The international context of regime collapse in ex-Yugoslavia

Abstract

The first part of the thesis introduces the theoretical framework regarding the process of regime change and the relevance of the international factors in that process. It thus lays down the foundation and an introduction to the subject matter dealt with in the thesis. This part also includes and introduces the historical legacy of the Yugoslav state in its two incarnations. It provides the reader with an introduction to the Yugoslav idea as well as the formation of the second communist Yugoslav state after the Second World War. The second part focuses on the legacy of the communist regime outlining the changes and developments within the communist regime and the Yugoslav federation while accounting for the influence of the international environment on the internal developments. This part also analyzes the influence of both the domestic and international factors on regime collapse in the former Yugoslavia. Namely, it conducts the analysis by following Pridham's model of 'inner- and outer directed linkages' which means analyzing the role of the domestic and international factors in combination. It concludes that the domestic and international factors play equally important roles in the process of regime change and that it is impossible to separate the two, especially in the Yugoslav case.