The US’ & the Italo-Yugoslav Border Conflict: The Cold War context

Abstract

This thesis deals with the Italo-Yugoslav border dispute set between 1945-1954. A dispute which can be regarded as a precursor of subsequent Cold War conflicts, as the early Cold War years unfolded. Relatively speaking, the border dispute is often overshadowed in comparison to other Cold War conflicts. However, the start of the dispute could possibly be considered to be the very first actual Cold War dispute. Both the United States and the Soviet Union were alarmed during this surge in tensions, which would become known as the May Crisis. This thesis assesses the ways in which the US government conducted its foreign policy surrounding the events of the crisis and the ensuing dispute. Additionally, it determines what this dispute means in a broader Cold War context. Primary sources found in the archives of the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) are an important element in this thesis, as they exemplify early Cold War behaviour. To explain the dispute, historic contextualisation of the Julian March region is essential. What happened before and during the crisis, as well as how the dispute fits into the Cold War are illustrated in the thesis. I conclude that the Italo-Yugoslav border dispute is indeed a significant conflict in Cold War history, which could be deduced from the ways in which the Truman administration conducted foreign policy during these years.