YUGOSLAVIA DIVIDED - NATIONALISM, ETHNIC RIVALRY AND WAR

The current environment of nationalism and ethnic rivalry which has le d to warfare and the partition of the former Yugoslavia has its roots in pre-World War I, the creation and disruption of interwar Yugoslavia , World War II and the history of post-World War II years. Serbian dom ination of other ethnic groups was assured through the Communist Party . It forced national unity on all. Unfortunately, no mechanisms to cre ate lasting unity, such as pluralistic party competition or an open ma rket economy, were allowed to exist. While attempts to impose ideology through state control of media and education were the rule, the famil y passed on a traditional, non-party philosophy. Once economic problem s and political crisis faced Yugoslavia, old divisions and hatreds pas sed on through generations surfaced to result in disintegration of nat ion and open warfare.