Communist Retaliation and Persecution on Yugoslav Territory during and after WWII (1943-1950)

any differentiation. It was exactly this one-sidedness, which led in some of the new states (Baltic republics, Ukraine, Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia) - after the collapse of the Soviet bloc and the dissolution of the old Yugoslavia - to a similar one-sided political and legal rehabilitation of convinced representatives of the collaborationist regimes. It might be one of the most delicate and difficult tasks of European historiography to describe the complex of “occupation – collaboration – retaliation” during and after WWII with all its complex facets.

II STAND OF RESEARCH AND SECONDARY LITERATURE

The following literature review does not claim to be complete. It may be that a publication was deliberately not mentioned, or it was omitted because this author was not aware of its existence.

a) Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian literature of the 1990ties

It almost goes without saying that in socialist Yugoslavia a free, scholarly-based, and public debate about the “dark sides” of communism coming into power was neither possible nor desired. It was only after the violent break-up of the old Yugoslavia during the 1990ies, when in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro the historiography was to be turned a new page in recent history of their countries.

The articles and books published by Slovenian historians usually do emphasize - but not over- stress - a national point of view and most of them can be characterized as professional and impartial works. 5

In the light of the difficult political situation in Croatia between 1992 and 1995 not only the population but also a part of Croatian historians and journalists were affected and influenced by nationalistic war propaganda. Among other works, a spate of literature appeared on the sensitive topic of “Bleiburg and the Death marches”, most of it by far not reaching the level of

5 The bibliographical data of the most important works are to be mentioned here: Griesser-Pecar, Tamara, Das zerrissene Volk. Slowenien 1941-1946. Okkupation. Kollaboration. Bürgerkrieg. Revolution, Wien/Graz 2003;

Vodušek Staric, Jera, Prevzem oblasti 1944-1946, Ljubljana 1992; Ibid., Ozadje sodnih procesov v Sloveniji v

prvem povojnem letu, in: Pripevki za novejšo zgodovino 1-2, Ljubljana 1992, p.139-154; Ibid., Überlegungen

zur Sowjetisierung Nachkriegs-Jugoslawiens, in: Jahrbuch für Historische Kommunismusforschung, Mannheim

1998, p.86-98; Ibid., Stalinismus und Selbst-Sowjetisierung in Jugoslawien. Von der kommunistischen

Partisanenbewegung zu Titos Einparteiensystem, in: Gleichschaltung unter Stalin? Die Entwicklung der Parteien

im östlichen Europa 1944-1949, edited by Stefan Creuzberger und Manfred Görtemaker, Paderborn 2002, p.

219-237; Jancar, Drago (ed.), temna stran meseca. kratka zgodovina totalitarizma v sloveniji 1945-1990,

Ljubljana 1998; Slovenija v letu 1945. Zbornik referatov, edited by Zveza zgodovinskih društev Sloveniji,

Ljubljana 1996; Sirc, Ljubo, Resnicna borba za svobodo: množicno ubijanje - cast ali sramota za Slovence?

Kranj, 1995; Ibid., Between Hitler and Tito. Nazi Occupation and Communist Oppression, London 1989 (Sirc

actually belongs to the group of Southslavic exile writers); Repe, Božo, Povojni sodni procesi v Sloveniji, in:

Zgodvina v šoli, Vol. 1 (1992), No. 3, p. 9-16; Vodopivec, Peter (ed.), Usoda slovenskih demokraticnih

izobražencev. Angela Vode in Boris Furlan - žrtvi Nagodetovega procesa, Ljubljana 2001; Drnovšek, Darinka,

Zapisniki politbiroja CK KPS/ZKS 1 945-1954, in: Viri, 15, Ljubljana 2000; Griesser-Pecar, Tamara, Zur

Problematik der katholischen Kirche in Slowenien unmittelbar nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, in: Österreichische

Osthefte, Vol. 37, book 1, Wien 1995; Ibid., Rožmanov proces, Ljubljana 1996; Dornik-Šubelj, Ljuba, Nastanek

in razvoj organov za notranje zadeve republike Slovenije v oVolobju 1945 do 1963, in: arhivi 1-2/1993, p. 78-

