Timeline of the breakup of Yugoslavia

The Breakup of Yugoslavia is said to have begun with the death of Josip Broz Tito on 4 May, 1980 and ended when the two remaining republics (SR Serbia and SR Montenegro) still committed to a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 27 April, 1992. This timeline deals with the events of that time period.

1980

Date	Event
4 May	Death of Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito. Presidency of 9 members assumes power, containing one member from each constituent republic and province, with the ninth place taken by president of the Presidium of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia

1981

Date	Event
11 March	Protests calling for Kosovo to become a constituent republic inside Yugoslavia, as opposed to an autonomous province of Serbia, begin.
2 April	Presidency sends special forces to stop the demonstrations and declares a state of emergency in regards to Kosovo
3 April	End of demonstrations.

1983

Date	Event
1983	Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church sign a petition against the persecution of Serbs in Kosovo

1985

Date	Event
1 May	Kosovo resident Đorđe Martinović tells the Yugoslav National Army that he has been raped with a bottle by strangers of Albanian nationality. This event leads to a Serbian outcry about persecution of Serbs in Kosovo.
25 May	The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts makes a decision to create a memorandum about political, economic, and cultural areas of debate (among others).
20 July	Presidency of SFRY accepts a report by Milan Kučan which states that the right of the Serbian nation to create own state is not fully fulfilled because of the autonomy of the provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina.
28 May	Slobodan Milošević is elected to the position of president of the League of Communists of Serbia.

1986

Date	Event
24 September	Večernje Novosti leak the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
25 September	President of Serbia Ivan Stambolić is criticises the Memorandum, stating: "It is a deadly chauvinist war manifest for Serbist commissars"

1987

Date	Event
24 April	Slobodan Milošević delivers a speech about Kosovo to a crowd of 15,000 Serbs and Montenegrins, telling them: "You will not be beaten". Later that evening, Serbian television aired the video of Milošević. President of Serbia Ivan Stambolić will later say that after watching this video he has seen "the end of Yugoslavia".
2/3 September	JNA soldier of Albanian nationality kills 4 other JNA soldiers and wounds 7 others
10 September	Reform of the Serbian constitution
24 September	During 8th Session of the League of Communists of Serbia, Milošević defeats, Ivan Stambolić, who later resigns.

1988

Date	Event
1988	Number of presidency members reduced to 8; presidency position for the president of the Presidium of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia is abolished.
12 February	Committee of Serbian academics demands creation of a "Serbian Autonomous Oblast" in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
15 May	SFRY minister of defence Admiral Branko Mamula is fired because of his opposition to Milošević. Veljko Kadijević takes his place as the new minister.
31 May - 4 June	JNA captures Janez Janša and 3 other persons in Slovenia. Accusation is made about the discovery of a "state secret". The arrests provoke a national outcry in Slovenia.
4 October	Crowd of people gather in Bačka Palanka to protest against the provincial government of Vojvodina.
5 October	Under the control of Slobodan Milošević, Mihalj Kertes and 150,000 men from Bačka Palanka and the rest of Serbia enter Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, and to support protests against the government of Vojvodina
6 October	After the JNA refuses to disperse crowd or protect the parliament building in Novi Sad, the entire parliament of Vojvodina resigns and is replaced with politicians loyal to Milošević. The structure of the Presidency of Yugoslavia changes, by effectively giving Serbia 2 votes out of 8.
Autumn	Montenegrin police intervene against protesters in Žuta Greda and proclaim a state of emergency. This is seen by Serbia as an act of hostility
17 October	Failed attempt of Stipe Šuvar to kick out Slobodan Milošević from the Yugoslav Central Committee.
17 November	Resignation of Kosovo provincial government; politicians loyal to Slobodan Milošević installed. This event triggers the first of many demonstrations by ethnic Albanians. Structure of the Presidency changes again, Serbia effectively having 3 votes out of 8.
18 November	Massive rally held in Belgrade of almost one million people in support of the Milošević policy.

