I don’t know the answer to your question. The history is more complicated than that. I think what matters most is the culture. It’s much deeper, and much harde

I don’t know the answer to your question. The history is more complicated than that. I think what matters most is the culture. It’s much deeper, and much harder to change, than ideology or politics. Historically, people living here were free, and they were and still are willing to fight for their freedom. They accidentally started WW1 this way, but that’s another story. I think that’s the root cause why Yugoslavia refused to become a satellite state of USSR. And also why the regime here was way more relaxed: the borders were open, small businesses remained in private hands, it was OK to discuss politics, miniskirts were available, etc… Another reason is west and international politics came in. It was politically beneficial for the west to maintain good relations with Yugoslavia despite the ideology.