81; Ibid., Oddelek za zašcito naroda za Slovenjo, Ljubljana 1994.

scholarship. 6 It rather seemed to be the intention of the authors to describe the “right” (in both

senses of the word) Croats as the good ones and to condemn and stigmatise the (alleged) then

and present-day enemies of the Croatian people, such as Communists and Serbs. Therewith

they helped – whether on purpose or not – to prepare and legitimate the forthcoming

respectively ongoing expulsion and flight of Croatian Serbs from the Krajina and Eastern

Slavonia. Nevertheless, there were also some works about the so-called “greatest tragedy in

Croatian history” which tried to support an objective discussion within Serbian and Croatian

historiography and public on the events during and after WWII. 7

But “Bleiburg” wasn’t the only field of interest of historians dealing with Croatian history

after 1945. Other so far unrevealed aspects linked to the socialist m etamorphosis of

Yugoslavia have been uncovered: The role of the Croatian Catholic church during WWII and

the fate of a part of its representatives were almost re-written, although with remarkable

differences in quality. 8 Furthermore some of the most spectacular communist trials against

both ecclesiastical and political personalities have been satisfactorily described. 9 Principally

due to the outstanding effort of Vladimir Geiger, the history of the German minority in

Croatia (and Yugoslavia) is very satisfactorily explored. 10 As far as this author is aware, a

6 A nationalistic view Nikolic, Vinko (ed.), Bleiburg: uzroci i posljedice. Spomen-zbornik cetrdesete godišnjice

tragedije, München/Barcelona 1988. Nikolic, Vinko, Poslije pola stoljeca – Bleiburg je povijest, in: Spomenica

povodom 50-te obljetinice Bleiburga i Križnog puta 1945.-1995., edited by Mirko Valentic, Zagreb 1995. Other

contributions in this book - such as the one by Vladimir Geiger - are highly recommendable. Herceg Stjepan,

Samobor. Mali Bleiburg 1945, Samobor 1996.

7 Žerjavic, Vladimir, Demografija o Bleiburgu. In: Bleiburg. otvoreni dossier. Marko Grcic (ed), Zagreb 1990;

Ibid, Opsesije i megalomanije oko Jasenovca i Bleiburga. Gubici stanovništva Jugoslavije u drugom svjetskom

ratu, Zagreb 1992; Ibid., Population losses in Yugoslavia 1941-1945, Zagreb 1997.

8 Ðuric, Veliko Ð., Josif (Cvijovic), mitropolit skopljanski, i Alojzije Stepinac, nadbiskup zagrebacki,

prvosveštenici Srpske pravoslavne i Rimokatolicke Crkve i prekrštavanje 1941-1945. godine, in: Dijalog

povjesnicara-istoricara, Vol. 4, edited by Hans Georg Fleck and Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2001, p.. 449-466;

Akmadža, Miroslav, Oduzimanje imovine Katolickoj crkvi i crkveno-državni odnosi od 1945. do 1966. godine,

Zagreb 2003; Krišto, Jure, Katolicka crkva i Nezavisna Država Hrvatska 1941-1945, Dokumenti, 2, Zagreb

1998; Ibid., Protukatolicka srpska propaganda tijekom Drugoga svjetskog rata, in: Dijalog povjesnicara-

istoricara Vol. 2, edited by Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2000, p. 521-536; Ibid., Crkva i država.

Slucaj vjerskih prijelaza u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj, in: Dijalog povjesnicara-istoricara Vol. 1, edited by

Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2000, p. 189-205.

9 Geiger, Vladimir, Smrtna presuda Vojnog suda mitropolitu Germogenu, in: Dijalog povjesnicara-istoricara 2,

edited by Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2000, p. 569-582; Ibid., Sudski procesi vjerskim

dostojanstvenicima u Hrvatskoj 1945. godine. Smrtna presuda metropolitu Germogenu, in: Nedjeljna Dalmacija,

Split 1995, p. 36-37; Ibid., Sudski procesi u Hrvatskoj 1945. godine. Smrtna presuda evangelickom biskupu dr.

