Kosovo in Tito's Yugoslavia (1945–1980)

After 1945 the new socialist government under Josip Broz Tito systematically
suppressed nationalism among the ethnic groups throughout Yugoslavia, and
established six republics (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina) as constituent parts of the Yugoslav federation.[82] Tito
diluted the power of Serbia—the largest and most populous republic—by establishing
autonomous governments in the Serbian province of Vojvodina in the north and Kosovo
in the south.[83] Until 1963 it was named the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and
Metohija and in 1968 renamed to the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo.[84]

The period of 1948-1963 in Kosovo was characterized by a brutal crackdown against

Albanian nationalists by Aleksandar Ranković and his secret police (the UDBA).[85]
In 1955, a state of emergency was declared in order to squelch unrest that had
purportedly been instigated by terror groups from Albania.[86] Following Ranković's
ouster in 1966, Tito and his League of Communists Party granted more powers to
republics and attempted to improve the political, social and economic situation in
Kosovo.[86] In November 1968, large-scale demonstrations took place in Kosovo which
were quelled by Yugoslav forces, precipitated by Albanian demands for separate
republics in Kosovo and Macedonia.[86] Albanian students and intellectuals pushed
for an Albanian language University and greater representative powers for Albanians
in both the Serbian and Yugoslav state bodies.[85]

The University of Pristina was established as an independent institution in 1970,

ending a long period when the institution had been run as an outpost of Belgrade
University. The lack of Albanian-language educational materials in Yugoslavia
hampered Albanian education in Kosovo, so an agreement was struck with Albania
itself to supply textbooks.

In 1969 the Serbian Orthodox Church ordered its clergy to compile data on the
ongoing problems of Serbs in Kosovo, seeking to pressure the government in Belgrade
to do more to protect the interests of Serbs there.[87]

In 1974 Kosovo's political status improved further when a new Yugoslav constitution
granted an expanded set of political rights. Along with Vojvodina, Kosovo was
declared a province and gained many of the powers of a fully-fledged republic: a
seat on the federal presidency and its own assembly, police force and national
bank.[88][89] While trying to balance the interests of Albanians and Serbs, this
effectively stratified both communities and prompted Serb fears of Kosovo secession
from Yugoslavia.[85][90] Student demonstrations continued throughout the 1970s,
resulting in the imprisonment of many members of the Albanian National Liberation
Movement, including Adem Demaçi.[86][90] The political and administrative changes
that began in 1968 resulted in Kosovo Albanians getting complete control over the
province's political, social and cultural issues as well as growing ties between
Kosovo and Albania. However, by 1980, economic impoverishment would become the
catalyst for further unrest.[91]

After the death of Tito (1980–86)

Provincial power was still exercised by the League of Communists of Kosovo, but now
devolved mainly to ethnic Albanian communists. Tito's death on 4 May 1980 ushered
in a long period of political instability, worsened by growing economic crisis and
nationalist unrest. The first major outbreak occurred in Kosovo's main city,
Pristina, when a protest of University of Pristina students over long queues in
their university canteen rapidly escalated and in late March and early April 1981
spread throughout Kosovo, causing mass demonstrations in several towns, the 1981
protests in Kosovo. The disturbances were quelled by the Presidency of Yugoslavia
proclaiming a state of emergency, sending in riot police and the army, which
resulted in numerous casualties.

Communist hard-liners instituted a fierce crackdown on nationalism of all kinds.

Kosovo endured a heavy secret-police presence throughout most of the 1980s that
ruthlessly suppressed any unauthorised nationalist manifestations, both Albanian
and Serbian. According to a report quoted by Mark Thompson, as many as 580,000
inhabitants of Kosovo were arrested, interrogated, interned or reprimanded.
Thousands of these lost their jobs or were expelled from their educational
establishments. During this time tension between the Albanian and Serbian
communities continued to escalate.

In February 1982 a group of priests from Serbia proper petitioned their bishops to
ask "why the Serbian Church is silent" and why it did not campaign against "the
destruction, arson and sacrilege of the holy shrines of Kosovo". Such concerns did
attract interest in Belgrade. Stories appeared from time to time in the Belgrade
media claiming that Serbs and Montenegrins were being persecuted. There was a
perception among Serbian nationalists that Serbs were being driven out of Kosovo.

In addition to all this, the worsening state of Kosovo's economy made the province
a poor choice for Serbs seeking work. Albanians, as well as Serbs, tended to favor
their compatriots when hiring new employees, but the number of jobs was too few for
the population. Kosovo was the poorest entity of Yugoslavia: the average per capita
income was $795, compared with the national average of $2,635.

In 1981 it was reported that some 4,000 Serbs moved from Kosovo to central Serbia
after the Kosovo Albanian riots in March that resulted in several Serb deaths and
the desecration of Serbian Orthodox architecture and graveyards.[92] Serbia reacted
with a plan to reduce the power of Albanians in the province and a propaganda
campaign that claimed Serbs were being pushed out of the province primarily by the
growing Albanian population, rather than the bad state of the economy.[93] 33
nationalist formations were dismantled by Yugoslav police, who sentenced some 280
people (800 fined, 100 under investigation) and seized arms caches and propaganda
material.[94]