Between Democracy and Dictatorship: Serbian Society in the Yugoslav State during the 20th century

Subject of the research under this project will be the development of the Serbian society in 20th century within frame of the Yugoslav state, with special emphasis on the issue of organization of the state and development processes in the society. It was a dynamic period in which the state dramatically changed its borders, disappeared and resurrected on a couple of occasions, and granted its former statehood for the Yugoslav project. Such changes had a political impact on the development of the society, where violence remained distinctive and constant. Serbian society passed through several authoritarian regimes, often with devastating consequences. Attempts to move the Serbian society from the European periphery by using shortcuts and sideways have led to unsuccessful outcomes. Wars and foreign conquests, repression and political struggles produced adverse effects for the everyday life in Serbia, making it sometimes a turbulent and in many periods uncertain environment. Complete analysis of the whole range of political tendencies, cultural and social streams, institutional and personal pre-requisitions that marked the historical path of the Serbian society in the 20th century, should lead to some systematical findings and results. Such project results should act as a basis for the comparison between the developmental phase of the Serbian society and other societies/states in the region and Europe itself.