Philipp Poppu, in: Casopis za suvremenu povijest, Vol. 27, No. 1, Zagreb 1995, p. 157-166; Ibid., Sudski procesi

vjerskim dostojanstvenicima u Hrvatskoj 1945. godine. O smrtnoj presudi muftiji Ismetu ef. Mufticu, in:

Hrvatska knjževna revija, Vol. 29, No. 2, Zagreb 1996, p. 233-235; Jareb, Jerôm, Filip Lukas je bio osuden na

smrt u studenome 1945, in: Kolo: casopis Matice hrvatske, p. 5-10, Zagreb 1998; Kisic-Kolanovic, Nada,

Vrijeme politicke represije: "veliki procesi" u Hrvatskoj 1945.-1948., in: Casopis za suvremenu povijest 25 (1),

Zagreb 1993, p. 1-23; Ibid., Drama vojskovode Slavka Kvaternika, in: Casopis za suvremenu povijest 28 (3),

Zagreb 1996; Krapac, Davor, Revolucionarno pravosude kao instrument politickog progona: politicko lice

kaznenog postupka totalitaristickih diktatura, in: Odvjetnik, Vol. 69 (1996), 11/12, p. 63-93; Sabljak, T., U redu

za smrtnu kaznu. Egzekutori Vojnog suda II. armije Koce Popovica u Zagrebu, godine 1945, in: Hrvatska revija.

Kulturno-književni tromjesecnik, g. XLIII, sv. 4 (172), Zagreb 1993, p. 432-441.

10 Geiger, Vladimir, Umrli i zatoceni Osjecani u logoru Valpovo 1945/1946. godine prema zabilješkama župnika

Petera Fischera, in: Glasnik arhiva Slavonije i Baranije, p. 95-102; Ibid., Položaj njemacke manjine u bivšoj

Jugoslaviji (s posebnim osvrtom na razdoblje drugog svetskog rata), in: Historijski zbornik god. XLV (1), p.

165-185, Zagreb 1993; Ibid., Nestanak folksdojcera, Zagreb 1997; Ibid., Udio djece medu stradalim

Folksdojcerima u jugoslovenskim logorima (1944-1948.), in: Dijalog povjesnicara-istoricara, Vol. 4, edited by

Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2001, p. 525-538; Ibid., Sudbina Folksdojcera u Jugoslaviji nakon

Drugoga svjetskog rata u jugoslovenskoj historiografiji, publicisti i književnosti (1991.-1998.), in: Dijalog

povjesnicara-istoricara Vol. 1, edited by Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2000, p. 225-243;

Ibid./Jurkovic, I., Što se dogodilo s Folksdojcerima?, Zagreb 1993; Ibid., Poratni logori za pripadnike njemacke

reliable summary – comparable with similar works in Slovenia - about the process of

transformation seen as a unity has yet to be published. 11

In Serbia and Montenegro, the scientific discussion and non-ideological handling of the

communist take over of power are in their infancy. The war years and Miloševic’s nationalist-

communist dictatorship left its mark on Serbian historiography and amongst the population.

While in Croatia “Bleiburg” stood and stands as a symbol for suffering and martyrdom of the

Croatian people, a similar function was taken over by “Jasenovac” for the Serbian nation. 12 In

the disastrous, highly political -motivated quarrel about Serbian and Croatian victims during

WWII, some of the previously respected Serbian historians obviously forgot their scientific

obligations and became little more than a tool in Miloševic’s nationalist war propaganda. 13

Unfortunately the otherwise excellent book by the Serbian scholar Bogoljub Kocovic cannot

contribute much to an objective debate. 14

Besides some journalistic publications on communist crimes committed in Serbia 15 only a

handful of source-based, scientific articles and monographs dealing with repressive aspects of

the communist take over exist. 16 However, both the position of the Serbian Orthodox church

manjine. Imenik i tipovi poratnih logora z pripadnike njemacke nacionalne manjine na teritoriiju istocne

Slavonije, Srijema, Baranje, Backe i Banata, in: Zatvorenik, br. 9, Zagreb 1991.

