LXIII 688

2015.

YEAR LXIII

No 688

October 2015

1970-.
, 1990-

''
''

02

2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

:
.


, .

,

. , ,
,
.
,

.
. , ,
.
,
:
, . ,
, .
, ''''.
,

, .
,
:
?
,
- .

.
, . ,
,



.
.
,

...
, ,

''''.
. ,
,
.

''

71 ''''

, 25. 2015: -

71. , ,

,

,
, , ,

, .

,
,
,
,

,
,
, , , -

.

, ,
.
-

, ,
.

.
,
.


.
- ,
.

.
, ,
, .



, ,

.


, ,

,
,
512
1944. .
, .
:
'

24. , ,
.


, :
" , ,
, , ,

.

,

''Organization
Serbian Chetniks'',
:
Organization Serbian Chetniks Ravna Gora
C/O Danica Pejnovic
1116 S. Dekalb St.
Hobart, IN, 46342
U.S.A.

, , ?
", .
, 25. ,
, ,
:
-
, . ,
.
,
.
,
-

.
- ?
,
-

,
.



, . ,

,
.

:
srpskenovine111@gmail.com

" ":

(414) 282-1807,

:

:

:
,
,

:
,
,
,
, , ,
,
,
.
.

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

03

, ,
, : '' .
''. , -
:

,
.
.

. .
- , 5. 2000. ,
,
,
,

, .



.
,
, ,
.
-

.

,

,
,
,
.



,
''
'' .

,
.
,
.

,



.

,
,
.

. ,
,
,

, , ,

.

,
,


,

- ''''.
.
.

''''
, ,

''
'' , .
,
,
(
, , ).

1992. ,

.
, 1991, , ,
. ,

, .
,
,


,
, ,
. ,
, .
.





.
,

.

,
.
, .

:
- , 1975.
.

. 1992.
,


, ,

.
.
, ,
''''

,
,
'' -''.

,

,



.

,
.
,
, ,
, .
.
30 , 1992.
, .
,
,

,
. -

,
.
, ,
,

, ,
: ''!''

,

.
.
,

.
, .

: ''
, '',

,

.
.

1956. ,
,
, : ''
.

''.

,
, .
,

, .
. .

04

2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

,

:
( )

2000. ,
, ,
,
,
, ,
.

,
,

.
'' ,


, , ,


,
, ,
,
,
,

'',
,


.
,
(18891945) , ,

.
,

.

, ,
.
,

, 15. 1944.
. ,
, 5. 1945.
, 19 52 .
.
2007.
,
'' '' ,
,
. , ,
6. 1941.
.
30.
2009. .
2011. , ,
''
'',
.
,
, 3. 2013.
, ,

.

30. 2009.

,
,
, 28. 1945. .
, ,
16. 1911.
.
.

.
-
193, , , ,
,

. -

, 9. 2015.
,
,
.

,
1942. , .


1943. ,
.
,
, ,
,
,
.
,
, 11.
1942.

,
,
(),

.
7.
1943. ,


.


-

.
1944. , ,
,
800
.

, ,
, 7. 1946.
'''' :
'' 1944. ,
,

,
. ,
, 11 , 26 380
() ,

800 . ,
,

,
,
.
,
,
.''

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

05

1990- , ,

'' ''
:
()

15. 1992. .
, ,
.
.

, , ,
.

, , ,
,
. , ,




.

1990- ,
.
,,
'' ,
- ,,'' .


.
,
. -

. ,
.
,
, - 17.
2009. .

,, ''.
.
,,
''


,
.
, ,


.

,
, ,

.
,
!

2009. .
(),
,
,

.

,
,

.

, 1994. .
,

, 2015.

06

2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

,
, 18 ?
:

,
,
.


, .
. , ,
,
,

.

.
-
, , .
,

. , , .
,
,
.
,
, !
,
.
:
. ,
,
,
,

. ,
.
. ,
, ,
,

.
,
,

. ,
-
...


. :
.
!
, :
,
,
.
...
-

, :

, , , , , .
,

. , , ,
,
.
-

.

,
,
.
. .

,
,

,

.

. .

. ,
.
:
.

. ,
, .

-
.

. ,

? ,
-
.

