Guerrilla History Sanctions & Nation-Breaking Yugoslavia w/ Gregory Elich - Sanctions As War
Sep 16, 2022
Guest Gregory Elich discusses the heartbreaking story of the sanctions on Yugoslavia, including internal divisions, hyperinflation crisis, impact of sanctions on vulnerable groups, media manipulation, deliberate bombings of civilian sites, use of cluster bombs, and the connection between military and sanction regime.
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Western Motives in Yugoslavia's Breakup
- The US and Western allies targeted Yugoslavia to enforce neoliberal economic reforms after socialism's decline in Eastern Europe.
- This external pressure created internal tensions, contributing to Yugoslavia's eventual breakup triggered by capitalist-oriented factions in Slovenia and Croatia.
Sanctions Used to Support Neoliberalism
- The IMF and World Bank enforced neoliberal loan conditions that Yugoslavia's leadership largely resisted.
- Threats by the US, including freezing assets, prevented political moves against neoliberal advocates like Prime Minister Ante Markovich.
Wealth and Capitalism Fuel Secession
- Slovenia and Croatia sought independence fueled by wealth disparities and capitalist ambitions.
- Their walkout from the League of Communists conference signaled the disintegration of Yugoslav unity and socialism.