Abstract: Drawing upon documents, memoirs, testimonies, and scholarly literature, this study elucidates the dynamics underlying the October 5th alterations in 2000 within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia. „The Fifth October“ refers to a sudden shift in political authority driven by compounded socio-political, economic, and societal tensions, alongside external influences. These multifaceted political and security upheavals, culminating on October 5, 2000, exhibited characteristics akin to a „colored revolution“, signifying a change in power dynamics without altering the prevailing political structure or formal power mechanisms. While temporal detachment affords a more impartial inquiry, the analysis contends with entrenched political narratives, oscillating between glorification and complete denial of the significance of October 5th.
Keywords: October 5, colored revolution, elections, political coup, civil protest
Summary
This study delves into the available data concerning the October 5th change in 2000, contemplating their categorization as either a coup or a “colored revolution” contingent upon their defining features. Existing literature on the October 5th developments has primarily emphasized specific determinants, particularly the democratic deficit prevalent during Slobodan Milošević’s governance. Departing from prior scholarship, this research endeavors to adopt an objective vantage point, employing the analytical framework of current political historiography and a significant chronological distance. While the repercussions of the purported “colored revolution” occupy a central position within this study, our understanding of its inception and magnitude remains constrained by the paucity of pertinent source material, thus necessitating a more nuanced exploration.