, . ,
.
. ,

.
,

,
-
- 18 !
, ,
.

.

., 2010.
. .

.
- .
. ,
, ,

.
:
. ,
,

, ,
.



.

.

.
:

,


, , ,
,

...
, , :

!
, ,
?
,
,


,
, ,

18 .

, : ,
.
, . .
,

.
. ,
,
... ,
. .
,
, , .

,
. ,

...

.
,

.
-,

.
. ,

.


. , ,

.

.


.


.

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

07

--: 1992!
200 .
,
:

,
(Peter
Batty, Hoodwinked Churcill
Titos great confidence trick, London,
2011), ,
.

--.
1992, ,

,
, .
--
,
, , ,
. , , .
,
:

.
: ,
`` 1943.
,
.



.

!
,

, 1943,
,
,
.

. ,

. ,

. .

,
.
.
,

!
,

,
(,
1991).
,
.
:
!

,
, .


.
.

---, , ,
.


.
,
,
. ,
, .


.
,
,

, , .
. -
-

.
,
'' ' ',
, .

,
. ,
, ,
1945, .
,
,
.
,
, ,
. UNRRA-e,
.


.


.

(
-
1992. )
,
.

,
,
.
. USA
Unione Sovietica,
!



,

.

,
.

1948,
.
.



.

,

:


.
,
.
.
,

.

-
.
,
.
,
, ,
.

,


:
( )
.

.

.
, , .

.
,
.



!
. .

08

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

2015.

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Cleveland, Ohio, September 19, 2015.

Chetnik family reunion

No matter where we are born, where we end up spending our lives, or where we die, our Chetnik heritage remains
with us. It is so very important that we learn and understand our glorious and sometimes painful history
By Aleksandra REBIC

ll of us who come from a

Chetnik Family are blessed
with an honorable heritage
and a noble history. That history and
heritage runs through our blood and
has a special place in our hearts. No
matter where we are born, where we
end up spending our lives, or where
we die, our Chetnik heritage remains
with us. It is so very important that
we learn and understand our glorious
and sometimes painful history and
continue to maintain our traditions
and pass on those traditions to the
youngest among us, so that the oldest
among us can rest easy. Getting together to share and celebrate our common legacy revives old memories and
gives us the opportunity to make new
ones, and serves to remind us that we
really are the keepers of the torch. It is
a big responsibility and obligation
that we are tasked with, and God
Bless those who willingly accept that
task with pride, sincere dedication,
and love.
The following are just some of the
lasting impressions and memories
that were created at the Second Annual Chetnik Family Reunion at St.
Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in
Cleveland, Ohio in Broadview
Heights on Saturday September 19,
2015. It is particularly noteworthy to
mention that members from both the
"Organization of Serbian Chetniks
Ravna Gora" and the "Movement of
Serbian Chetniks Ravne Gore" participated in the Reunion. Although I
was not able to be present for this special event, I'm glad it was a great success! Congratulations!
Sincerely,
Aleksandra Rebic
*****
Second Annual Chetnik Reunion
Chairperson Alexandra Mandic:
"My heart is overflowing tonight.
The reunion was so much more than I
could have ever dreamed. Everything
about the day was magnificent!!!!! I
met new Chetnik family and saw
those that I met last year. I heard stories of people reconnecting after
many years. It was a special event for

sure. Thank you to all who donated

their time and money to help make
this event successful. Thank you to all
that attended. Most of all thank you to
the Committee for the Second Annual
Chetnik Reunion. It would not be such
a great success without all of you!!!!
God bless!!!!!"
Nikola Mandic, Sr:
"I would like to say what a pleasure and how grateful I am to have
been able to work with the members
of the Pokret chapter in Cleveland.
This event would not have been as
successful without their help and participation."
Milka Gvozdenovic:
"As a member of the reunion committee I can say that the event was
truly successful. Attendance was great
and we had guests from all over the
US and Canada. People were approaching us all day and telling us
how impressed they were with the reunion. Most importantly, as I said in
an earlier post, we got to meet new
Cetnik family that we otherwise
would have not had the opportunity to
meet. I met and made new friends last
year, this year and God willing next
year as well. Our fathers and grandfathers were there with us and I am sure
rejoiced in seeing us come together to
honor Cica Draza and his cetniks. The
service in Church, the blessing of the
monument, Kosovo Men's Choir
singing responses and performing
Cetnik songs at the picnic, Kraljevo
kolo, dancing, singing, good food and
having living cetniks with us made it
all special. Members of both Cetnik
chapters from both St. Sava Churches
worked together to make this event
that much more special. May we continue to celebrate our Cetnik heritage
and love one another as brothers and
sisters. Let's get some other Chetnik
chapters to commit to hosting the reunion next year so that all regions
have the opportunity to gather their
members to be able to attend the festivites. I know for some of the older
people it is dificult to travel so it
would be ideal to have events closer
to home for them. Regardless of
where the next reunion is held, I plan
on being there, God willing."

