The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia wasn't just an illusion for the Slavic people of the Balkans. It was real. It was the deepest wish of all South Slavs who lived under the occupation of the Ottoman or Austro-Hungarian Empires, or those who lived in central Serbia. It all started with Ilija Garašanin's Načertanije.
During the reign of Knez Aleksandar Karađorđević-the very son of Karađorđe, father of the beloved King Peter I, and grandfather of King Aleksandar I-Serbia and Montenegro went through a lot during the 19th century: many wars, and more importantly, modernization. Their momentum culminated when they freed the parts of the Balkans under Ottoman rule during the Balkan Wars and secured their independence in 1878.
But then came the blood of World War I. WWI was a disaster. The once-mighty Austro-Hungarian and German Empires collapsed under the resilience of small countries like Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece. Though France and the UK helped, the Balkan people were responsible for freeing the Balkans and winning WWI against mighty empires with their own blood.
Yet, even though Yugoslavia was made post-1918, the peace was a fragile thing. Destined to crumble at one point. And that would be the fall of Yugoslavia.