Thesis: Josip Broz Tito’s leadership of Yugoslavia was detrimental to the country. As is
evident through the worker self-management program, radical federalization, and
repression of the state.
Argument 1: Tito’s workers self-management program served to free the workers from
state owner but the decentralization policies caused strain on the economy and a lack of
common goals led to the collapse of the economy in the 1970s as well as building a
reliance on foreign credit.

“Careless borrowing from the IMF which escalated to $16.4 million from 19741980 alone causing the inflation of the Dinar to reach 45% annual rate and send
unemployment up to post war levels.”1
Argument 2: The constitutional reforms and the radical federalization that was occurring
during the late 1960s and 1970s paved the way for the eventual breakup of Yugoslavia in
the 1980s. The radical federalization of the Republics led to the need for constitutional
reforms, which brought more decentralization and gave more freedoms to Republics to
pursue nationalistic goals.

“The state of Yugoslavia was more of an “initiator, executor, and agent of
adjustment”2 with only two real responsibilities being foreign policy and defense.”

“The 1974 constitution, effectively gave into all the demands of Croatia as well
as implementing 23 amendments that effectively removed the LCY or League of
Communists of Yugoslavia from controlling power over foreign affairs, defense,
1
Dejan Guzina "Why Yugoslavia Failed." Forum Fed. (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2005). Web. 1
June 2013.
2
Dejan Jovi . Yugoslavia: A State That Withered Away. (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue UP, 2009) pg.78
foreign trade, common currency, and guaranteeing a common tariff system and
market.”3
Argument 3: The repression of the state and the people played a large role in the
eventual downfall of Yugoslavia. Tito at the Cominformist split from the Soviet Union
arrested many supposed Soviet sympathizers creating tension between the republics and
ethnicities as well as drawing lines and alliances. Later he would put down revolts in
Croatia as well as earlier during the transfer of prisoners he let the massacre of repatriated
Croatian prisoners after World War II happen and no army officials were reprimanded,
the event was covered up completely.

“At its conception in 1948, 55,663 were registered and of that 16,288 were
arrested.”4

“The exact numbers are unclear but in 1992, 1,163 bodies were excavated from
23 mass graves in the forests of Macelj, leaving around 130 possible mass grave
locations unexplored.”5
If there is one point that I would like to make clear that may not have been perfectly
outlined in the paper it is the effects of decentralization. Tito’s unique decentralization
policies are what ruined Yugoslavia; this policy was used to create a unique Yugoslav
state but effectively dismantled it and was in fact directly caused by Tito’s leadership.
3
Ante Batovi . "The Balkans in Turmoil – Croatian Spring and the Yugoslav Position Between the Cold
War Blocs 1965-1971." LSE Ideas. N.p., 2009. Web. (1 June 2013.)
4 Ivo Banac. With Stalin against Tito: Cominformist Splits in Yugoslav Communism. (Ithaca: Cornell UP,
1988.) pg. 149
5 "Macelj - gora zločina!". Večernji list (in Croatian). 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2012-06-01. Web. (June 1
2013)