1989

Date	Event
10 January	Over 100,000 protesters gather in Titograd to protest the regional government of Montenegro. Members resign the next day; new leadership consists of Momir Bulatović, Milo Đukanović and Svetozar Marović, strongly allied with Milošević. Structure of Yugoslav presidency effectively hands Serbia 4 out of 8 votes (remaining votes belong to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia)
20 February	Albanian workers in Trepca mine (near Kosovska Mitrovica) go on strike.
27 February	Yugoslav presidency declares a state of emergency in Kosovo due to Albanian protests.
3 March	Arrest of Azem Vllasi
4 March	Serbian Writers Association discusses hate towards Serbs in Croatia, Kosovo and Slovenia. At this meeting Vuk Drašković mentions "Serbian western frontiers"
16 March	Slobodan Milošević rejects position of Yugoslav Prime Minister which had been offered by Minister of Defence Veljko Kadijević
28 March	With the Serbian change of constitution, Yugoslav provinces Vojvodina and Kosovo have autonomy abolished .
8 May	Slobodan Milošević becomes president of Serbia.
17 June	Creation of the Croatian Democratic Union in Croatia
28 June	Slobodan Milošević delivers the Gazimestan speech to maybe 2 000 000 Serbs in which he speaks about the possibility of future "armed battles"
14 September	At a meeting of the Serbian Writers Association in Belgrade, Vuk Drašković asks for the creation of a Serbian Krajina in Croatia
27 September	Slovenia ammends its constitution in the name of greater autonomy inside Yugoslavia
29 September	Demonstrations in Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Vojvodina against Slovenian constitutional ammendments
20 October	Presidency of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina discovers actions of the Serbian Secret Service in Bosnian territory
30 October	Beginning of court proceedings against Azem Vllasi and other Kosovar politicians.
3 November	During Albanian demonstrations in Kosovo police uses force and some demonstrators are killed.
20 November	Slovenia refuses to allow demonstrations of Serbs and Montenegrins in Ljubljana. In line with this decision, Croatia has declared that it will not allow people from Serbia and Montenegro, travelling to Slovenia for December 1 demonstrations, to cross its territory.
29 November	Serbia begins an economic blockade of Slovenia.
1 December	Less than 100 people turn up at a protest in Slovenia. Police disperse the crowd.
10 December	Secret meeting of Croatian and Slovenian presidents
13 December	Ivica Račan becomes president of the Croatian Communist Party against the wishes of the Yugoslav Army
31 December	Slobodan Milošević decides to stop sending electrical power to residents of Croatia. Italian foreign minister Gianni de Michelis is calls Croats and Slovenes extremist without any chance to enter Europe outside Yugoslavia