11 Some other works of interest: Spehnjak, Katarina, Narodna fronta u Hrvatskoj kao instrument partjiskog

monopola 1945-1952, doktorska disertacija, Zagreb 1995; Ibid., Vlast i javnost u Hrvatskoj 1945-1952, in:

Casopis za suvremenu povjiest 32 (2003), 3, p. 507-514; Jandric, Berislav, Komunisticka partija Hrvatske 1945-

1952. Organizacija, uloga, djelovanje, doktorska disertacija, Zagreb 1995; Kisic-Kolanovic, Nada, Problem

legitimiteta politickog sustava u Hrvatskoj nakon 1945, in: Casopis za suvremenu povijest 24 (1992) 3, p. 177-

196; Jurcevic, Josip, Represivnost jugoslavenskog sustava u Hrvatskoj 1945. godine, disertacija, Zagreb 2000.

12 See also: Tomasevich, Jozo, War and Revolution in Yugoslavia 1941-1945. Occupation and Collaboration,

Stanford 2001, pp. 724.

13 Ekmecic, Milorad. Srbija izmedu srednje Evrope i Evrope, Beograd 1992; Bulajic, Milan, Jasenovac. Ustaški

logori smrti. Srpski mit? Hrvatski ustaški logori genocida nad Srbima, Jevrejima i Ciganima, Beograd 1999;

Ibid., Tudman’s „Jasenova myth“. Genocide against Serbs, Jews and Gypsies, Beograd 1994; Petrovic, Rastislav

V., Zavera protiv Srba, Beograd 1989; Bulatovic, Radomir, Koncentracioni logor Jasenovac, s posebnim

osvrtom na Donju Gradinu, Sarajevo 1990;

14 Kocovic, Bogoljub, Žrtve Drugoga svetskog rata u Jugoslaviji, Sarajevo 1990 (first published in London

1985). Kocovic himself gives a very accurate explanation why his work failed to support an open dialogue:

«Very soon it dawned upon me that the major obstacle to my work would be the myths created over four decades

about the number of victims, myths by now deeply implanted in the soul of the people of all religions, political

beliefs and nationality; myths which, by repetition became a 'reality'. There will be many who will reject my

study because it does not conform to their beliefs...Many of them are looking for spiritual food to ignite their

hatred of the Croats.”Cit. http://mirror.veup.hr/myth/victimp.html

15 Otaševic, Ana, Zlocini komunizma 1944-1956, Sudbina pobedenih, in: NIN, October 25 th 2001; Pogled

(specialno izdanje): Partizanski zlocini u Srbiji 1944-45: 150.000 neznanih grobova, broj 2, June 1991;

Kovacevic, Sonja, Milan Trešnjic - Major OZNE i generalni konzul SFRJ u Štutgartu: Oslobadanje Dedinja, in:

KRUG, mart 1999, broj 8, Beograd 1999.

16 Recommendable, whenever not source-based and with definitely too much sympathy for the nationalistic

Chetniks and their leader Draža Mihailovic: Markovic, Slobodan G., Communist „Liberation“ and New Order in

Belgrade, in: The South Slav Journal, Vol. 24 No. 3 -4 (93-94), Autumn -Winter 2003 at:

http://www.southslavjournal.com/feat1.htm; Other interesting works: Mitrovic, Momcilo, Sudovi casti u Srbiji

1944-1946 posle Drugog svetskog rata, in: Godišnjak 2, Beograd 1994, p. 123-139, Ibid., Izgubljene iluzije.

Prilozi za društvenu istoriju 1944-1952, Beograd 1997; Ibid., Promene svojinskih odnosa u valjevskom kraju

1944-1960, Valjevo 1997; Radic, Snežana, Konfiskacija imovine u valjevskom okrugu 1944-1946, Valjevo

2002; Miloradovic, Goran, Logori za izolaciju politickih protivnika na tlu Jugoslavije 1918-2000, in: Istorija

XX. veka, br. 2, p. 115-125, Beograd 2000; Markovic, Predrag, Državna represija i javno mnjenje Beograda

1948-1965, in: Istorija XX. veka, broj 1, p. 73-88, Beograd 1996; Jovanovic, Žarko S., Nova vlast u Srbiji 1941-

