yugoslavias implosion

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ChApter 2
the nvo was entrusted with the task of winning the military victory
that would allow this goal to be achieved. 166 The nvo was renamed
the Yugoslav Army on March 1, 1945, and the Yugsolav Army was in
turn renamed the Yugoslav People’s Army on December 22, 1951, the
new name formally emphasizing its popular, socialist, and revolutionary
character.
Communist regimes, of course, have always relied on the army
as a pillar of power. The Communist Party’s vanguard role in these
societies, founded on the concept of democratic centralism and political
control, imparts a special character to civilian-military relations.
As in the case of the Soviet armed forces, the Yugoslav military was
essentially an army of the party, not an army of the people. The link
between political officers and their civilian counterparts was close.
High-ranking officers were members of the highest party and state
organs. There was a close relationship between the political bodies
in the armed forces and the security services; political officers were
often assigned the duties of security officers and vice versa.
The ypa was a political army from its conception and relied
on the ethic of “Brotherhood and Unity.” Between 1945 and 1990,
its political role was significant and, in certain periods, decisive.
Although the Army was technically subordinate to civilian authorities
and to the party at the federal level, it was closely allied with Tito
and his successors regarding the most important matters of state.
Because of its geostrategic position during the Cold War, Yugoslavia
developed a defensive structure in preparation for possible
resistance to both Eastern and Western forces.
For much of the post–World War II period, the ypa’s defense
strategy was largely directed against a possible Soviet-led Warsaw
Pact invasion, yet the Soviets were able to infiltrate the Army leadership
with the goal of turning the Army against Tito. The State
166 At the beginning of 1945, the NOVJ numbered 800,000 troops, while the League of
Communists of Yugoslavia (KPJ) had 140,000 members . Political commissars were
appointed from the ranks of Party members to keep the NOVJ under political control .