Socialist Republic of Serbia

After the collapse of Royal Yugoslav Army on 18 April 1941 Yugoslavia was partitioned between Axis forces. The territory of later SR Serbia was mainly occupied by German forces, with puppet Government in Belgrade. The region of Kosovo was annexed by Albania, Bačka by Hungary, Syrmia by Croatia and southeastern parts were occupied by Kingdom of Bulgaria. Banat had its own autonomous status.

In the beginning of the occupation there were two resistance armies: Chetniks and Partisans. Yet, Chetniks started open collaboration with Axis forces in 1943.

In July 1941 socialist republic was founded by partisans in western Serbia, known as Republic of Užice. However, the German offensive crushed this proto-state in December the same year. After this partisan main forces moved to Bosnia.

Together with Soviet and other allies first parts of Serbia were liberated in 1944. Many cities were heavily bombed by western allies. First major city to be liberated was Niš on 14 October, followed by capital Belgrade on 20 October 1944.

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Early Middle Ages White Serbia around 600 AD Principality of Serbia Duklja, Travunia, Zachlumia, Narentines, Raška, Bosnia 7th–10th century Catepanate of Ras around 969–976
High Middle Ages Duklja (Zeta) 11th–12th century Theme of Sirmium 1018–1071 Grand Principality 1071–1217 Kingdom of Serbia 1217–1346 King Dragutin's realm 1282–1325 Empire · Fall 1346–1371 Prince Lazar's Serbia 1371–1402 Despotate of Serbia 1402–1537
Early Modern Serbia under Turkish rule 1459–1804 Jovan Nenad / Radoslav Čelnik 1526–1530 Banate of Lugoj and Caransebeș 16th–17th Habsburg occupation 1686–1699 Great Serb Migrations 1690 and 1737–1739 Military Frontier 1702–1882 Habsburg Serbia 1718–1739 Koča's frontier 1788–1791
Serbia 1804–1918 Revolution 1804–1815 Principality of Serbia 1815–1882 Serbian Vojvodina 1848–1849 Serbia and Banat 1849–1860 Kingdom of Serbia 1882–1918
Serbia since 1918 Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918–1941 Axis occupation 1941–1944 Federal unit of Yugoslavia 1944–1992 Federal unit of FRY (S&M) 1992–2006 Republic of Serbia 2006–present
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In April 1945, the Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Serbia officially created the Federated State of Serbia (Serbian: Федерална Држава Србија / Federalna Država Srbija), as a federated state within Yugoslavia. In January 1946, after the first constitution of federal Yugoslavia was adopted, the Federated State of Serbia was renamed to People's Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Народна Република Србија / Narodna Republika Srbija). It also had two autonomous units, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija.

In 1966 one of the most prominent Serbs in the Communist party and also vice-president of Yugoslavia and founder of Yugoslav intelligence agency OZNA, Aleksandar Ranković was removed from positions due to allegations of spying on SFRY President Josip Broz Tito.

After the Croatian Spring in 1971, almost whole party leadership of Serbia was removed from office, under the charge of being "liberal". Latinka Perović and Marko Nikezić were marked as leaders of this liberal movement inside League of Communists of Serbia.

In 1974 new constitution was adopted, increasing the powers of provinces, and making them de facto republics. For the first time the institution of president was formed, as President of the Presidency of Socialist Republic of Serbia. Assembly was electing 15 members of the presidency and one president for a 4 -year term, and later 2-year term. The new constitution practically suspended Serbia's authority over the provinces.

After the new constitution was adopted, mistakes became obvious. Dragoslav Marković, then President of Serbia ordered a secret study on this issue. The study was completed in 1977 and was named The Blue Book.

For most of its existence in the SFRY, Serbia was loyal and generally subordinate to the federal government. This changed after the death of Josip Broz Tito in 1980, when Albanian, as well as Serbian nationalism in Kosovo arose. In 1981 a major protests erupted in Kosovo demanding the status of republic. The League of Communists was split on how to respond. At the same time, economic crisis in Yugoslavia started. The leaders of the country were unable to make any reforms, thanks to the political instability.

President of League of Communists of Serbia Slobodan Milošević visited Kosovo in April 1987 and promised rapid action in order to protect peace and Serbs of Kosovo. Ethnic tensions in Kosovo were heated up when Kosovo Albanian soldier opened fire on his fellow soldiers in Paraćin, in an event known as Paraćin massacre. Then President of Serbia Ivan Stambolić wanted to make compromise, rather than fast solution. He found himself in a clash with Milošević. This conflict culminated with 8th Session and replacement of Stambolić with Petar Gračanin as President of Serbia.

In 1988 and 1989 a successful round of coups in the Communist party leadership, known as Antibureucratic revolution, in Vojvodina, Kosovo as well as Montenegro, replaced autonomous leaderships in this regions. The coups were led by Slobodan Milošević; supporter of Serbian nationalism. The events were condemned by the communist governments of the western Yugoslav republics (especially SR Slovenia and SR Croatia), who successfully resisted the attempts to expand the revolt onto their territories, and turned against Milošević. The rising antagonism eventually resulted in the dissolution of the ruling League of Communists of Yugoslavia in 1990, and subsequently in the breakup of Yugoslavia.

