Ethnic nationalism or tribal enemies? National impulses and Separatist tendencies among the south Slavs through 1914

At the end of the twenty-first century Yugoslavia was torn apart by vicious ethnic rivalries. Many observers made light of the ancient origins of these rivalries and, in so doing, cast doubts on the wisdom of ever having created a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-faith state such as Yugoslavia. Through the use of primary sources from the turn of the century, as well as a vast array of secondary sources, this thesis seeks to debunk the myth of ancient hatreds and critically examine the movement towards Yugoslav unity. In chapters tracing the histories of the Yugoslav peoples and their respective periods of national awakenings, the rise of a distinctly Yugoslav nationalism is chronicled. Substantive chapters on variations in language, education and religion address the separatist tendencies inherent in such differences as well attempts to minimalize these variants in order to construct a coherent Yugoslav nationalism. In the end it is found that up to and beyond 1914 there was substantial reason to believe that a unified Yugoslav state could succeed and thrive.