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

09

Photos for articles about Second Annual

Chetnik Family Reuniondobili we are
courtesy of Mirjana Novakovic Svilar and
Courtesy of ''Hey, here we are we are the
children Drazin Chetniks''
on Facebook

'' ''
- :

'' '':

, .

$200.00 USD
$100.00 USD
$100.00 USD
$100.00 USD
$60.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$30.00 USD
$30.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$40.00 USD
$35.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$20.00 USD

''PAYABLE TO'', :
Organizatin Serbian Chetniks
:
Organization Serbian Chetniks Ravna Gora
C/O Danica Pejnovic
1116 S. Dekalb St.
Hobart, IN, 46342, U.S.A.

.
.

.
.







.

$100.00 USD
$100.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$50.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$25.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$35.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$40.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$10.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$10.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$20.00 USD
$40.00 USD
$25.00 USD

''PAYABLE TO'', :
Organizatin Serbian Chetniks
:
Organization Serbian Chetniks Ravna Gora
C/O Danica Pejnovic
1116 S. Dekalb St.
Hobart, IN, 46342, U.S.A.

10

2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

: (2)

1944/45.
.

, , ",
,..." .

.
, .

.
: " .
.
,
.
. .
!
. ." (...)

,
. ,

. . : "
; :
" , .
.
".


.
, , .
, ,
.
?

,
.

: " , ".
,
. , .
.

,
. ,
. ,
.
.
, .

. . .
,
, ,
,
, .
.
,
.
.
, , .
.

.
.

.
, .
-

-,
. .
. 2-3
, . , .
. .
: ", ,
?" , : "
, ."
, .
. , , , .
.
, .
, .
, .
()
. ,
, . "
.
, ."
, ,
.
. . , .
, .
: " , . ,
?"
35 . : "
, ,
." , ,
.

. , , ,
,
.

, ,
,
,
,

.
. .
.
. .
: " , ".
,
, ,

. ,
. ,

. ", , ,
,
."
,

.
. ,
, .
.
, , .

.


. ,
,
.
.
.
,
.
, ,
. -

. ,
. , ... , .
:
, -
.
,
.
: ", ?"

.
,
.
.
,

.

,
.
, ,
. .
.
:
"
, ."
.
,
, ,

. ,
,

. , ,
. :
. ?
.
.
. , - . ,
,
. , .
.
,
.
. : " , ?"

. ,

.

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

11

?

?
: .

1941.
1945. ? -,
?

1941. ,

.
,

,
.
.

II
?
:
: ,
, ,
.
, , ,
. , .
1942. ,
,
.
, .

.
.
1944.
.

.

II,
12 1944.
,
, , ,

.
,
. 95
,
.
.
, I .
1939. ,
, ,
.
.
1939. 30 .
.
1941. .
-

: ,
, - ,
. - : " - : " . . ,
,
, , , - ".
- II
14. 2015. . II - . -
,
.
-

.
.
,


,

"", 16. , - 2015: " II

.
: - , .
,
100 : , 50 .

21. 1941. - .
2.300 , . - , 10 13 - . , .
. - .
,
, 1.700 , .
.
.





.

. 1944.
,

,
, .

18
.
.

,
- 13. 1941.
?
,
- - .

: ,
, 22. 1941. ,
.
, .
.
,

1941 , -
1945.
:
, .
, "", 15. 2015. - ,

; , : "-
,

,

. ;

,
, 17.
- 1941. ; .
- , , ; ,
, , , - ,
- . , . - ,
. -

: "
.
". - .

