SFRJ

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) was a socialist state in Southeast Europe that existed from 1945 to 1992. It was a federation of six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, with two autonomous provinces within Serbia, Vojvodina and Kosovo. The capital was Belgrade.

After World War II, the Partisans led by Josip Broz Tito established the federation and governed under the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. A 1974 constitution granted broad autonomy to the republics and introduced a system of worker self-management in enterprises, while the central government retained limited veto powers and a rotating presidency. The SFRJ maintained a one-party system for much of its existence and pursued a policy of non-alignment in international affairs.

Economically, the country pursued a mixed, self-managed model with a strong industrial base, social welfare, and significant regional development. It experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and 1960s and relative prosperity into the 1980s, but later faced rising debt, inflation, and structural inefficiencies.

Non-aligned foreign policy was a hallmark, with Yugoslavia leading and balancing relations with both Eastern and Western blocs after breaking with the Soviet Union in 1948.

Collapse: By the early 1990s nationalist tensions and economic difficulties undermined the federation. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. The SFRJ dissolved and was succeeded by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006). The dissolution significantly altered the political map of the Balkans and had lasting regional effects.