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Yugoslavia Government Organization for Defense
A major issue in the government's organization for defense
concerned the position of supreme commander of the armed forces.
From 1941 until his death in 1980, Tito was supreme commander. He
achieved legendary stature as a military leader because of his
role in directing the wartime Partisans. After Tito's death, no
political leader carried the same respect and authority with
military commanders.
Since 1980, the powers of the supreme commander have been
dispersed within the State Presidency. Article 283 of the
Constitution gave the Federal Assembly (Skupstina) power
to declare war and peace and to ratify military agreements and
treaties. However, the State Presidency had direct command of the
armed forces. The Presidency was authorized to make general plans
and preparations for defense, to declare that an imminent danger
of war exists, to order mobilization, and to declare war in the
event that the Federal Assembly could not meet. The Presidency
appointed, promoted, and relieved general officers. Despite these
formal powers, however, in 1990 the State Presidency was not
deemed likely to exercise immediate control over the armed
forces. Because of its lack of military experience and expertise,
the Presidency likely would approve responses to crises and
decisions on strategic issues that were proposed at lower levels.
Because of its collective nature and annual rotation, the State
Presidency could not replicate Tito's role as an actual supreme
commander
(see State Presidency
, ch. 4). As provided in article
316 of the Constitution, it delegated most of its command
responsibilities and administrative duties to the Council for
Territorial Defense and the Federal Secretariat for National
Defense.
Established before Tito's death, the Council for National
Defense was the highest functional link between the State
Presidency, LCY leadership, civilian government, and professional
military. The council was headed by the president of the State
Presidency according to article 326 of the Constitution. However,
the Constitution did not elaborate on its composition or the
exact scope of its work. During most of the 1980s, the elevenmember body included six army generals (among them the federal
secretary for national defense and the chief of the YPA General
Staff), and five officials of the government and LCY. The council
reviewed national defense issues presented by the federal
secretary and his subordinates. Its decisions were subject to
final approval by the State Presidency.
The Federal Secretariat for National Defense organized and
supervised the armed forces on a day-to-day basis. The federal
secretary was always a colonel general or admiral who was also a
member of the Council for National Defense. National defense was
the most highly centralized federal secretariat.
The federal secretary for national defense exercised full
operational control over the armed forces and was, for all
practical purposes, supreme commander. He could issue military
orders and instructions on behalf of the State Presidency. The
importance of this position increased after the death of Tito.
The office conferred far greater command authority and
administrative autonomy than did its counterparts in other East
European communist countries.
Following TND doctrine, the federal secretary planned
operations on Yugoslav territory and was responsible for the
structure, deployment, training, and equipping of the armed
forces. All YPA and TDF commanders reported to the federal
secretary. The three military services each had an assistant
federal secretary to manage their administrative affairs. The
assistant federal secretaries were responsible for budgets,
military construction, and regulations. They were also ex officio
deputy chiefs of the YPA General Staff.
As principal deputy to the federal secretary, the chief of
the YPA General Staff used the directorates of the defense
establishment to carry out a variety of assigned administrative
duties
(see fig. 17).
In the 1980s, service as chief of staff was
apparently a prerequisite for promotion to federal secretary for
national defense.
The Council for Territorial Defense was established in 1980
as part of the Federal Secretariat for National Defense. After
the TDF was established in 1968, tensions arose between the
regular YPA and the militia-style TDF. At that time, the TDF
enjoyed high national prestige. Tito may have viewed the TDF as a
hedge against the possible political ambitions of the
professional military. During the Croatian nationalist
disturbances of 1969-71, national leaders feared that Croatian
TDF units would become the basis of an independent Croatian army.
Formation of the Council for National Defense effectively brought
the TDF under direct control of the federal secretary for
national defense and the YPA. The council included
representatives of the federal secretary for national defense and
those of TDF commanders in the republics and autonomous
provinces. It advised the federal secretary on the organization,
training, and requirements of TDF units.
The executive committees of republics and autonomous
provinces also had secretaries for national defense, who retained
some formal responsibilities. Article 239 of the Constitution
required republics, autonomous provinces, and communes to
organize national defense, territorial defense, civil defense,
and internal security measures in their respective jurisdictions.
Commissions for total national defense and social self-protection
existed for this purpose in the local government and LCY organs.
They had little authority for this purpose however, beyond
coordinating mobilization and providing logistical support for
the armed forces.
Data as of December 1990
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