The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia - A Comparative Case Study

The thesis compares two different modes of state disintegration of post-communist federations. Yugoslavia is an example of a violent breakup, Czechoslovakia stands for a peaceful way, how to split a state. Using the Level of Analysis concept the study looks for differences at five levels focusing mainly on the change caused by the process of democratic transition in both states that removed the old regime and brought a competitive atmosphere among the old and new elites representing various ethnic groups. The outcome of the analysis is that the role of the army, the length of the liberalization process and the different historical experience are factors that matter most