Yugoslavia: The Formerly-United Joke

Ah, Yugoslavia. The country that no longer exists, but still manages to make us chuckle.

This former state was made up of six republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. The name “Yugoslavia” itself was a mash-up of the Slavic words for “south” and “land”, which was pretty fitting since it lay in the southern part of Europe.

Throughout its history, Yugoslavia has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride. It started off as a kingdom in 1918, then became a communist state after World War II under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito. Tito’s regime managed to keep the nation “united” until his death in 1980, after which it started to fall apart like a poorly-made Jenga tower.

Yugoslavia then went through a series of wars in the 1990s, with each republic trying to break away and establish their own independence. Needless to say, it wasn’t a very peaceful time. Eventually, the country completely disintegrated, resulting in the creation of seven new states.

But let’s not dwell on the sad stuff. Instead, let’s talk about the humorous side of Yugoslavia.

For starters, there was the time when the state was so broke that it had to pay its debts by baking and exporting cakes. Yes, cakes. Apparently, they were quite popular and helped Yugoslavia stay afloat for a little while longer.

Then there was the time when the Croatian soccer team beat Yugoslavia in a match, causing a Serbian fan to call into a radio show and complain that Yugoslavia lost because their Croatian opponents “played with knives”. That’s some serious dedication to excuse-making right there.

And let’s not forget the fact that Yugoslavia was home to some of the most epic mustaches in history. Tito himself was known for his luxurious facial hair, but other Yugoslavian leaders also rocked some pretty impressive mustaches.

So, while Yugoslavia may not have ended on the happiest note, it still managed to leave us with some pretty amusing memories. Here’s to the country that brought us cakes, knife-wielding soccer players, and mustache envy.