Vesna Aleksić

The National Committee for a Free Europe and the Visit of the Delegation of the US Congress to Yugoslavia in 1952

Abstract: Yugoslavia’s political disassociation from the Soviet Union in 1948 led to its economy being in an extremely difficult position. This further encouraged Yugoslav officials to normalize trade relations with the United States, given that deliveries from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union could not satisfy the needs of the very ambitious Five-Year Plan. The paper is devoted to an analysis of how, from 1948 to 1952, the US political establishment influenced Yugoslavia’s greater political accountability and openness by providing economic aid, and in turn by being willing to persist in aiding its “communist ally” despite the opposition of Yugoslav emigrants, whose activities were funded simultaneously through the work of the National Committee for a Free Europe.

Key words: Economic Relations, Josip Broz Tito, Economic Aid, Yugoslav Emigrants, National Committee for a Free Europe, United States of America

The article presents the genesis of US-Yugoslav economic relations after the Resolution of the Informbiro in 1948 and the political separation of Yugoslavia from the USSR. These relations were primarily based on the massive economic aid that Yugoslavia received from the United States, which eventually began to affect the country’s economic policy. At the same time, the good relations between the two countries confused the Yugoslav political emigrants in the United States, who, at that time, were organized under the National Committee for a Free Europe in New York. Trying to calm the Yugoslav expatriate community, the US officials allowed a report by the US Congressional Committee on visiting Yugoslavia in 1952 to be published in the newsletter of the Yugoslav National Council’s Division of the National Committee for a Free Europe. This report describes in detail the existing political, economic, and religious circumstances, explaining the geostrategic reasons for support to Yugoslavia, but also clearly underlining the US delegation’s critical attitude toward the com munist regime, especially in the area of human rights violations and religious and political freedoms. The value of this report is also reflected in the presentation of the detailed statistical overview of aid and loans received by Yugoslavia from the Western European countries and the United States between 1945 and 1952. 

Vesna Aleksić

The National Committee for a Free Europe and the Visit of the Delegation of the US Congress to Yugoslavia in 1952

Abstract: Yugoslavia’s political disassociation from the Soviet Union in 1948 led to its economy being in an extremely difficult position. This further encouraged Yugoslav officials to normalize trade relations with the United States, given that deliveries from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union could not satisfy the needs of the very ambitious Five-Year Plan. The paper is devoted to an analysis of how, from 1948 to 1952, the US political establishment influenced Yugoslavia’s greater political accountability and openness by providing economic aid, and in turn by being willing to persist in aiding its “communist ally” despite the opposition of Yugoslav emigrants, whose activities were funded simultaneously through the work of the National Committee for a Free Europe.

Key words: Economic Relations, Josip Broz Tito, Economic Aid, Yugoslav Emigrants, National Committee for a Free Europe, United States of America

The article presents the genesis of US-Yugoslav economic relations after the Resolution of the Informbiro in 1948 and the political separation of Yugoslavia from the USSR. These relations were primarily based on the massive economic aid that Yugoslavia received from the United States, which eventually began to affect the country’s economic policy. At the same time, the good relations between the two countries confused the Yugoslav political emigrants in the United States, who, at that time, were organized under the National Committee for a Free Europe in New York. Trying to calm the Yugoslav expatriate community, the US officials allowed a report by the US Congressional Committee on visiting Yugoslavia in 1952 to be published in the newsletter of the Yugoslav National Council’s Division of the National Committee for a Free Europe. This report describes in detail the existing political, economic, and religious circumstances, explaining the geostrategic reasons for support to Yugoslavia, but also clearly underlining the US delegation’s critical attitude toward the com munist regime, especially in the area of human rights violations and religious and political freedoms. The value of this report is also reflected in the presentation of the detailed statistical overview of aid and loans received by Yugoslavia from the Western European countries and the United States between 1945 and 1952.