1945, Beograd 1997; A non-scientific book about OZNA and its successors provides Lopušina: Lopušina,

Marko, Ubij bližnjeg svog. Jugoslavenska tajna policija 1945/1995, Beograd 1996; About the situation of the

Catholic Church during and after WWII writes: Živojinovic, Dragoljub, Vatikan, Katolicka crkva i

jugoslovenska vlast 1941-1958, Beograd 1994.

in the period of 1945 to 1952 17 and the fate of the Danube Swabians from the Vojvodina are

solidly researched. 18

It is at least this author’s impression, that the most important and delicate records are still

waiting to be discovered or, in worst case, have either never reached the archives or have been

destroyed. Be as it may, there is still a lot of unavoidable archive work to be done, until an all-

embracing and well-balanced history of the first years of Serbia within socialist Yugoslavia

can be written.

b) Yugoslav-communist literature

Although communist literature concerning the construction of the second Yugoslavia is often

one-sided, there is a quite remarkable number of publications that have to be mentioned and

taken into account. Primarily the document editions on People Liberation War and about the

construction of socialist Yugoslavia build the starting point for further research. 19 Read in a

different way, these documents provide reliable and valuable information. Additionally many

Yugoslav historians dealt with other (not repressive) aspects of the transformation process.

Although these works are to a great extent ideologically coloured they still represent well-

funded, professional contributions to recent Yugoslav history. 20

17 Radic, Radmila, Verom protiv vere. Država i verske zajednice u Srbiji 1945-1953, Beograd 1995; Ibid.,

Država, Rimokatolicka i Srpska pravoslavna crkva od 1945. do polovine šezdesetih godina, in: Dijalog

povjesnicara-istoricara 2, edited by Hans Georg Fleck und Igor Graovac, Zagreb 2000, p. 653-670.

18 Janjetovic, Zoran, Between Hitler and Tito. The disappearance of the Vojvodina Germans, Belgrade 2000;

Ibid., Deportacija vojvodanskih Nemaca na prinudni rad u Sovjetski Savez krajem 1944. i pocetkom 1945.

godine, in: Jugoslovenski istorijski casopis, No. 1, Beograd 1997, p. 157-168; Ibid., Prilog proucavanju položaja

folksdojcera u Jugoslaviji 1944-1948, in: Istorija XX. veka, No. 1, Beograd 1996, p. 143-152; Ibid., Logorisanje

vojvodanskih Nemaca od novembra 1944. do juna 1945. godine, in: Tokovi istorije, No. 1-2, 1997, p. 150-164;

Ibid., The disappearance of the Germans from Yugoslavia: Expulsion or emigration?, Bonn 2003; Ibid., O

državljanstvu jugoslovenskih Nemaca, in: Tokovi istorije, No. 1-2, 2002, p. 25-35; Ibid., Die Konflikte zwischen

Serben und Donauschwaben, in : Südostforschungen, Vol. 58, München 1999, p.119-168.

19 Petranovic, Branko, Zapisnici sa sednica Politbiroa Centralnog komiteta KPJ (11. jun 1945 – 7. jul 1948),

(=Izvori za istoriju Jugoslavije), Beograd 1995; Petranovic, Branko/Zecevic, Momcilo, Jugoslovenski

federalizam. Ideje i stvarnost. Tematska zbirka i dokumenata. Drugi tom 1943-1986, Beograd 1987; Petranovic,

Branko/Markovic, Ljljana, Zapisnici NKOJ-a i Privremene vlade DFJ: 1943-1945, Beograd 1991; Zecevic,

Miodrag/Popovic Jovan P., Dokumenti iz istorije Jugoslavije, Državna komisija za utvrdivanje zlocina okupatora

i njegovih pomagaca iz Drugog svetskog rata, Beograd 1996; Nešovic, Slobodan, Stvaranje nove Jugoslavije

1941-1945, Beograd 1981; Ibid. (ed.), Zakonodavni rad Predsedništva AVNOJ-a i Predsedništva Privremene

narodne skupštine DFJ, - 19. XI 1944-27. X 1945, edited by Pretsedništvo Narodne Skupštine FNRJ, Beograd

