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Yugoslavia DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES
The history of the Yugoslav nations and nationalities is full
of foreign invasion and subjugation. The Ottoman Empire, Habsburg
Dynasty, and Nazi Germany in turn dominated Yugoslav territories
to a greater or lesser extent for most the last 500 years
(see Histories of the Yugoslav Peoples to World War I
, ch. 1). Times
of relative security and independence resulted from an overall
strategic balance among great powers or superpowers in Europe.
However, the People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of
Yugoslavia, commonly known as the
Partisans (see Glossary), were
an important part of the Allied effort in World War II. Under
Tito the Partisans were largely responsible for the liberation of
the country; after liberation they organized well enough to
control Yugoslavia politically. The tenacious struggle of the
Partisans established a proud and heroic military tradition that
extended long into the postwar era. The National Liberation War
of 1941-45, as Yugoslav sources called it, remained the central
frame of reference for discussing military affairs in 1990.
Data as of December 1990
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