After World War II
After the Communist Partisan Movement led by Tito played a central role in liberating Yugoslavia, it took control of the country after the Second World War. Tito led the Communist party as it established a socialist state in 1945, naming it the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia. It was renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia later.
Tito had a complicated society to govern as the population of Yugoslavia included a mix of cultural, language, and religious groups that all had to work together to make the nation function. There were Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslims speaking different languages. The official language of Yugoslavia was declared to be Serb-Croat, with both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets being used. Yugoslavia had six republics and two provinces, eight major ethnic groups within twenty-four distinct ethnic groups over all.
To maintain control of Yugoslavia, Tito developed and enforced a plan he called “Brotherhood and Unity.” This plan demanded that purges be carried out among the Serbs, Montenegrins, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Albanians of those who were nationalistic and did not support the greater Yugoslavia. Those who were purged faced with being sent to jail or exile. As well, citizens of Yugoslavia were encouraged to marry others from different cultural, religions, or ethnic groups. In 1974, Tito responded to the strong local demands for more independence by changing the constitution and making Yugoslavia a confederation. Each republic had a veto over political and economic decisions made at the federal level.
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