Yugoslavia: A Concise History

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxix

   PDF

2. Prologue: The Road to Kumanovo

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 1-20

3. War and Unification

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 21-37

4. The Brief Life of Constitutional Government

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 38-56

5. Encirclement and Destruction of the First Yugoslavia

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 57-72

6. War, Civil War and Revolution

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 73-93

7. The Long March of Revisionism

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 94-110

8. Reform — and Reaction

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 111-131

9. The End of Titoism

   • Leslie Benson

   Pages 132-154

10. Back to Kumanovo

    • Leslie Benson

    Pages 155-178

11. Postscript, June 2003: Re-making the Balkans

    • Leslie Benson

    Pages 179-200

12. Back Matter

    Pages 201-221

    PDF

Yugoslavia: A Concise History surveys the whole turbulent course of the country's history, in the context of the struggles between great powers for control of the Balkans. Torn apart by nationalist rivalries, the first Yugoslavia lapsed into paralysis and dictatorship. Axis occupation in 1941 unleashed a murderous civil war, in which the Communist Party emerged victorious. Tito's Yugoslavia appeared to the world as a peaceful, multi-national federation, but in the end disintegrated amid barbarism unknown in Europe for half a century. This revised and fully updated edition explains why, and takes the events up to the arrest of Milosevic in 2001and beyond.

• chronology
• civil war
• communism
• dictatorship
• Europe
• history
• revolution

'Energetically written and thoroughly researched, his book provides an excellent overview of the history of this ill-fated country for the general reader. His challenges to historiographical common wisdom will also make scholars sit up and take notice'. - John Allcock, Bradford University

'[This] easily digestible and highly informative survey traces Yugoslav history from the birth of the nation after World War I to its ongoing dissolution over the past two decades...Benson shows great insight in illustrating the historical and cultural factors that prevented true national unity from taking hold of this tortured land.' - Jay Freeman, BOOKLIST

LESLIE BENSON is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Sociology at University College Northampton.

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