12

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

2015.

History

The battle for Grahovo

The communists, during the attack on Grahovo, 26 October 1942, burned the single story house and the cabin in
which Gavrilo Princip was born, leaving only ashes behind
By Kosta TRKULJA

osansko Grahovo, since the

first quarter of the 20th century, better known as Princips
Grahovo, is located in the Serbian
tromedja region, along the border of
Bosnia, Lika and Dalmatia. Its elevation is 2800 feet above sea level.
Administratively, it was part of the
Vrbas Ban. The county of Grahovo
contained, among others, the municipality of Drvar, with its industrial center, Sipad. The area around Grahovo
was inhabited almost exclusively by
Serbs, along with a small number of
Croats. Before the war in 1941, the
area had about 36.000 inhabitants. Of
this number, 2% were Croats. Grahovo is surrounded by mountains: Jadovnik, Maras Brdo, Sator, Gnjat,
Troglava, Dinara (which separates
Grahovo from Dalmatia) and Uilica,
which separates it from Lika.
Obljaj is a typical Serbian village
located about three kilometers east of
Grahovo. The village is linked with
Grahovo by a muddy wagon trail,
which also links the villages of Marinkovci, Ticevo, and Glamo. Near the
entrance to the village stood a small
wooden house - a log cabin -with a
thatched roof. Beside the cabin was a
single story stone house, built by the
father of Gavrilo Princip. Following
the uprising and the removal of the ustasha criminals from the territory, the
headquarters of the Bosnian "Gavrilo
Princip" corps was located in this
modest stone house.
On a simple bed in the old log
cabin, Gavrilo Princip was born on 30
June 1894. It would be fitting for his
memory if someone had thought to
make a good road leading to his home,
with at least one appropriate memorial
plaque to mark the place where the
revolutionary first glimpsed the sun.
A visitor cannot help but wonder how,
from this humble household, in the
midst of unimaginable poverty, such a
national hero could emerge, one whose bravery impressed the world and
placed him among the most significant men of his time.

Gavrilo Princips mother

Nana, very old and in
great sorrow for her murdered sons, Nikola, a doctor,
whom the ustashe killed in
1941 in Capljini, Herzegovina, and Jovo, the senator,
who was also killed by the
ustashe in Sarajevo
The hearth at which Princip
warmed himself had stood until 26
October 1942. On the hearth was a
Sac, a large metal pan for baking
bread, and above this, a charred chain
from which a copper boiler hung, and
nearby, a low sofa and a couple of
three-legged stools for sitting. In this
setting, Gavrilo read song books,
listened to guslars and cultivated and
sharpened his patriotic feelings for the
great exploits and sacrifices made for

the freedom of the Serbian people.

The communists, during the attack
on Grahovo, 26 October 1942, burned
the single story house and the cabin in
which Princip was born, leaving only
ashes behind.
Gavrilo Princips mother Nana,
very old and in great sorrow for her
murdered sons, Nikola, a doctor,
whom the ustashe killed in 1941 in
Capljini, Herzegovina, and Jovo, the
senator, who was also killed by the
ustashe in Sarajevo, now had to watch
as the communists burned the roof
over her head, destroying the sacred
hearth of her Gavro. Nana
became a refugee and went from one
to another Serbian home, so that by
1945, when her tortured soul finally
gave out, she probably passed away in
the house of a stranger.
By the end of 1941 the Chetniks
and partisans had already separated.
The communists were not concerned
about the means to achieve their
goals. They engaged in propaganda,
and used the same methods employed
by the ustase, including the liquidation
of local leaders, so that by the beginning of 1942 armed conflicts
between us had already begun. The
first communist attack on our unit was
1 April 1942 at Marinkovci, a village
which was in our control. At that time,
fighting had also begun in Lika and
other parts of western Bosnia as well
as in some parts of northern Dalmatia.
Thus began the heavy toll in blood
ultimately paid by the Gavrilo Princip corps, from the youngest of our
fighters, who were still in their teens,
and later to include the corps commander, Vojvoda Brane Bogunovic.
Every military unit has a feeling of
security when it is in the territory of
the people who are friendly towards it.
The Gavrilo Princip corps was, in
this respect, in its own home. Its
fighters were from the territory of
Princips Grahovo and the surrounding villages, inhabited by Serbs.
The people saw us as protectors from
the ustasha war criminals because
their homes and their security were
being guarded by their own children.
This entire territory was considered by
both the ustashe and the communists
to be a Serbian nationalist and chetnik
stronghold. It was in the interest of
both that it not stay that way.
The ustase were brave only
when dealing with defenseless people.
The communists were shameless arsonists, who had been conducting periodic incursions into the local villages,
in small groups, but were always rejected. In addition, the communists in
the war never wanted a real peace in
the nation. Unlike the Chetniks, their
actions against the occupiers occurred
in the areas with the most dense settlements. In this way, they caused the
enemy to carry out reprisals, including
murder and arson, against the population.
Thus, people left homeless had
nowhere to go other than with them.
Our superiority was evident, because
we had the unqualified sympathy and

