A
Alexander I King of Yugoslavia from 1921 to 1934, from the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty. He is assassinated in France, by opponants to the Serbian dynasty.
Authoritarianism A political organization where authority is prioritised to organise society. It consists on the systematic use of police forces and the reduction or bypassing of democratic processes.
B
Balkan Federation From the 19th century to the world war 2, and evoluting project of gathering Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Turkey under the same flag with a socialist regime.
Balkans Geographic region of Central Southern Europe which limits are still discussed by the geographers. For sure, it is delimited by the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Some geographers set its northern limits at the Kupa, Sava and Danube rivers.
Battle of Kosovo Polje In 1389, battle on a field called "Kosovo Polje" marking the defeat of the Serbs against the Ottomans, allowing them to conquer the western Balkans. It is a major event on the Serbian narrative feeding the territory conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, as Kosovo Polje is located in Kosovo.
Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian Language created in the early 19th century by the Croatian linguist Ljudevit Gaj and the Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić in order to unify the South Slavic ethnicities against the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Still today's main language of Bosnia&Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. Can be offically written both with the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.
Brussel Agreements In 2013, agreements signed by Serbia and Kosovo and mediated by EU to establish the conditions of integration of the Serb-inhabited municipalities of Kosovo within the country.
C
Chernobyl accident Major power plant accident that occured in Chernobyl in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Ukraine) on the 26th of April, 1986.
Chernobyl exclusion zone Zone that was evacuated in the weeks following the accident of Chernobyl (26th of April, 1986). It covers 2,600km equally reparted in Belarus and Ukraine and is divided into two parts: the 10km-area and the 30km-area. It still exists today.
Chernozemski (Vlado) Member of the IMRO who assassinated the king of Yugoslavia Alexander I in 1934 in France.
Colonization (Serbia)
Comintern Also known as "Third International", an organization gathering all the Communist Party supporting a world communism and the Soviet Union. Controlled by the Soviet Union despite the official rules of the organization.
Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo (CNDK) Created in 1918, political oganization composed by exiles from Kosovo in Albania and leading violent and diplomatic actions for the independance of Kosovo.
Communism
Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija From 2008 to 2013, assembly gathering the municipalities in Kosovo opposing the independance of the country declared in 2008. It is replaced by the Community of Serb municipalities.
Community of Serb municipalities Created in 2013 following the Brussels Agreements, in order to represent the municipalities with a majority of Serb inhabitants in Kosovo. Its administrative center is North Mitrovica. It replaces the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija.
Corfu Declaration In 1915, agreement between Croatia and Serbia to organize a new State, Yugoslavia.
Croatian Peasant Party (CPP) Croatian political party founded in 1904 by Stjepan Radić and aiming to create and consolidate a Croatian nation.
Cvetković (Dragiša) Yugoslav Prime Minister from 1939 to 1941.
Cvetković–Maček Agreement In 1939, agreements between the Yugoslav Prime Minister and the leader of the CPP allowing Croatians to have their own federal region in Yugoslavia.
D
De-Stalinization Policy implemented by Khrushchev from 1953 to demystify Stalin's figure in the USSR: political rehabilitations, freeing of Gulag prisoners, etc.
F
Fascism A totalitarian political regime first established in Italy by Mussolini from 1922 to 1945. It is based on a nationalist ideology, the systematic use of police to repress the opposition, an interventionist State and the domination of the executive power over the legislative power.
Federations and autonomous provinces of Yugoslavia Between 1945 and 1991, the six federations of the federal State of Yugoslavia: Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Serbia and Socialist Republic of Slovenia. Also the two autonomous provinces inside the Socialist Republic of Serbia: the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo.
G
Gaj (Ljudevit) Croatian linguist, politician and writer who initiates a common language between Serbs and Croats in the 19th century. He builds this project along with the Serb Vuk Karadžić.
Great Depression The historical period starting from the economic krach of 1929 to the beginning of world war 2.
Greater Albania A projection of a territory gathering all the places where Albanians historically lived and currently live in majority, mostly used as a geographic tool and sometimes in the nationalist rhetoric in Kosovo (where the population is mostly Albanian). It especially questions the administrative status of Kosovo, which is both considered as an independant country and a Serbian province.
