Nationalism and the Politicization of History in the Former Yugoslavia

“This book is very timely: the instrumentalization of history for political goals has become a pressing issue and worrisome feature of many polities, to the point of challenging even the most consolidated democracies. Focusing on Yugoslavia’s fragile successor states, the authors explore plurifold analytical levels, including local, regional, transnational, European and global perspectives. The authors comprehensively demonstrate how politicizing history, in the postwar and postcommunist societies of what was once Yugoslavia, has prevented both reconciliation and democratization.” —Sabine Rutar, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, Germany “Ognjenovic and Jozelic focus here on the former Yugoslavia before and after its fragmentation to explore and evaluate the various uses of histories by nationalists, both those who promoted ‘federal nationalism’ and those who peddle specific local nationalisms in successor states. The book deals specifically with the Western Balkans, but these developments have their parallels in many other parts of the world, and the book will be useful well beyond the region on which the study is based.” —Paul Mojzes, Professor Emeritus, Rosemont College, USA “The former Yugoslavia has become a battlefield for the ‘Memory Wars’, in spite of the wealth of judicially established facts and available evidences gathered about the atrocities in the region, and various initiatives aimed at dealing with the past and efforts at transitional justice. Focusing on three periods of Yugoslav history – the Second World War, socialist Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav wars of 1991–2001 – the contributors show that despite these efforts to deal with the past, sustainable peace and reconciliation across ethnic and religious groups remain a distant aim.” —Marijana Toma, Center for Cultural Decontamination, Serbia This book analyzes how nationalists in the former Yugoslavia have politicized history to further their political agendas, retaining and prolonging conflict among different cultural and religious groups, and impeding the process of lasting reconciliation. It explores how narratives have been (mis)used, drawing on examples from all of the former Yugoslav republics. With contributors from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, it provides a vital assessment of how nationalists have attempted to (re)shape public collective memory and relativize facts. Foreword Praise for Nationalism and the Politicization of History in the Former Yugoslavia Contents Notes on Contributors Chapter 1: Introduction – Nationalism and the Politicization of History in the Former Yugoslavia References Chapter 2: Post-Communism and Recent History: The Case of Croatia A New Political Paradigm and Acceleration of History Revival of the “recent” The Social Role and Perception of History at a Time of Change in Croatia, 1989–2004 The Defeat of “controlled history” and the Challenge of Mastering History History in Historical Turmoil Daily Politics, War, Propaganda, and History Historiographic Positions in War and Transition (Croatia, Regionally and Internationally) Overview of Historical Works on Recent History in Croatia in the 1990s ‘Real-time’ History and ‘just-in-time’ History Conclusion References Chapter 3: Reclaiming Illyria: The Notorious Usefulness of Archaeology to Communism and Nationalism Alike in Yugoslavia and After ‘Illyria’ and ‘Illyrians’ Yugoslav Archaeology and Cultural Identity Post-Yugoslav Archaeology and Nationalist Agendas Illyrian Sophistication and Cultural-historical Superiority The Middle Ages and a Bosnian Identity The ‘Illyrian’ Heritage International Collaboration The Long-time Perspective of Forgiveness Conclusion References Chapter 4: The Europeanization of Memory at the Jasenovac Memorial Museum New Holocaust Memorial Museums Europeanization of Memory and Post-communist Memorial Museums Jasenovac in the Yugoslav Era Jasenovac in Independent Croatia The New Jasenovac Memorial Museum Conclusion References Chapter 5: The Political Instrumentalization of a Site of the Holocaust: Contested Memories of the Semlin Camp in Belgrade Sajmište as a Symbol of Antifascism and Yugoslav Unity: Memorial Discourse in the 1980s From Yugoslav Unity to Serbian Martyrdom: Sajmište as the ‘Serbian Yad Vashem’ Re-Imagining Semlin as Part of a ‘Nazi-Ustaša system of death camps’ Serbo-Croatian Propaganda Wars and the Manipulation of the History of Semlin Anniversary of the Victory over Fascism Meets Remembrance for Genocide Victims: The Unveiling of