1951; Ibid. (ed.), Rad zakonodavnih odbora Predsedništva Antifašistickog veca narodnog oslobodenja

Jugoslavije i Predsedništva Privremene narodne skupštine, 3 April-25 October 1945, edited by Pretsedništvo

Narodne Skupštine FNRJ, Beograd 1952; Arhiv Jugoslavije (ed.), Dokumenti centralnih organa KPJ, NOR i

revolucija (1941-1945), Knj. 22-23. Beograd 1996; Pijade, Moša/Nešovic, Slobodan, Prvo i Drugo zasjedanje

AVNOJ-a: 26. i 27. novembra 1942. u Bihac: 29. i 30. novembra 1943. u Jajcu, Zagreb 1963; Glavni izvršni

odbor (ed.), Saopštenja zlocina oku patora i nijhovih pomagaca u Vojvodini 1941-1944. Vol. 1: Zlocini u Backoj

i Baranjij; Vol. 2: Zlocini u Sremu, Novi Sad 1946; Popov, Jelena (ed.), Glavni NOO Vojvodine 1943-1945

(=Grada za istoriju Vojvodine, knj. 12), Novi Sad/Sremski Karlovci 1977; Vasi lic, Ljubiša (ed.), Okružni

komitet KPJ za Vojvodine 1944-1945 (=Grada za istoriju Vojvodine, knj. 11), Novi Sad/Sremski Karlovci 1978;

Ibid., Pokrajinski komitet KPJ za Vojvodinu 1941-1945 (=Grada za istoriju Vojvodine, knj. 7), Novi Sad 1971.

20 Culinovic, Ferdo, Stvaranje nove jugoslovenske države, Zagreb, 1959; Koštunica, Vojislav / Cavoški, Kosta,

Party pluralism or monism. Social Movements and the Political System in Yugoslavia 1944-1949 (=East

European Monographs, No. CLXXXIX), New York 1985; Pavlovic, Momcilo, Politicki programi Demokratske,

Narodne radikalne, Jugoslovenske republikanske demokratske, Socialisticke stranke Jugoslavije iz 1945. godine,

in: Istorija XX. veka, broj 1, Beograd 1985, p. 119-156; Petranovic, Branko, Istorija Jugoslavije, Vol. 3:

Socijalisticka Jugoslavija 1945-1988, Beograd 1988; Ibid., AVNOJ Revolucionarna smena vlasti, 1942-1945,

Beograd 1976; Ibid., Politicke i pravne prilike za vreme privremene vlade DFJ, Beograd 1964; Gaceša, L.

c) South-Slavic exile literature

A small part of Yugoslav anticommunists (former ustaše, cetnici, nedicevci, ljoticevci,

domobranci, domobrani and others) who managed to leave the country in time didn’t let the

opportunity slip away to state their position on what happened in Yugoslavia during and after

WWII. While the memoirs of ustaše, ustaše-sympathisers and former cetnici is hardly worth

mentioning 21 , other authors at least tried (more or less successfully) to be scholarly and their

historiographic interpretation of the events lies within an acceptable frame. 22

d) Miscellaneous literature

Not only historians of Yugoslav provenience have been showing interest in recent Yugoslav

history. The bloody and tragic end of the centuries long, mostly peaceful coexistence between

the Yugoslav Germans and their South-Slavic neighbours after WWII led to an intensive and

not seldom half- or unscholarly tackling in Germany and Austria of the history of the German

minority in Yugoslavia. 23 A comparable motivation has to be stated for Hungarian historians

Nikola, Agrarna reforma i kolonizacija u Jugoslaviji 1945-1948, Novi Sad 1984; Stipetic, Vladimir, Agrarna

reforma i kolonizacija u FNRJ godine 1945-1948, Rad. knj. 300, JAZU, Zagreb 1954; Cepic, Zdenko, Agrarna

reforma in kolonizacija v Sloveniji 1945-1948, Maribor 1984; Maticka, Marijan, Agrarna reforma i kolonizacija

u Hrvatskoj 1945-1948, Zagreb 1990; Calic, Dušan, Industrializacija FNRJ, Zagreb 1963; Petranovic, Branko,

Aktivnost rimakatolickog klera protiv sredivanja prilika u Jugoslaviji (mart 1945-septembar 1946), in: Istorija

XX. veka, Zbornik radova, V, Beograd 1963; Živojinovic, Dragoljub, Vatikan, katolicka crkva i jugoslovenska

vlast 1941-1958, Beograd 1958.

