YUGOSLAV NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY IN 1944-1945

Abstract

At the end of World War II, the newly established communist regime in Yugoslavia sought to take full advantage of its power and extend its sphere of influence across this part of Europe. The strategy of the Yugoslav regime towards neighboring countries encompassed territorial claims as well as the idea of unification with Bulgaria and Albania. The Yugoslav regime often tried to legitimize such attempts by insisting on the inferior status of Yugoslav ethnic minorities in the neighboring countries. The struggle of the Yugoslav regime aiming to extend its influence over Southeastern Europe was met with resistance from the great powers. The British and Americans were anything but ready to allow the strengthening of Yugoslav power, perceiving Yugoslavia as a Soviet proxy in the Balkans. In addition, Moscow did not want to jeopardize its relations with its Western allies by supporting Yugoslav projects in Southeastern Europe, which significantly contributed to the fiasco of the ambitious plans of Tito’s regime in the mid-1940s.