1990

Date	Event
1 January	Start of Ante Marković (prime minister from 17 March 1989) economic program
20 January	Last Congress of Communist League of Yugoslavia
22 January	Slovenian and few minutes latter Croatian delegats are leaving Congress of Communist League of Yugoslavia
24 January	New Albanian popular protests on Kosovo. Demands has been :end of state of war and liberation of Albanian leaders.
26 January	Yugoslav minister of defence is demanding raise in military personnel in Slovenia. JNA is creating military plans of actions for territory with nationaly mixed population (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia).
29 January	General strike in Kosovo
31 January	Decision of Yugoslav presidency about sending of JNA on Kosovo to restore order.
14 February	Croatian parliament has changed laws to allow Multi-party system.
16 February	Zdravko Mustač chief of UDBA is declaring that HDZ will start Serb pogrom 48 hours after election wictory
17 February	Creation of Serb Democratic Party in Knin, Croatia
25 February	Franjo Tuđman is elected for HDZ president.
4 March	Protest of 50 000 Serbs from Croatia and Serbia on Petrova Gora. Demand has been "territorial integrity of Yugoslavia" and "against Franjo Tuđman Ustaša".
10 March	BBC is speaking against bad situation between Croats and Serbs and tensions created after Serbs demands on Petrova Gora
17 March	Duško Čubrilović of Serbian nationality has tried to kill Franjo Tuđman, on a election meeting in Benkovac.
21 March	Serbs around Zadar are creating nights guards which are controling even bus lines.
26 March	Meeting between Serbian leadership about situation in Yugoslavia. Agreement is that war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is not possible to avoid.
30 March	Meeting of League of Communists of Yugoslavia without members from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia.
3 April	members of Croatian police are withdrawn from Kosovo
8 april	First multiparty elections in Slovenia. Winners are DEMOS coalition and for president elected is communist Milan Kučan
10 April	Croatia: Serbs create the of "Association of municipalities from northern Dalmatia" in Knin.
22 April	First multiparty elections in Croatia. Winner is HDZ which is taking 193 of 365 parliament places.
26 April	Meeting between Borisav Jović, future president of presidency, and minister of defence Veljko Kadijević, where he is reporting that JNA is ready for action in Slovenia and Croatia
17 May	JNA is starting to disarm territorial defense of Slovenia and Croatia. Because of Slovenian refusal disarming has failed in this republic
26 May	Creation of SDA in Bosnia and Herzegovina
30 May	Croatian parliament has elected Franjo Tuđman for president position and Stipe Mesić for position of prime minister. Serb Democratic Party of Jovan Rašković has broken all relationship with Croatian parliament.
30 May	Vojislav Šešelj is saying in newspaper Svet:"Border of our Serbia is not Drina. Drina is Serbian river which is going through center of Serbia"
6 June	City of Knin parliament is proposing creation of Association of municipalities of Northern Dalmatia and Lika.
8 June	JNA is creating new brigades in regions of Zagreb, Knin, Banja Luka and Herzegovina
27 June	Creation of Association of municipalities of Northern Dalmatia and Lika in Knin
28 June	Slobodan Milošević is speaking to Yugoslav president of presidency Borisav Jović about his thinking: "breakup of Croatia need to be done in such way so that Association of municipalities of Northern Dalmatia and Lika stay on our side of border".
30 June	Vladimir Šeks, vicepresident of Croatian parliament is speaking that SFRY need to become confederation.
1 July	Milan Babić is speaking in village Kosovo near Knin (Croatia) about future creation of SAO Krajina.
1 July	Parliament of Slovenia has voted declaration of independence (but independence is not proclaimed)
2 July	Kosovo parliament declares Kosovo an independent country, the Republic of Kosova. Recognized by nobody but Albania.
5 July	Parliament of Serbia has abolished parliament of Kosovo because of 2 July decision.
20 July	Parliament of Serbia has changed election laws to allow first multiparty elections.
25 July	Parliamet of Croatia has voted for constitutional changes in which word Socialist from Croatian name is deleted and it has cleared way for future confederation of independent states about which Vladimir Šeks has spoken on 30 June. Serb Democratic Party of Croatia has proclaimed declaration of independence of Serbs in Croatia and creation of Serbian National Council
30 July	In place Berak near Vukovar there has been attack on members of HDZ.
31 July	On first meeting of Serbian National Council in Croatia decision is made that referendum is needed for Serbian autonomy in Croatia. Milan Babić is elected president of council
31 July	Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina has changed constitution so this republic has officialy become home of Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.
5 August	Creation of Serbian Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
13 August	Delegation of Serbs from Knin under presidency of Milan Babić has come in Belgrade on meeting with Yugoslav president of presidency Borisav Jović and Yugoslav minister of interior Petar Gračanin. Borisav Jović has declared that municipalities will decide if they will stay in Yugoslavia or not.
17 August	Serbs of "Krajina" raised baricades on key roads around Knin. Start of Log revolution
18 August	Creation of Croatian Democratic Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina
20 August	Yugoslav government and JNA is demanding that Croatia do not take actions against Serbs rebels in so-called Krajina.
24 August	Croatian president Franjo Tuđman is asking for meeting with Serbian president Slobodan Milošević.
30 August	Croatian constitutional court has declared that "Association of municipalities from northern Dalmatia and Lika" is against constitution so they are de jure abolished.
3 September	Albanians are starting general strike on Kosovo.
3 September	Ivan Zvonimir Čičak i Marinko Božić are creating Croatian Patriotic Organization in Herzegovina. Because of black uniforms similar to Croatian Quisling forces during WWII members are called Ustaše by Serbian press.
7 September	Josip Boljkovac Croatian minister of internal affairs has given ultimatum to rebels from Krajina region to stop all actions against constitution of Croatia and to return arms until 12 September in 12:00 hours.
9 September	Serb Democratic Party has demanded protection of Yugoslav presidency.
12 September	Serbian radio Knin is asking that citizens stop returning arms to Croatia government.
18 September	failed "coup" inside Bosniaks Party of Democratic Action.
19 September	Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina has voted to stay inside SFRY.
26 September	Serbs from Pakrac, Petrinja and Sisak (in Croatia) has started to block road traffic.
28 September	Constitution of Serbia is beeing changed : cancellation of autonomy for Vojvodina and Kosovo but members position in Presidency of Yugoslavia has not been abolished !
30 September	Serbian National Council in Croatia that Serbian people has voted on referendum (which has been declared illegal by Croatia) for Serbian autonomy inside Croatia which is inside Yugoslavia.
1 October	Serbian National Council has proclaimed Creation of Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina in Croatia.
1 October	George Bush has in his meeting with Yugoslav president of presidency given full support to Yugoslavia
3 October	Croatia and Slovenia are giving offer to Yugoslav presidency for creation of Yugoslav confederation
4 October	Slovenian parliament has abolished 27 Yugoslav laws on Slovenian territory.
11 October	Vojvodina oil company Naftagas has taken control of Croatian oil company propriety in self proclaimed Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina
16 October	On Yugoslav presidency meeting Croatia and Slovenia has again demanded creation of Yugoslav confederation. Representatives from all other republics has voted against proposition.
23 October	Serbian parliament has voted for taxes on goods from Croatia and Slovenia.
26 October	Slobodan Milošević is asking for military actions only against Croatia and "only" in territory where are Serbs.
18 November	First multiparty election in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Party of Democratic Action (shortcut SDA) (party of Bosnian muslims) has received 86 seats (35 %), Serbian Democratic Party (SDP) 72 (29 %), Croatian Democratis Union (HDZ) 44 (18%). In Bosnia and Herzegovina presidency SDA has received 3 seats and SDP 2.
22 November	Meeting between Croatian and Slovenian president about future independence
25 November	[[VMRO–DPMNE is winner of first multiparty elections in Republic of Macedonia with 37 seats in parliament. Communists has received "only" 31 seat.
28 November	Meeting between Janez Drnovšek slovenian ex president of Yugoslav presidency (until May 1990) and president of Yugoslav presidency Borisav Jović in which Slovenia has received green light for leaving Yugoslavia.
29 November	Arkan of paramilitary Serb Volunteer Guard is arrested in Croatia and soon he will be released.
3 December	Strongly divided between priest which support or oppose Slobodan Milošević Serbian Orthodox Church for new leader bishop Pavle from Kosovo.
7 December	Yugoslav minister of defense Veljko Kadijević has from Belgrade television attacked current Croatian leadership for recreation of fascism and genocide against Serbs.
9 December	Slobodan Milošević Socialist Party of Serbia is winner of first Serbian multiparty and he is elected for president with 65.35 % of votes.
9 December	League of Communists of Montenegro is winner of first Montenegro multiparty elections.
21 December	Milan Babić has proclaimed SAO Krajina.
22 December	Croatian parliament has voted for new constitution. In new constitution Croatia has become home of Croats and other nations. In older constitution Croatia has been home of Croats... Parliament visitors during vote has been Milan Kučan president of Slovenia and Alija Izetbegović president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
23 December	Socialist Party of Serbia has received 192 out of 250 seats in Serbian parliament.
23 December	Momir Bulatović which has received his position after January coup is elected president of Montenegro with 76.9 % of votes.
26 December	Serbia has taken from Yugoslav Central Bank 1.8 billion US dollars (2.5 billion Deutsche Mark) in local currency (Yugoslav dinar) . Under pressure of other republics and World Bank 1.5 thousand million Deutsche Mark has been returned
31 December	Constitutional court of Croatia has declared that in legal sense SAO Krajina do not exist.

