Containing Tito : US and Soviet policies towards Yugoslavia and the Balkans

Abstract

This thesis examines the early Cold War in the Balkans by bringing historical and regional factors into play. In particular, it focuses on the plans for a Balkan federation and the Balkan Pact. The major actor in these cooperation attempts was Yugoslavia, and it was a privileged state in its relations with the superpowers. By putting Yugoslavia into the centre of analysis, this thesis reconsiders this period and the influence of these two regional alliances upon the regional and Cold War relations. Balkan federation plans were the extension of historical tendencies of the contributing parties. Balkan Pact was completely a Cold War tool but its demise was triggered by non-Cold War reasons rooted in the regional relations. Early Cold War in the Balkans should be studied by treating the role of historical and regional factors as equal with the superpower policies.