21 Musa, Vladimir, Bleiburška tragedija hrvatskoga naroda, München/Barcelona 1976; Prpic, George J., Tragedies and migrations in C roatian history, Toronto 1973; Studia Croatica, La Tragedia de Bleiburg.

Documentos sobre las matanzas en masa de los croatos en Yugoslavia comunista en 1945, Buenos Aires 1963;

Katalinic, Kazimir, Argumenti: NDH, BiH, Bleiburg i genocid, in: Casopis „Republika Hrvatska“, p.7-12,

Buenos Aires/Zagreb 1993; Skertic, Stephen W., The Bleiburg-Maribor tragedy. Croatian golgotha: fifteenth

anniversary of the massacre of the Croatian army, Cleveland 1960; Omrcanin, Ivo, Dokumente über Greueltaten

der Tschetniken und Kommunisten in Kroatien (1941-1945), München 1960; Rajic, Milan L., Srpski pakao u

komunistickoj Jugoslaviji. Trilogija komunistickih zlocina, Beograd 1991 (Rajic was a member of the cetnici

and his book is characterised by one-sidedness and dull Serbian nationalism.)

22 Ðilas, Milovan, Der Krieg der Partisanen. Memoiren 1941-1945, Wien 1978; Karapandžic, Borivoje, Kocevje: Tito's bloodiest crime 1945-1970, Cleveland n.d; Ibid., The Bloodiest Yugoslav Spring, 1945 – Tito's Katyn and

Gulags, New York 1980; Klepec, Matiaž, Teharje so tlakovane z našo krvjo. Tüchern ist getränkt mit unserem

Blut, Buenos Aires 1973; Kovac, Tomaž, V rogu ležimo pobiti, Buenos Aires 1968; Hecimovic, Joseph, In Tito's

Death Marches and Extermination Camps, New York 1962; Prcela, John/ Guldescu, Stanko, Operation

Slaughterhouse. Eyewitness Accounts of Postwar Massacres in Yugoslavia, Philadelphia 1970;

23 Only a small part of the numerous publications related to this topic are mentioned below: Arbeitskreis Dokumentation (ed.), Verbrechen an den Deutschen in Jugoslawien 1944-1948, Die Stationen eines

Völkermords, München 1998; Beer, Josef, Weissbuch der Deutschen aus Jugoslawien. Ortsberichte über die

Verbrechen an den Deutschen durch das Tito-Regime in der Zeit von 1944-1948, (=Donauschwäbisches Archiv:

Reihe 3, Beiträge zur donauschwäbischen Volks- und Heimatgeschichtsforschung; 46) München 1992;

Dokumentation der Vertreibung der Deutschen aus Ost-Mitteleuropa, Vol. V: Das Schicksal der Deutschen in

Jugoslawien, edited by Bundesministerium für Vertriebene, Flüchtlinge und Kriegsgeschädigte, Bonn 1961;

Sundhaussen, Holm, Die Deutschen in Kroatien-Slawonien und Jugoslawien, in: Günter Schödl (ed.), Deutsche

Geschichte im Osten Europas. Das Land an der Donau, Berlin 1995; Suppan, Arnold (ed.), Deutsche Geschichte

im Osten Europap. Zwischen Adria und Karawanken, Wien 1998; Ibid./Rumpler, Helmut (eds.), Geschichte der

Deutschen im Bereich des heutigen Slowenien 1848-1941, München 1988; Böhme, K.W., Die deutschen

Kriegsgefangenen in Jugoslawien 1941-1949. Zur Geschichte der deutschen Kriegsgefangenen des Zweiten