Marija Nana Princip with Milan Cvjeticanin, commander of the corps

'Gavrilo Princip'
support of the people.
Therefore, the communists had to
do everything they could to defeat us.
In October 1942 they moved strong
forces into the area around Drvar,
Vidovo Village, Ticevo, Podic and Jadovnik mountain. Communist proletarian forces from all over Yugoslavia
were pouring into this area. By the
end of 1941 they had been chased
from from Serbia into Montenegro,
and since the beginning of 1942 until
the end of June 1942 were expelled
from Montenegro and Herzegovina.
The Communists were in disarray and
were near destruction.

The communists were not

concerned about the means
to achieve their goals. They
engaged in propaganda, and
used the same methods employed by the ustase, including the liquidation of local
leaders
When their brothers from Montenegro and Herzegovina attempted
to cross the border of the so-called
Independent State of Croatia, the

criminal Ante Pavelic intervened with

Hitler. Hitler threatened terrible reprisals against the innocent people in
those Serbian lands, because he was
still in the prime of military strength.
The Communists now began their
bloodbath in Bosnia.
The communist units numbered
approximately 8,000 soldiers, well
armed, increasing their strength both
numerically and in armament from
ustasa garrisons. We were receiving
very unfavorable news from our
organized intelligence units across
our territory. The people had to be
informed and prepared for the hard
times ahead. The Chetnik fighters had
a particularly difficult task in that they
were primarily responsible for
protecting the local populationagainst
a force which was superior in mumber and armament. The communists
had, among other things, light artillery and mortars, which we did not have. As a result, we suffered heavy
losses.
In the next issue:
ON THE EVE OF THE
DECISIVE BATTLE

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

13

, , 26. 1942,
.
:

, ,
,
: , .
861 . .
. ,
,
.
, ,
,
''''.
1941. 36.000
.
2% .
: , , ,
, , (
) ,
.

.
,
: ,
.
, .
,
.


.
,
, , 65
(30. 1894)
.
, , ,


.

,
, ,

,

.
26. 1942.

.
,

. .
, ,


.
,
, 26.
1942,
. .
- '''',
,
, ,
1941. , , , ,
,


.
, ''

,
1945.
, ,
.
1941.

.
.
:
,
1942. .
1. 1942.
,
. x

.

. '' ''
,

.

. " "
, .
, .
,

.

. .
""
.

- '''',

,
, ,
1941.
, ,
, ,

,

,
, ,
. ,
,
. ,

, ,

.

,
. , , .
, .
.
1942.
, ,
, .


. 1941. ,
1942.
1942.
.
.
,
,
"

",
.

,
.
.

8.000 ,
,

.


.

.
.

,
.
, ,
, .

.

( ''
'')

14

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

2015.

