Political relations between Russia and Serbia, no matter how these countries were called in different historical periods, developed in different ways. The eventful XX century was no exception, when two fraternal Slavic peoples managed to demonstrate to the world community both their unity and find themselves on opposite sides of the barricades.
Rejection of communism
The first time a sharp break in the strong Russian-Serbian ties that began in the 19th century during the famous Balkan Wars, when the Russian Empire helped liberate the Serbs from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire, occurred immediately after the First World War.
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, formed on December 1, 1918, after the fall of Austria-Hungary, refused to recognize the Bolshevik revolution that took place in Russia in 1917. Having a negative attitude to communist ideas, the authorities of the Balkan neoplasm, through their Prime Minister Stoyan Protic, established contact with the Omsk government of Admiral Kolchak in May 1919 and notified him of his recognition as the legitimate ruler of Russia by an official note. By the way, no other state in the world officially had diplomatic relations with the participants of the White movement.
An ardent anti-communist king Alexander I Karadjordievich opened the doors of his country for 70 thousand White emigrants, including for Peter Wrangel, allowing him to organize a Russian paramilitary organization in a foreign land.
In 1929, the Balkan state changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, however, it was not going to modify its foreign policy. The Yugoslavs ignored the USSR, both in the 1920s, when it was recognized by almost all states of the world, and in 1934, remaining the only corner of the Balkan Peninsula that did not have diplomatic ties with the country of the Soviets.
Only in 1940 did the Kingdom of Yugoslavia change its position when, facing the threat of a brown plague, its new leaders nevertheless resigned themselves to the existence of the USSR and signed an agreement with it on military assistance in the event of an attack by Hitler.
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Conflict for primacy
Relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR, which had improved during the Second World War, flourished in 1945, when the communist Josip Broz Tito came to power in the country. However, instead of the expected mutual understanding between the allies in the ideological camp, contradictions began to grow. The reason for the constant conflicts lay in Tito's unwillingness to obey Stalin and turn into his puppet. The Yugoslav leader dreamed of creating an independent communist state under his leadership, which would include all the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, including Bulgaria and Albania, and Joseph Vissarionovich, pursuing the same goals, did not want to let go of the reins and give freedom of action to a like-minded person. The ally, who was striving for independence in the international arena, was not profitable for him, and therefore, by 1948, their relationship had seriously deteriorated.
Greek map
One of the grounds for friction between Yugoslavia and the USSR was Tito's unveiled support of the Greek communists, despite the fact that Stalin was extremely unhappy with this step, because he feared that it could lead to an increase in military tension and confrontation with capitalist countries in the region. The Soviet leader called on his Yugoslav counterpart to stop sponsoring the Greek rebels, who, in turn, did not listen to him, seeking to pursue an independent policy.
Subsequently, Tito, who had established in opposition to the USSR, relations with the United States, under pressure from the Americans, still stopped helping the Greek communists.
Bulgarian lunge
Bulgaria, which surrendered to the mercy of the Germans during the Second World War and provided them with its territory for the deployment of troops, became another stumbling block in Soviet-Yugoslav relations. Historian Konstantin Nikiforov noted that Tito, without informing the Soviet authorities, on August 7, 1947, independently signed an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries with the Bulgarian leader Georgy Dimitrov. Stalin's anger was caused by the fact that this document entered into force before the peace treaty concluded between the USSR and Bulgaria began to operate.
Trieste
Destroying the idea of the leading role of the USSR in the communist world, Yugoslavia tripped it up in the question of the status of Trieste. Without consulting the Soviet leadership, Tito decided to personally solve the problem of this disputed territory, trying to revise the peace treaty with Italy.
On the evening of March 21, 1948, notifying of their intentions to the Charge d'Affaires of the USSR in Yugoslavia Dmitry Armeninov, the Yugoslavs the next day announced to the governments of Great Britain, France and the United States of their readiness to compromise on the fate of Trieste, and to conclude a pact of friendship with the Italian authorities and non-aggression.
By this unfriendly act and unwillingness to consult with the Kremlin, Tito not only once again demonstrated his independent position to the world community, but also gave a signal to the Western powers that in some matters they can count on his support.
The disobedience of the Balkan marshal was the reason for the breakdown by the USSR of the Agreement on Mutual Consultation on Important International Issues, as well as the recall of all Soviet army representatives from Yugoslavia.
In the same year, Tito lost his birthday card from the government of the USSR, and an abyss lay in relations between the two countries.
Surprise for Americans
Yugoslavia's disobedience, which caused a split in the communist camp, came as a real surprise to the Western coalition. At first, analysts considered Tito's demarche to be a planned action by the Kremlin, but then they became more and more convinced that the Balkan country simply got out of Stalin's control, which means that it can and should be used for their own purposes aimed at undermining the world influence of the USSR.
American diplomat George Kennan called Tito "the most valuable asset in the struggle to contain and weaken Russian expansion", which, as a member of the communist family, attacks it from the inside and destroys it to the delight of the West.
At the same time, the political scientist did not advise politicians to perceive the Yugoslav leader as a friend, since he did not renounce his hostile attitude towards the capitalist structure of society. It is for this reason that Belgrade was cautiously drawn into the sphere of Western influence, each time receiving a signal that closer cooperation is possible only with a change in the political regime.
However, this fact did not prevent the United States from helping Tito to stay in power and from signing a whole package of agreements with Yugoslavia on the settlement of economic issues.
By questioning Stalin's ability to keep its ideological allies in its cage, Yugoslavia dealt a blow to the reputation of the Soviet Union, which on September 27, 1949 denounced the Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Assistance and Cooperation concluded with it.
Ashkhen Avanesova