The Rise of Serbian Nationalism After the Death of J.B. Tito: Attacks on the Constitutional Rights of the Autonomous Socialist Province of Kosovo (1981-1989)

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to examine the historical trajectory of the resurgence of Serbian nationalism in the aftermath of Josip Broz Tito’s death in 1980.

Scientific novelty. The novelty of the study lies in the synthesis of existing historiographical literature with newly examined primary sources, including previously unpublished archival materials from the Archives of Serbia. Through systematic documentation of the ideological, institutional, and geopolitical dimensions of Serbian nationalism during the 1980s, the study sheds new light on its origins, mechanisms, and consequences, particularly its role in the erosion of Kosovo’s constitutional autonomy, which constituted the initial site of nationalist assertion.

Conclusions The death of Josip Broz Tito marked the prelude to a resurgence of Serbian nationalism, which had been largely curtailed following the Brijuni Plenum of 1966. Following this plenary session, the federal leadership, under Tito’s guidance, initiated extensive debates over constitutional reform, which culminated in the adoption of the 1974 Constitution. This constitutional framework devolved certain powers from the Republic of Serbia to the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, thereby effectively recognizing them as constituent entities within the federation. This development constituted a significant political advancement for the predominantly Albanian population of Kosovo.

However, these constitutional changes were met with considerable opposition from segments of the Serbian republican leadership, particularly among communist officials harboring nationalist ambitions. These leaders articulated their grievances through the publication of the ‘Blue Book’, which denounced what were perceived as injustices inflicted on Serbia by the constitutional arrangements. While Tito remained alive, he managed to contain these tensions.

Following Tito’s death, the political landscape deteriorated rapidly. In March and April 1981, Albanians in Kosovo initiated a series of student-led protests demanding the elevation of Kosovo to republic status within the Yugoslav federation. This movement, in turn, catalyzed a counter-mobilization among the Serb population of Kosovo, orchestrated from Belgrade, which framed these actions as a defense against alleged threats posed by ‘Albanian nationalists’. The central objective of this Serbian movement was the revocation of Kosovo’s autonomy as established by the 1974 Constitution.

This struggle over Kosovo autonomy was emblematic of the broader resurgence of Serbian nationalism, most notably articulated in the 1986 Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The document, and the political objectives it reflected, sought to extend Serbian influence and control over other Yugoslav republics, thereby laying the groundwork for the eventual disintegration of the Yugoslav Federation.