz-Yeri), Dec. 23, 1994
2. The Supreme Court of Canada, In the matter ofa Reference by the Governor in Council concerning certain questions relating to the secession of Quebec from Canada, 1996
3. The UN Resolution 1244 on Kosovo, June 10, 1999

 

 

Readings:

 

Michael Libal, Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans and in the Caucasus. Some General Considerations, In “Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies”, n. 2, vol. 2, 2002, pp. 1-20.

Reg Whitaker, Quebec. A unique case of Secessionism, in Metta Spencer, Separatism. Democracy and disintegration, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 1998, pp. 281-305.

 

 

 

April 15th, 2009, (W) 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lesson 10

The Impact of Yugoslav dismemberment: New Theories and Alternatives   Documents:

1. Will Kymlicka, Multicultural Citizenship, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998, chapter 9: The Ties that Bind, pp. 173-192.

 

Readings:

Metta Spencer, Separatism. Democracy and disintegration, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 1998, pp. 24-36.

Stefano Bianchini, Sanjay Chaturvedi, Rada Ivekovic and Ranabir Samaddar, Partitions. Reshaping States and Minds, Frank Cass, London, 2004, paragraph: Challenges for a Changing World, pp. 67-86.

Readings/Bibliography

List of Readings:

 

General Theories:

 

John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, Nationalism, Oxford U. Press, Oxford, 1994.

John Hoffman, Sovereignty, Univ. of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1998.

Metta Spencer, Separatism. Democracy and disintegration, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 1998.

Stefano Bianchini, Sanjay Chaturvedi, Rada Ivekovic and Ranabir Samaddar, Partitions. Reshaping States and Minds, Frank Cass, London, 2004.

Will Kymlicka, Multicultural Citizenship, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998

 

The Balkans:

 

Henry Huttenbach and Francesco Privitera (eds.), Self-Determination. From Versailles to Dayton. Its Historical Legacy, Longo, Ravenna, 1999

Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003

Andrew B. Wachtel, Making a Nation, Breaking a Nation, Sanford U. Press, Stanford, 1998.

John B. Allcock, Explaining Yugoslavia, Columbia Univ. Press, New York, 2000.

Michael Libal, Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans and in the Caucasus. Some General Considerations, In “Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies”, n. 2, vol. 2, 2002.

Laura Silber and Allan Little, Yugoslavia, Death of a Nation, Penguin Books, London, 2007.

Dušan Janjić (ed.), Ethnic Conflict Management, Longo, Ravenna, 1997.

Dennison Rusinow, Yugoslavia. Oblique Insights and Observations, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 2008.

Ivo Banac, The National Question in Yugoslavia, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1984

Lenard J. Cohen, Broken Bonds. Yugoslavia's Disintegration and Balkan Politics in Transition, Westview Press, Boulder, 1995

John R. Lampe, Yugoslavia as History. Twice there was a country, Cambridge U. Press, Cambridge, 1996.

Stefano Bianchini, Joseph Marko, Robert Craig Nation, Milica Uvalic, Regional Cooperation, Peace Enforcement and the Role of the Treaties in the Balkans, Longo, Ravenna, 2007.

Stefano Bianchini, Craig Nation (eds.), The Yugoslav Conflict and Its Implications for International Relations, Longo Editore, Ravenna, 1998.

 

List of Documents

 