1991

Date	Event
15 March	Slobodan Milošević is declaring on Serbian state television:"Yugoslavia do not exist anymore"
31 March	Bloody Easter at Plitvice:first victim amoung Croats
2 May	The Borovo Selo killings
19 May	referendum for independence in Croatia -94.17 % votes FOR
25 August	begins the Siege of Vukovar
8 October	Croatia declares independence
25 June	Croatian makes a constitutional decision about independence
25 June	Slovenia declares independence
8 September	Macedonia declares independence
7 October	Banski dvori are beeing attacked by rockets of Yugoslav People's Army
7 October	Croatian Parliament declares independence from Yugoslavia
13 October	Radovan Karadžić is saying to Momčilo Mandić:"In just a couple of days, Sarajevo will be gone and there will be five hundred thousand dead, in one month Muslims will be annihilated in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
15 October	Radovan Karadžić is saying to Miodrag Davidović and Luka Karadžić:"In the first place no one of their leadership (Bosniaks) would stay alive, in three, four hours they'd all be killed. They wouldn't have a chance to survive at all"
21 October	Serbian paramilitary forces in Croatia commit Baćin massacre
18-21 November	Vukovar massacre at Ovčara
30 September	referendum for independence in Kosovo -majority for independence. Serbia does not accept it.
12-13 December	Serbian paramilitary forces in Croatia commit Voćin massacre

1992

Date	Event
9 January	Bosnian Serbs declared establishment of their own republic, effective from date of international recognition of Bosnia.
15 January	EC recognised Slovenia and Croatia.
21 February	UNSCR 743 set up a Protection Force (UNPROFOR), mandated to create three IJN Protected Areas (UNPAs) in Croatia.
29 February	Referendum on independence held in Bosnia. Majority of Muslims and Croats in favour, majority of Serbs boycotted it.
1 April	Paramilitaries from Serbia 'ethnically cleansed' the Bosnian town of Bijeljina.
7 April	EC recognised Bosnia.'Assembly of the Serbian Nation of Bosnia-Hercegovina' proclaimed an independent Bosnian Serb Republic, which was later named 'Republika Srpska (RS)'.
27 April	Formal end of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with proclamation of new Constitution approved by "Federal assembly" for Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), consisting of Serbia and Montenegro.

For later events see the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia timeline.