<P> Following the death of Tito on 4 May 1980 , rising ethnic nationalism in the late 1980s led to dissidence among the multiple ethnicities within the constituent republics . With the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe , inter-republic talks on transformation of the federation also failed and led to recognition of their independence by some European states in 1991 . This led to the federation collapsing along federal borders , followed by the start of the Yugoslav Wars and the final downfall and breakup of the federation on 27 April 1992 . Two of its republics , Serbia and Montenegro , remained within the reconstituted Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , but the union was not recognized internationally as the official successor state to the SFRY . The term `` former Yugoslavia '' ( bivša Jugoslavija / бивша Југославија ) is now commonly used retrospectively . </P>
after the fall of communism the yugoslavian republics began to
Yugoslav Wars final downfall and breakup of the federation