the Sajmište Memorial in 1995 Sajmište Commemorations after 1995 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Thrice Plundered: The Politics of Restitution with Regard to the Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina Expropriation, Nationalization, and Restitution Post-Communist Restitution Conclusion References Chapter 7: Himmler’s SS Handžar Division The Historical and Historiographical Background The Handschar Division and the Villefranche Mutiny Conclusions References Chapter 8: The Highway of Memorial Symbolism: A Thin Red Line Where Did the Public Memory Project Go Wrong? Who Were the Prisoners Who Did Not Want to Go Home? Institutionalizing the False Memory Ever Since Conclusion References Chapter 9: Constructing a Truth Regime: The 1999 NATO Intervention in Serbian Political Memory The Regime of Truth Centering Diffusion Contestation Conclusion References Chapter 10: National Manhood: Martyrs, Freedom Fighters, and Statesmen in Kosovo’s State-Making Finding Manhood Manhood: Competing Masculinities Masculine Habitus: Postwar Remembrance Masculine Habitus: Practices of State-Building Conclusion References Chapter 11: The Politicization of History in North Macedonia (1941–2018) Conclusion References Chapter 12: Djilas Reconsidered: The Attitudes of Montenegro Toward Milovan Djilas After 1989 Conclusion References Chapter 13: Slovenia: From the Best European Pupil to Perpetrator of One of the Most Egregious ECHR Violations A Model Transition Country? Article 8 of the ECHR Kurić and Others v. Slovenia The Chronology The ECtHR Judgment Article 8 Violation Article 13 Violation Article 14 Violation Pilot Judgment and Satisfaction The Aftermath Conclusion References Chapter 14: Mass Myths to Mass Graves: Politicizing Memory in Serbia as a Prelude to Genocide in Bosnia Ethnography in a Post-Genocide Village Re-Embodying Post-Genocide Realities Collective Memories Politicizing Memory in Serbia Through High and Popular Culture Reinscribing Memories on the Bosnian Landscape in Republika Srpska Conclusion References Chapter 15: YU Rearview Mirror: Ways of Remembering Yugoslavia The Particularities of Yugoslavias Politics of/and Remembrance Ways of Remembering Yugoslavia The Loud Discontinuities of Remembrance Remembering Together Apart Memory Wars The Dialectics of Remembering and Forgetting Useful Memories One History, Many Memories Nostalgia as Memory Minus Pain Cathartic Memory Engaged Memory Memory for the Future Conclusion References Chapter 16: Reconfiguring and Imposing Identity: Politicization of Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina Identity Why Are Historical Interpretations Connected to Identity So Important? Why Are National Identities Imagined in One Way Rather Than Another? Conclusion References Chapter 17: Conclusion Chapter 18: Afterword References References Index "This book is very timely: the instrumentalization of history for political goals has become a pressing issue and worrisome feature of many polities, to the point of challenging even the most consolidated democracies. Focusing on Yugoslavia's fragile successor states, the authors explore plurifold analytical levels, including local, regional, transnational, European and global perspectives. The authors comprehensively demonstrate how politicizing history, in the postwar and postcommunist societies of what was once Yugoslavia, has prevented both reconciliation and democratization." --Sabine Rutar, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, Germany "Ognjenović and Jozelić focus here on the former Yugoslavia before and after its fragmentation to explore and evaluate the various uses of histories by nationalists, both those who promoted 'federal nationalism' and those who peddle specific local nationalisms in successor states. The book deals specifically with the Western Balkans, but these developments have their parallels in many other parts of the world, and the book will be useful well beyond the region on which the study is based." --Paul Mojzes, Professor Emeritus, Rosemont College, USA This book analyzes how nationalists in the former Yugoslavia have politicized history to further their political ends, retaining and prolonging conflict among different cultural and religious groups, and impeding the process of lasting reconciliation. It explores how narratives have been (mis)used, drawing on examples from all of the former Yugoslav republics. With contributors from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, it provides a vital assessment of how nationalists have attempted to (re)shape public collective memory and relativize facts