Brotherhood and unity[a] was a popularslogan of theLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia that was coined during theYugoslav People's Liberation War (1941–45), and which evolved into a guiding principle ofYugoslavia's post-war inter-ethnic policy.[1] InSlovenia, the slogan "Brotherhood and Peace" (bratstvo in mir) was used in the beginning.[2]
After theinvasion of Yugoslavia by theAxis powers in April 1941, the occupying powers and certain collaborator entities sought to incite hatred among the various national, ethnic and religious groups of Yugoslavia.[3]
After the war, the slogan designated the officialpolicy of inter-ethnic relations in theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as embodied in itsfederal constitutions of 1963 andof 1974.[4][5] The policy prescribed that Yugoslavia's nations (Serbs,Macedonians,Croats,Slovenes,Montenegrins,Bosniaks) and national minorities (Albanians,Hungarians,Romanians,Bulgarians,Jews,Italians,Pannonian Rusyns,Ukrainians and others) are equal groups that coexist peacefully in the federation. Every individual was entitled to the expression of their own culture, while the ethnic groups had an oath to one another to maintain peaceful relations. Citizens were also encouraged and allowed to declare their nationality as Yugoslav, which usually polled at 10%.
Yugoslavia had a decoration called theOrder of the Brotherhood and Unity.[6]
Several prominent persons from former Yugoslavia were convicted for going against the ideals. Among them were Serbian radicalVojislav Šešelj,[7] former presidents ofBosnia and Herzegovina (Alija Izetbegović) andCroatia (Franjo Tuđman andStjepan Mesić),[8][9] and others. OneKosovar Albanian,Adem Demaçi, was imprisoned and accused of nationalist machinations.[8]