Greater Croatia Territory project aiming to gather all the places where Croats historically lived and currently live in majority, especially mentionned in nationalist rhetoric.
Greater Serbia Territory project aiming to gather all the places where Serbs historically lived and currently live in majority, especially mentionned in nationalist rhetoric.
H
Hitler (Adolf) Chancellor of Germany from 1934 to 1945, he implements the Nazi ideology and initiates the Shoah.
Hoxha (Enver) First Secretary of the Party of Labor in Albania from 1941 to his death in 1985. Authoritarian leader of Albania who implements a policy similar to Stalin's one in USSR (radical socialist measures and strong control over the population). Dies in 1985.
I
Illyrians Named after the ancient communities living in the Balkans. Movement of the beginning and mid-19th century aiming to gather the South Slavic ethnicities around a common language, and oppose the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Mostly implemented by Croatian, Serbian and Slovenian intellectuals.
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) From the 19th century to 1934, an organization operating for the independance of the Macedonian territories (whether they're claimed by Macedonians, Bulgarians, Greeks or Albanians).
K
Kachaks Name meaning "bandits" in Serb and given to the Albanians in the 19th and beginning of the 20th century who attack caravans and individuals in the Balkans. During the first Yugoslavia, name given to the armed opponents to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Karađorđević The name of the Serbian dynasty ruling Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1941.
Karadžić (Vuk) Serbian linguist and writer who initiates a common language between Serbs and Croats in the 19th century. He builds this project along with the Croat Ljudevit Gaj.
Khrushchev (Nikita) Leader of the USSR from 1953 to 1964, after Stalin. He implements a de-Stalinization policy.
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes First name of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1929.
Komsomol From 1918 to 1991, organisation of the young communists from 14 years old to 28 years old. It comes after the Pioneer movement dedicated to kids from 9 to 14 years old, which itself comes after the Little Octobrists (from age 7 to 9). It usually consists on gathering young people in camps during summer for agrarian labour and learning of Soviet values.
Kosovo war In 1999, war opposing the Serbian army, the Serbs of Kosovo on one side and the Albanian Kosovar and the paramilitary organization UÇK on the other side for the independance of Kosovo. Albanian Kosovars represent about 90% of the population in Kosovo and relate the region to the Albanian Kosovar identity.
L
League of Communists Created in 1919 (known as "Communist Party" until 1952), founding, ruling and unique party of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia lead by a president. Each federation within Yugoslavia also has its own League of Communists with its own president.
Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich) Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1923. He is one of the leader of the revolution of 1917 in Russia, and implements socialism and contributes to create the USSR. Dies in 1923.
Little Octobrists From 1918 to 1991, organisation of the young communists from 7 years old to 9 years old. It comes before the Pioneer movement dedicated to kids from 9 to 14 years old and the Komsomol (from age 14 to 28). It usually consists on activities organized by teachers in schools to learn about Soviet values.
M
Maček (Vladko) Leader of the CPP between 1928 and 1964.
Marxism A philosophy established by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. It suggests that capitalism creates a class conflict opposing the bourgeoisie and the working class. This class conflict leads to the uprising of the workers and thus to a classless society where the means of production would be held collectively as opposed to being privately owned.
Milošević (Slobodan) President of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1986 to 1997, held as one of the main responsible of the crimes committed against Bosnians, Croatians and Kosovars during the wars for independance in the early 1990's in Yugoslavia.
Mussolini (Benito) Duce of Italy from 1943 to 1945, he's the founder of fascism that he initiates in Italy.
N
Nation In its modern terms (end of the 18th century), a community of humans reunited around a will to live together and the consciousness of a collective identity. It is also embodied by an institutional structure.
Nationalism
Nazism An ideology implemented by Hitler in Germany during the first half of the 20th century that lead to a totalitarist regime. It is based on the hierarchy between races established without any scientific ground. In this system, the "Aryans" (in Nazism, a category of people coming from northern Europe with genetic traits such as blue eyes and blond hair) are on top of the hierarchy, which justifies any sort of political violence toward the other races. It lead to the Shoah.
NKVD Name of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (interior ministry) of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. Powerful and repressive administration in charge, among others, of the administration of the gulags and labor camps and of the secret police.
