Issue: 1/2019

MILITARY‐ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND THE USA DURING THE POST‐VIETNAM PERIOD

Authors:
Tatjana Milošević

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Friction in relations between Yugoslavia and the United States were not caused mainly by mutual disputes, but by different views on the crises around the world (i.e., the war in Vietnam, Middle East Crisis, Panama, and Chile). The Yugoslav establishment claimed the U.S. was a key factor in the destabilization and execution of coups d ’etat in some Non‐Aligned countries. The two states were separated further by the Yugoslav ideology. Negative trends in Yugoslav‐American relations were caused by Washington and Belgrade’s different views on causes and solving the devastating results of the world economic crisis, as well as aggressive policies of anti‐Yugoslav immigration to the United States. However, despite all of these limiting factors, there was continuous economic and military cooperation between the two countries. T‐ he U.S. at least partially took over the role of sophisticated military equipment and arms supplier. At the same time, the two nations created the conditions for more intensive bilateral military cooperation and to support Yugoslavia to build its own military industry. In order to assist in consolidating the Yugoslav economy, the U.S. supported adequate economic and financial assistance, thus preventing the destabilization of Tito’s regime.