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Yugoslavia Military Doctrine
Yugoslavia's TND doctrine reconciled the country's domestic
and foreign policies with its strategic realities and
limitations. Formulated after the 1968 invasion of
Czechoslovakia, TND became Yugoslavia's official military
doctrine when the National Defense Law of 1969 was published.
Yugoslavia's determination to rely on its own resources and
to remain independent and nonaligned conflicted with strategic
reality. The invasion of Czechoslovakia showed that the standing
conventional forces of a small country could not repulse a
surprise attack by a qualitatively and quantitatively superior
aggressor. TND was designed to allow Yugoslavia to maintain or
eventually reestablish its independent and nonaligned status
should an invasion occur.
TND prepared the entire population to contest the occupation
of the country and finally to liberate it. The Territorial
Defense Forces (TDF) would mobilize the population for this
purpose
(see Territorial Defense Forces
, this ch.). The combat
readiness of the TDF meant that the steps of organization and
training could be bypassed after the start of hostilities. The
TDF would supplement the YPA, giving it greater defensive depth
and an armed local population ready to support combat actions.
Large numbers of armed civilians would increase the cost of an
invasion to a potential aggressor.
The most likely scenario in the doctrine of TND was general
war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in Europe. In such a
situation, Yugoslavia would remain nonaligned, and it would not
accept foreign troops of either alliance on its territory
regardless of threats or inducements. The doctrine did recognize
the likelihood that one side or the other might try to seize
Yugoslav territory as a forward staging area, to ensure lines of
communication, or simply to deny the territory to enemy forces.
Such action would be considered aggression and would be resisted.
Regardless of ideology, the occupiers would be considered
Yugoslavia's enemy, and Yugoslavia would immediately join the
opposing side for the specific purpose of liberating its
territory.
TND was legally codified in article 240 of the Constitution
of 1974. It declares that the armed forces consist of the YPA and
territorial defense units organized for nationwide armed
resistance. It stipulates that any citizen who resists an
aggressor is a member of the armed forces. Article 238 declares
that no one has the right to acknowledge or sign an act of
capitulation, to accept or recognize the occupation of the
country, or to prevent other citizens from resisting. To do so is
high treason. This provision was written to prevent an occupying
force from using a Yugoslav faction or group to request and
legitimize an invasion. The National Defense Law of 1982 further
elaborates these provisions and explicitly states the LCY's
responsibility for defense efforts.
Data as of December 1990
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