In 1989, Slobodan Milošević was elected as President of Serbia. He demanded that the federal Yugoslav government act for the interests of Serbia in Kosovo by sending in the Yugoslav People's Army to suppress separatism in the province. At the same time, several reforms of federal electoral system were proposed, with Serbia supporting a "one-citizen, one-vote" system, which would have given a majority of votes to Serbs. By that time, ethnic tensions in Yugoslavia increased, and the ruling League of Communists of Yugoslavia collapsed, followed by the crisis of federal institutions. After these events, in 1989 Assembly of Socialist Republic of Serbia voted for constitution amendments that revoked high autonomy for provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo.

After Slovenian authorities forbid a group of Serbs supporting his politics to gather in Ljubljana, Milosevic started a trade war with Socialist Republic of Slovenia in late 1989. This Serbian-Slovenian conflict culminated in January 1990 on 14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia when Slovenians left the meeting followed by Croatian delegates.[1]

After 1990, the state was known simply as Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija), and in December of the same year, Slobodan Milošević was elected as first President of the Republic. In 1992, when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed, Serbia became one of its two constituent republics. In 2003 this state union was re-formed into Serbia and Montenegro, and in 2006 Serbia became an independent republic after Montenegro separated.

Flag of Federal State of Serbia in 1945

Map of Federal State of Serbia in 1945

In 1971, total population of the Socialist Republic of Serbia numbered 8,446,591 people, including:

• Serbs = 6,142,071 (72.71%)
• Albanians = 984,761 (11.66%)
• Hungarians = 430,314 (5.10%)
• Croats = 184,913 (2.19%)
• Muslims = 154,330 (1.83%)
• Yugoslavs = 123,824 (1.47%)
• Slovaks = 76,733 (0.82%)
• Romanians = 57,419 (0.62%)
• Bulgarians = 53,800 (0.58%)
• Romani = 49,894 (0.54%)
• Macedonians = 42,675 (0.46%)
• Rusyns = 20,608 (0.22%)
• Turks = 18,220 (0.20%)
• Slovenes = 15,957 (0.17%)
• Vlachs = 14,724 (0.16%)

In 1981, total population of the Socialist Republic of Serbia numbered 9,313,677 people, including:

• Serbs = 6,331,527 (67.96%)
• Albanians = 1,303,032 (13.99%)
• Yugoslavs = 441,941 (4.75%)
• Hungarians = 390,468 (4.19%)
• Muslims = 215,166 (2.31%)
• Croats = 149,368 (1.60%)
• Romani = 110,956 (1.19%)
• Macedonians = 48,986 (0.53%)
• Slovenes = 12,006 (0.13%)

• Siniša Stanković (12 November 1944 – 7 April 1945)

• President of the Presidium of the People's Assembly (1945–1953)
  • Siniša Stanković (7 April 1945 – March 1953)
• Presidents of the National Assembly (1953–1974)
  • Petar Stambolić (December 1953 – April 1957)
  • Jovan Veselinov (April 1957 – 26 June 1963)
  • Dušan Petrović (26 June 1963 – 6 May 1967)
  • Miloš Minić (6 May 1967 – 6 May 1969)
  • Dragoslav Marković (6 May 1969 – 19 April 1974)
  • Živan Vasiljević (19 April – 6 May 1974)
• Presidents of the Presidency (1974–1990)
  • Dragoslav Marković (6 May 1974 – 5 May 1978)
  • Dobrivoje Vidić (5 May 1978 – 5 May 1982)
  • Nikola Ljubičić (5 May 1982 – 5 May 1984)
  • Dušan Čkrebić (5 May 1984 – 5 May 1986)
  • Ivan Stambolić (5 May 1986 – 14 December 1987)
  • Petar Gračanin (14 December 1987 – 20 March 1989)
  • Ljubiša Igić (20 March – 8 May 1989) (acting)
  • Slobodan Milošević (8 May 1989 – 28 September 1990)

• Minister for Serbia in Yugoslav government
  • Jaša Prodanović (7 March 1945 – 9 April 1945)
• President of the Government
  • Blagoje Nešković (9 April 1945 – 5 September 1948)
  • Petar Stambolić (5 September 1948 – 5 February 1953)
• President of the Executive Council
  • Petar Stambolić (5 February 1953 – 16 December 1953)
  • Jovan Veselinov (16 December 1953 – 6 April 1957)
  • Miloš Minić (6 April 1957 – 9 June 1962)
  • Slobodan Penezić Krcun (9 June 1962 – 6 November 1964)
  • Stevan Doronjski (Acting; 6 November 1964 – 17 November 1964)
  • Dragi Stamenković (17 November 1964 – 6 June 1967)
  • Đurica Jojkić (6 June 1967 – 7 May 1969)
  • Milenko Bojanić (7 May 1969 – 6 May 1974)
  • Dušan Čkrebić (6 May 1974 – 6 May 1978)
  • Ivan Stambolić (6 May 1978 – 5 May 1982)
  • Branislav Ikonić (5 May 1982 – 6 May 1986)
  • Desimir Jevtić (6 May 1986 – 5 December 1989)
  • Stanko Radmilović (5 December 1989 – 28 September 1990)