Milosevic Speech

            On 28th of June 1989 Milosevic visited Kosova ostensibly to calm the Kosovar Serbs' anger against their perceived mistreatment by the Albanians. In the event, he delivered an inflammatory speech culminating in the words:.
             You should stay here. This is your land. These are your houses. Your meadows and gardens. Your memories. You shouldn't abandon your land just because it's difficult to live, because you are pressured by injustice and degradation. It was never part of the Serbian and Montenegrin character to give up in the face of obstacles, to demobilize when it's time to fight You should stay here for the sake of your ancestors and descendants. But I don't suggest that you stay, endure, and tolerate a situation you're not satisfied with. On the contrary, you should change it with the rest of the progressive people here, in Serbia and in Yugoslavia. (Silber and Little 37) .
             He made this speech at a crucial moment when the Federation of the Yugoslav Republics was in the midst of a political crisis and a single word would have provoked tense nationalistic emotions. On the one hand, some sources claim that the speech was given spontaneously by Slobodan Milosevic, whereas other sources claim it was a carefully planned and delivered speech. In the following I will prove, by analyzing the situation and the speech, that it was in fact carefully planned. .
             Being aware of the growing nationalism amongst Kosovar Serbs, the Serbian President, Stambolic, had decided not to attend this gathering of the local Serb leaders. He telephoned Milosevic telling him that he should postpone any other plans he had and attend the meeting. Milosevic was not aware of anything that was going to happen, "It was a stroke of good fortune for the young party chief. The Serbian President, Stambolic, should have gone to Kosovo himself for talks with local leaders, but casually sent Milosevic in his place- (Silber and Little 37).