In memory

Mihajlo Srdic (1955-2015)

Mihajlo was a very kind and generous person - he was always willing to help his friends and loved ones. Our
family is truly thankful to all of you, for helping us through these difficult days
By Dejan SRDICH

management. After taking an extended sabbatical in British Columbia,

ust a few words about our be- he returned home to be near his
loved Mihajlo (Michael) Srdic, family and open his own painting
business, in which he was very
son of Mane Srdic.
Mihajlo was born in Wolver- successful.
Mihajlo was a very meticulous
hampton, England. He came to Canada at the age of 2 with his mother, man in his personal and professional
Eunice (Junis) and his twin sister life. He took great pride in his work
Julia. They joined their father/hus- and was a real outdoorsman. He
band, Mane, who had come a year loved fishing, golf and tending to his
earlier to find work and a place for garden. He also loved to watch
his young family to live.
Premier League soccer, especially
when
his home team - the WolverAfter a few years living in Hamilton, the family moved to Burlington hampton Wolves - played. He was
and built a new house. Mihajlo and very proud of his Serbian and British
Julia finished elementary school in heritage.
Burlington and went to Nelson High
Mihajlo was a very kind and
School.
generous person - he was always
willing to help his friends and loved
Mihajlo was a graduate of
ones. He planned to retire and travel
Mohawk College with a busi- with his two loves: his soul mate Lise
ness administration diploma. and his prized possession Limey, his
1978 Volkswagen camper van. I
The first half of Mihajlo's
know there were things in his life that
working life was in retail
he never had a chance to do but
management. After taking
Mihajlo lived a happy and joyful life
an extended sabbatical in
while he was with us. He will be
forever missed.
British Columbia, he reI would like to thank prota Voja
turned home to be near his
Pavlovic
and prota Stevo Stojisavfamily and open his own
painting business, in which ljevic for officiating and providing
comforting words to our entire
he was very successful.
family. Thank you to St. Nikolas
Mihajlo was a graduate of Mo- Church choir, Barton Street. Thank
hawk College with a business you to all of the pall bearers and
administration diploma. The first half thank you to the Serbian Sisters for
of Mihajlo's working life was in retail preparing a lovely dacha.

(Michael)

Our family is truly thankful to all

of you, for helping us through these
difficult days. Thank you for coming
and paying tribute to my brother. Our
entire family is very honoured and
grateful to all of you.

"Vjecnaja pamjat", memory eternal to my brother.

Eulogy delivered by Mihajlo's
brother, Dejan Srdic.

........................................................$ 100.00

...............................................................................$ 25.00

..................................................................$ 100.00

...................................................................................$ 50.00

...........................................................$ 40.00

.......................................................................................$ 40.00

Michael Borich ............................................................................$ 50.00

.................................................................................$ 40.00

Ann Borich ...................................................................................$ 50.00

.......................................................................$ 40.00

...............................................................................$ 30.00

............................................................................... $ 20,00

............................................................$ 20.00
............................................................................$ 40.00
.............................................................$ 40.00

() $ 40.00.

...................................................................$ 50.00
..........................................................................$ 50.00

.....................................................................$ 50.00
.................................................................. $ 50.00
....................................................................................$ 50.00
.............................................................................$ 20.00

'' ''

'' '' $ 150.00 .

'' '' :
- ,

- .

 2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

15

1942. , .
, ,
: .

8. 2015.
1. -
, , ,
.
1. 1919. , .
, .
, .
96 ,
.
1941.
22- .

,

, .

1942. ,


,
,
. ,
,
,
.
,
,
.

, ,
, , . : ''
, '', '' '', .
, ,
.

95, ,

.

.
, .
1. ,
.


. 1943. 1944.


,
.

'''' .
.

.

.

.
: ''
, ''.


.
1944.
150
,
, - .
,
, .
, :
- - ;
-
;
- 1. ; -
.

, .
,
.
, -

() ,

''
'',
1943. . ,
, 1944.
30 ,
.

1945. ,
85



4.
1.
. -

, 1.
, ,
1941. .
1.
. 2. .
, , .
3.
1.
,
, 1941. .
,
, 1941.
.

1945. , 85
.

: . , , , 1943.
. , ,
(). , , (
). . (
, ). , , ( ). ,
, . , , ( )

16

2015.