1. Elie Kedourie, Nationalism and Self-Determination, in John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, Nationalism, Oxford U. Press, Oxford, 1994, pp. 49-55.
2. Irina Anisimova,Métissage as an Oppositional Practice, in “Atlantikos”, n. 1, vol. 1, 2006 available at https://www.msu.edu/~atlantik/spring06/metissage.html, pp. 1-10.
3. Andrew B. Wachtel, Ivan Meštrović, Ivo Andrić and the Synthetic Yugoslav Culture of the Interwar Period, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 238-251.
4. Lenin, The Socialist revolution and the rights of nations to self-determination, Apr., 1916.
5. Declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia, Nov. 2, 1917.
6. Link, A.S., The Wilsons's Fourtheen Points, Jan. 8, 1918.
7. Letter by Tito to Tempo on Balkan headquarters, Oct. 9, 1943.
8. AVNOJ decision on building Yugoslavia on the federal principle, Nov. 29, 1943.
9. Jovan Djordjević, Federalism, in Jovan Djordjević and others (eds.), Self-Management. The Yugoslav Road to Socialism, Jugoslovenski Pregled, Belgrade, 1982, pp. 357-383.
10. Memorandum of SANU, 1986.
11. The Slovene National Question, 1987.
12. The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, 1990.
13. Opinions of the Arbitration Commission, Jan. 11, 1992.
14. Branko Horvat, The Association for Yugoslav Democratic Initiative, in Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003, pp. 298-303.
15. Law on Special Juridical Status of Gagauzia (Gagauz-Yeri), Dec. 23, 1994.
16. The Supreme Court of Canada, In the matter of a Reference by the Governor in Council concerning certain questions relating to the secession of Quebec from Canada, 1996.
17. The UN Resolution 1244 on Kosovo, June 10, 1999.
18. Will Kymlicka, Multicultural Citizenship, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998, chapter 9: The Ties that Bind, pp. 173-192.

 

An excellent tool for studying the topics proposed during the course is Paul Robert Magocsi, Historical Atlas of East Central Europe, University of Washington Press, 1995.

Teaching methods

The format of the module is based on lectures, class discussion and individual students presentations. During classes students are requested to make oral presentations of the documents suggested by the instructor with reference to the readings. Video will be also used for class discussion. Emphasis will be placed on interactive student participation.

Assessment methods

Students are requested to pass an oral exam based on the suggested bibliography. The ability in presenting arguments and showing a comparative approach will be highly evaluate. The Exam is based on the following: 

1. Students are requested to have a critical knowledge of all the documents and the readings discussed during classes, as reported in the syllabus. 
2. Moreover, students are expected to read the following article: Michael Libal, Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans and in the Caucasus. Some General Considerations, In “Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies”, n. 2, vol. 2, 2002. 
3. Additionally, students are expected to deepen their knowledge by selecting two books, one from each of the following groups:

 

Group A:

 

John R. Lampe, Yugoslavia as History. Twice there was a country, Cambridge U. Press, Cambridge, 1996.

Lenard J. Cohen, Broken Bonds. Yugoslavia's Disintegration and Balkan Politics in Transition, Westview Press, Boulder, 1995

Laura Silber and Allan Little, Yugoslavia, Death of a Nation, Penguin Books, London, 2007.

Dennison Rusinow, Yugoslavia. Oblique Insights and Observations, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 2008.

Ivo Banac, The National Question in Yugoslavia, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1984

Stefano Bianchini, Craig Nation (eds.), The Yugoslav Conflict and Its Implications for International Relations, Longo Editore, Ravenna, 1998.

 

Group B:

 

Henry Huttenbach and Francesco Privitera (eds.), Self-Determination. From Versailles to Dayton. Its Historical Legacy, Longo, Ravenna, 1999

Dejan Djokić, Yugoslavism, Histories of a Failed Idea 1918-1992, Hurst, London, 2003

Andrew B. Wachtel, Making a Nation, Breaking a Nation, Sanford U. Press, Stanford, 1998.

John B. Allcock, Explaining Yugoslavia, Columbia Univ. Press, New York, 2000.

Dušan Janjić (ed.), Ethnic Conflict Management, Longo, Ravenna, 1997.

Stefano Bianchini, Joseph Marko, Robert Craig Nation, Milica Uvalic, Regional Cooperation, Peace Enforcement and the Role of the Treaties in the Balkans, Longo, Ravenna, 2007.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint, TV, and overhead projector

Links to further information

http://www.mirees.unibo.it; http://www.spfo.unibo.it/Scienze+Politiche+Forli/Facolta/Personale+di+facolta/docenti/default_docenti_bianchini.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Bianchini