In the first part of the paper, the author deliberates on the possible historical alternatives, which could have come about, were Yugoslavia not to have been formed. In the latter part, he assesses the role of the second, i. e. the socialist Yugoslavia and relationship towards it. The author finds, that Yugoslavia had, during the time of its existence, experimented with numerous political models, while never experiencing the democratic, multi-party, market efficient and inter-ethnically successful one.