- SERBIAN NEWSPAPER

The Serb Question and its final solution in Croatia

For the majority of Serbs from both sides of the Drina River it was completely clear that a new independent Croatia
will be just a replica of the WWII Nazi-Ustashi Independent State of Croatia in regard to the Serb Question just
covered by declarative and formal democracy
By Dr VladislavSOTIROVICH

ndoubtedly, a question of the Serb existence

on the ethnohistorical lands of Croats and
Croatia was at least during the last hundred
years a very fundamental element of any ultra-right
Croat ideology, party, organization or movement,
but above all of the Ustashi, as the Orthodox Serb
were seen and declared as the most dangerous natural enemy. Anti-Serbism became, however, the
main cornerstone of making the Croat national
unity and gathering all Croats around a common
focus of ethnopolitical coherence.(1)
The Serbs were accused for the territorial expansionism, occupation of the Croat land and its exploitation at the time of the Kingdom of the Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes (19181929), the Kingdom of
Yugoslavia (19291941) and the Socialist Yugoslavia (19451991) as all of these three multiethnic states were proclaimed as a Greater Serbia.
The Serbs and Serbia were seen as the main cause
of all Croatias misfortunes and above all as the
only obstacle for Croatias independence.(2)

Probably the most racist MP from the

HDZ Shime Djodan, made a very
abusing remark on the Serb physiognomy during his speech in the Parliament. Usually, the Serbs were
considered as a racially inferior having
the Byzantine or/and Turkish
blood as it was noticed, for instance in
1995, by the HDZs member Anton Vrdoljak, head of Croatias Radio Television (the HRT).
The Croatias Government together with other
right-wing nationalistic structures tried from the
very beginning of the preparations for the proclamation of the new independence of Croatia in 1991
(the second Independent State of Croatia) formally,
but unsuccessfully, to convince the Serbs and Serbia that there was no real Serb Question in Croatia and that the Serbs had nothing to fear in
independent and democratic post-Yugoslav Croatia. However, for the majority of Serbs from both
sides of the Drina River it was completely clear that
a new independent Croatia will be just a replica of
the WWII Nazi-Ustashi Independent State of Croatia in regard to the Serb Question just covered by
declarative and formal democracy. It was visible for
them either from the practical rehabilitation of the
NDH in Tudjmans Croatia and the harsh anti-Serb
rhetoric by the officials or from the very fact that
no one political party or official in Croatia did not
want to discuss with the Serbs about their cultural
and/or political autonomy.
A policy of opposing and hating the Serbs in the
HDZs Croatia had political, confessional and moral
connotation. To fight natural enemies was all the
time one of the fundamental requirements of any
nationalistic ideology. Hence, the national education system has to be rearranged on this way to
teach the nation who are and why the national enemies and how the nation has to struggle against
them. In the case of Tudjmans Croatia, the main
national enemy ware proclaimed to be the Serbs.
Subsequently, the Serb traces in Croatia had to be
erased by different techniques including the ban of
Cyrillic alphabet or cleansing Croatias libraries
from the Serb authors. Nevertheless, a public vilification of the Serbs as a nation in Croatia had and
its own racial dimension as it was exactly during
the existence of the WWII NDH. Probably the most
racist MP from the HDZ Shime Djodan, made a
very abusing remark on the Serb physiognomy during his speech in the Parliament. Usually, the Serbs
were considered as a racially inferior having the
Byzantine or/and Turkish blood as it was noticed, for instance in 1995, by the HDZs member
Anton Vrdoljak, head of Croatias Radio Television
(the HRT).(3)

