yugoslavias implosion

until after Tito’s death, at which point they anticipated being able to
press for a revision of the 1974 Constitution.
The ypa’s role as an instrument of internal intervention was first
inaugurated in Kosovo during demonstrations in 1968. In 1971, the
Army assisted the police in stemming Croatia’s drive toward independence.
At that time, Tito delivered a speech in the small Bosnian
town of Rudo in which he made explicit the political role of
the Army:
There is also the question of the Army’s role in preserving the achievements
of our revolution. Although its primary task is to defend our
country against foreign enemies, our Army is also called on to defend
the achievements of our revolution within the country, should that
become necessary. It cannot be otherwise. I say this, although I believe
that we have sufficient forces outside the Army to be really able to
ensure our peaceful development, and I believe that there is no need
for fear any great excesses. But if it comes to shooting, the Army is also
here. This should be made clear to all. 172
Tito’s comments did not sit well with Vladimir Bakarić, a prominent
Croatian Communist politician. He told German journalists
that the ypa represented “a certain potential danger at the present
time. … [T]he Army’s function isn’t to maintain internal order
within the country, but to protect Yugoslavia’s frontiers against foreign
enemies. … [A]ny attempt by the Army to seize power in Yugoslavia
would unleash a civil war .” 173
The role of the ypa in the political life of the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (sfry) became significant in the 1970s. Tito
172 Marko Milivojević in Yugoslavia’s Security Dilemmas, Berg Publishers Ltd .1988,
edited by Marko Milivojević, John B . Allock and Pierre Maurer, p . 22 .
173 Marko Milivojević in Yugoslavia’s Security Dilemmas, Berg Publishers Ltd .1988, edited
by Marko Milivojević, John B . Allock and Pierre Maurer, p .22 . Vladimir Bakarić (1912–83)
was a leading Croatian politician who held important positions in Croatia . He was also a
member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party from 1948 to 1969, president
of the Federal Assembly (1953–63), and prime minister of Yugoslavia (1945–53) .
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ChApter 2