‘Reassessing Tito’: British Policy towards Yugoslavia following the crushing of the Prague Spring

Abstract:The crushing of the Prague Spring by Warsaw Pact forces in August 1968 once again brought Soviet foreign policy intentions into sharp focus. Western leaders feared the invasion represented an attempt by Moscow to strengthen its grip on Eastern Europe and perhaps extend its influence elsewhere. As such, the future independence of non-aligned but communist Yugoslavia and its aging dictator Josip Broz Tito became a renewed concern. Tito, now 76 years old, had been a vocal critic of Soviet actions in Czechoslovakia despite a gradual improvement in relations with Moscow following the death of Stalin 15 years earlier. Nevertheless, gaining substantial influence in Yugoslavia with its long coastline offering access to the Mediterranean Sea was an attractive prospect to the Russians. Taking British policy towards Yugoslavia as a case study, this article explores Western reactions to the perceived Soviet threat in the region in the context of Cold War diplomacy.