The political consequences of a Croat nationalistic picturing of the Serbs as a root of all evil in
Croatia lead them to the requiring for the maximal
restriction of political rights of the Serbs in Croatia
including and the right to citizenship and therefore
to vote. Such calling for political discrimination on
the ethnic basis was, however, formally not presented in the official partys statutes in which there
was a proclamation of no discrimination on the
basis on the national identity, as it was the case, for
instance, with the HSP.(4)
A leader of this party, Ante Djapic was quite
clear about the position of the Serbs in the post-Yugoslav Croatia: [the Serbs should] either bow
down or get out of the way.(5) Subsequently, all
Croat nationalists firmly opposed any kind of political negotiations with Croatias (Krajina) Serbs, rejected their representation in the Parliament and
arguing that the Serb Orthodox Church in Croatia
has to be abolished and instead of it the Orthodox
Church of Croatia should be established (like in the
WWII NDH). Since the Croat military-police operation Oluja (Storm) of ethnic cleansing of the
Krajina Serbs in August 1995, all Croat nationalistic parties, including above all the ruling HDZ, did
everything in order to prevent the return of the Serb
refugees (about 250,000)(6) to their homes. In
order to achieve this goal, usually three methods
were used: 1. Demolition of the Serbian houses; 2.
Public announcing the Serb names as wanted war
criminals; and 3. Physical attacking, or even killing,
the Serb refugees.
Nevertheless, either the HDZ (Tudjmans Croat
Democratic Union) or other right-wing Croat parties never recognized the mass exodus of Krajina
Serbs from Croatia in August 1995 as the ethnic
cleansing as for them it was rather a free choice of
homeland as it was officially stated by the President
Franjo Tudjman. The official Croatia as well never
recognized the existence of the concentration camps
for the Serbs in the 1990s on the territory of Croatia like it was in the Pakrac poljana, around Gospic,
and in Sisak.(7)

The Serb Question in Tudjmans

Croatia was solved on the way that
today there are only 4 percent of the
Serbs out of total Croatias population
in comparison to 12 percent according
to the 1991 census.
According to the Croat nationalists, the problem
of depopulated parts of Croatia (once inhabited by
the Serbs) after August 1995, should be solved by
housing the ethnic Croat diaspora and the Croat
refugees. That was exactly the best option of the
final solution of the Serb Question in Croatia
which mostly satisfied Franjo Tudjman who when
he took his freedom train on August 26th, 1995
from Zagreb to Split via depopulated Krajina region
said that the Serbs: had disappeared ignominiously, as if they had never populated this land. We
urged them to stay, but they didnt listen to us and,
well bon voyage.(8)

Regardless that the HSP urged the Government

to introduce a special legislation on restricting the
return of the Serb refugees, it was, nevertheless, activated a law according to which the refugees had
right to reclaim their property during the threemonth period. That was a legal mechanism used in
order not to create real conditions for the Serb
refugees to return back. Therefore, the Serb Question in Tudjmans Croatia was solved on the way
that today there are only 4 percent of the Serbs out
of total Croatias population in comparison to 12
percent according to the 1991 census.(9)
The task from 1991, when Croatias governmental forces started the war against their own citizens of the Serb origin,(10) was finally realized in
August 1995: the Serbs who remained in Croatia
became politically not dangerous and under complete governmental control and served as a proof
that Croatia is formally multiethnic society.
ENDNOTES
1. The same ethnopolitical role of national coherence played anti-Semitism in the ideology of the
Nazi Germany. In the Croat case, the anti-Semitism
was not important factor in the ultranationalist ideology, at least up to the WWII.
2. For instance, see: J. Jareb, Pola stoljea
hrvatske politike: Povodom Maekove autobiografije, Zagreb: Institut za suvremenu povijest,
1995, VX.
3. Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Daily
Report: Eastern Europe, August 10th, 1995.
4. Temeljna naela i statut, Hrvatska stranka
prava, February 24th, 1991.
5. Interview with Ante Djapic, Glas Slavonije,
August 19th, 1995.
6. . . (),
: , :
, 2005, 48.
7. J. Guskova, Istorija jugoslovenske krize
(19902000), 1, Beograd: Izdavaki grafiki atelje
M, 2003, 223.
8. J. A. Irvine, Ultranationalist Ideology and
State-Building in Croatia, 19901996, Problems
of Post-Communism, July/August 1997, 40. It is
clear from the transcripts of the meeting between
Croatias Government and military officials at
Brioni just before the operation Storm started that
Tudjmans requirement was that the Serbs have to
disappear from Croatia [http://www.nspm.rs/dokumenti/tudjmanovi-brionski-transkripti-udariti-srbeda-nestanu.html]
9. On the present-day territory of Croatia there
were 24 percent of the Serbs before the WWII.
10. That Croatias Government launched the war
against the Serbs in 1991 in order to provoke them
is confirmed by Tudjmans first minister of police,
Josip Boljkovac in his interview in 2014
[http://www.jugoslavologija.eu/2014/12/24/tudman
ov-ministar-priznao-prvi-smo-napali-srbe-da-bipoceo-rat/].