North Kosovo Region located in the north west of Kosovo with a Serb Kosovar majority (whereas the country's largest ethnicity is Albanian). Its main municipality is North Kosovska Mitrovica (" North Mitrovica" in Albanian).
O
Ottoman Empire Empire that exists from the 13th century to 1922, considered as the Turkish Empire. At the end of the 16th century, its borders extend to Northern Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Middle East.
P
Partisans Communist Anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito from 1941 to 1945.
Pašić (Nikola) Serbian Prime Minister (1912-1918) and then Yugoslavian Prime Minister (1918-1926). He signs the Corfu Declaration and negociates to empower the Serbian institutions in the future Yugoslavia.
Pavelić (Ante) Croatian, creates the Ustaches in 1929.
Pioneer movement From 1918 to 1991, organisation of the young communists from 9 years old to 14 years old. It comes before the Komsomol dedicated to people from 14 to 28 years old and after the Little Octobrists (from age 7 to 9). It usually consists on gathering young people in camps during summer for agrarian labour and learning of Soviet values.
Pravda Main newspaper of USSR created by Lenin in 1912 and edited by the Communist Party. It is dissolved by the Russian president Boris Elstine after the collapse of USSR but is bought by some of its former editors. It now belongs to the current Communist Party in Russia and opposes the president Vladimir Putin.
Presidency of Yugoslavia From 1971 to 1992, name given to the collective head of State in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Its most famous president was Josip Broz Tito.
Pribićević (Svetozar) Serbian politician of the beginning of the 20th century, he negociates to empower the Serbian institutions within Yugoslavia.
Princip (Gavrilo) Nationalist Serb student from Bosnia&Herzegovina, shots the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (Bosnia&Herzegovina) which triggers world war 1.
R
Račić (Puniša) Montenegrin deputee who assassinates Radić in 1928.
Radić (Stjepan) Croatian politician from the 20th century who founds the Croatian Peasant Party (CPP). He's opposed to the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (furtherly named Yugoslavia) that may weaken the Croatian institutions. He's assassinated at the Parliament of the Kingdom in 1928.
Red Army Officially named "Workers' and Peasants' Red Army", the army of USSR from 1917 to 1946.
S
Self determination A principle from the US president Wilson stated in his Fourteen Points and being the result of the nationalist awareness in Europe starting at the end of the 18th century. Also a principle in international law. It establishes the right of a group of people to determine their will to live together and to choose their State and government.
September Constitution The second Constitution of Yugoslavia in 1931. It gives more power to the Serbian king as a reaction to the Croatian opposition to a kingdom centralized around Serbia.
Sigurumi State intelligence and secret police of Albania from 1944 to 1991.
Socialism
Spomenik Monuments erected all across Yugoslavia during Tito's presidency to celebrate the victory of the Partisans during world war 2.
Stalin (Joseph) Born in Georgia, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1952 after Lenin. He implements a radical socialist State and a strong control over his population (labor camps, powerful intelligence service...). Dies in 1953.
T
Tito (Josip Broz) Leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (called "Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia" from 1945 to 1963) from 1945 to 1980.
Tito-Stalin split Diplomatic break up between Stalin's USSR and Tito's Yugoslavia in 1948, on account of Tito's project of an extensive Balkan socialist federation that Stalin perceives as a threat to USSR.
Totalitarism A political regime where there is one unique party and where private activities are controlled by the State in the name of an ideology. It doesn't allow any opposition.
Trumbić (Ante) Croatian politician of the 20th century in favor of the creation of Yugoslavia. He creates the Yugoslav Committee and signs the Corfu Declaration in 1915.
U
UÇK Kosovo Liberation Army. Paramilitary organization created in 1991 and especially active during the war for the independance of Kosovo in 1999.
Ustaches Croatian fascist, ultranationalist and para-military movement created by Ante Pavelić in 1929 and officially ending after world war 2.
V
Vidovdan Constitution First Constitution of the Kindgom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1921. It centralizes the power around Belgrade and limits the power of Croats.
Y
Yugoslavian Committee In 1915, political interest group created by some Croats and promoting a South-Slavic nation (which will become Yugoslavia).