That was Tito's plan after all. Yugoslav encyclopedia from the late 1950's lists Montenegrins as one of the "constituent people's" of the (then) People's federative Republic of Yugoslavia (FNRY), of "Serbian origin."
The encyclopedia "scientifically" explains that in the process of struggling against the Nazi occupiers, the Montenegrins somehow "evolved" into a separate "ethnic" group, acquiring a separate national entity.
Communists were not the only ones exploiting this "nationalism." Italy had good reasons to seek support among Montenegrin chieftains, and so the the Croatian fascist regime, the Pavelic's Ustashas.
Montenegrin nationalists have a 'science" of their own -- although not recognized in any academic institution in the world. They claim they are actually Baltic people, unrelated to Serbs, who arrived in the area, a century before the Serbs did.
Given that there are only a handful of Montenegrin in the world, enough to fit into a mid-size American city (600,000 or so), one must wonder how big of a tribe of these Baltics was, given that Djukanovich is blabbering something about 1,000 years old Montenegrin history (whatever that means). At the average natality rate, I would say, the tribe must have been about 5 "Montenegrins" in all!
There is no doubt that many people in MOntenegro "feel" they are Montenegrin and Serbs, but in most cases it is the way Texans feel they are Texans and Americans. There are those who for various reasons want to see Montenegro and independent country and nation and so on -- they hide their personal ambitions behind false national and ethnic theories.
And they count on people like you to help them spread or at least dignify their cheap propaganda, portraying criminals like Djukanovich, a sly politician, as heroic and brave individuals who stood up against Serbian "oppression."
Anyone who knows history a even a little, and who is not blinded by serbophobia will recognize that Serbian and Montenergin history and statehoods is so intertwined that one would not exist without the other. For your information, Communist Yugoslavia did not allow Montenegrins to declare themselves as Serbs or as Serbs and Montenegrins. The Serbs who were officially recognized in Montenegro as Serbs were Serbians who moved there or who had direct ties with Serbia.
Until 1991, there were officially only 8% Serbs living in Montenegro. Today there are 32%. The last census allowed Montenegrins to declare themselves Serbs and Montenegrins as well, which accounts for the increase. If the census ballots were properly worded and people properly instructed in history without revisionism, the reality would be 100%.
Absolutely spot on. Djukanovic is exploiting the communist version of history in order to bolster his position of power, in this sense, he is no better than Milosevic but yet Mark, just like Djukanovic and Milosevic, was also quick to exploit such a situation of an artificially created paranoia for his own agenda.
Sorry, for taking so long to get back to you. The common ethnic heritage of what today are the peoples of the separate entities of Serbia and Montenegro is well known. But that is not the issue. The issue is the case for Montenegrin independence. Historically, Montenegro was an independent kingdom right up through the end of WWI and it was a separate republic of Yugoslavia (under its various names) for much of the time since them. Demographically, many of the people now living there self-identify themselves as Montenegrins, not Serbs. Legally, the upcoming referendum on independence is an action conducted in consonance with the agreement with which Serbia and Montenegro are joined. Internationally, there is agreement to recognize the results of the referendum. In sum, there is no reason why Montenegro should not be independent if that is what the people want. And we will know the answer to that in a couple days.