Weltkriegs, Vol. 2, edited by Erich Maschke, München 1962 and 1964.

who tried to enlighten the fate of their co-nationals in Vojvodina during and after WWII. 24

Aleksandar Kasaš however published the most reliable work about Hungarian minority in

Yugoslavia. 25 The description of repressive measures undertaken by Partisan forces (mass

executions and expulsion) agai nst the Italian minority in Istria, Dalmatia and Slovenia is the

subject of some articles published in Italy, Austria and Croatia. 26 Since the author

unfortunately cannot read Albanian it is impossible to say what was published in Albanian

about “retaliations with balists”. 27

Only a few other publications dealing with persecution in Yugoslavia appeared in English and

German. 28

Finally the international comparative studies intending to stress both the differences and

similarities in the process of coming into power of communist parties in the respective

European countries after WWII deserve to be mentioned. The unhindered access to Eastern

European archives made it possible for historians to focus on so far neglected fields of

research, such as terror against alleged and true enemies, show trials, “cleansings” within the

Communist Party and so on. 29

24 Ludanyi, Andrew, The Hungarians of Vojvodina under Yugoslav Rule, in: The Hungarians, A Divided Nation,

edited by Stephen Borsody, New Haven 1988, p. 191-208, Ibid., Hungarians in Rumania and Yugoslavia: a

comparative study of communist nationality policies, 1971; Ibid., Titoist Integration of Yugoslavia. The Partisan

Myth and the Hungarians of the Vojvodina, in: Polity 12 (1979), p. 225-252; Cseres, Tibor, Titoist atrocities in

Vojvodina 1944-1945. Serbian Vendetta in Bacska, Toronto 1993; Ibid., Blood Feud in Bácska, Budapest 1991;

Hommonay, Elemér, Atrocities committed by Tito’s partisans in occupied Southern Hungary, Cleveland/Ohio

1957; Matuska, Márton, Retaliation, Budapest 1995; Arday, Lajos, Hungarians in Serb-Yugoslav Vojvodina

since 1944, in: Nationalities Papers 24 (1996), p. 467-482.

25 Kasaš, Aleksandar, Madari u Vojvodini 1941-1946, Novi Sad 1996.

26 Bartoli, G., Il martirilogo delle gente adriatiche, Trieste 1961, Wörsdorfer, Rolf, Zwischen Karst und Adria.

Entnationalisierung, Umsiedlung und Vertreibung in Dalmatien, Istrien und Julisch-Venezien (1927-1954), in:

Robert Streibl (ed.), Vertreibung und Flucht, Wien 1994; Esposito Givanni, Trieste e la sua odissea, Rom 1952 ;

Galliano, Fogar, Fojbe in deportacije v Julijski krajini, in: Prispevki za zgodovino delavskega gibanja 25 (1985),

p. 95-109 ; Orietta, Moscarda, L´esodo dall´Istria, in: Friuli e Venezia Giulia – Storia del´900, Gorizia 1997, p.

551-560; Tolto il segreto sui lager di Tito. Vi furono uccisi 5 mila italiani, in: “Il Giornale”, No. 126, Anno

XXIV, May 29 th 1997; Veiter, Theodor, Soziale Aspekte der italienischen Flüchtlinge aus den adriatis chen

Küstengebieten, in: Festschrift für Hans Schmitz zum 70. Geburtstag, Wien 1967; Dukovski, Darko, Egzodus

talijanskog stanovništva Istre 1945-1954, in: Casopis za suvremenu povijest, XXXIII, 3, 2001.

27 This the title of a book published in Belgrade: Vidanic, Rajko, Obracuni sa balistima 1944-1952 (=Prilozi za

istoriografiju Kosova i Metohije), Beograd 1990; Also consider: Malcolm, Noel, Kosovo. A short History, pp.

314.

28 Martin, David, The Web of Disinformation. Churchill’s Yugoslav Blunder, San Diego/New York//London

1990; Cowgill, Anthony, Cowgill Inquiry, The Repatriations from Austria in 1945. The documentary evidence

reproduced in full from british, american and yugoslav sources, London 1990; Ibid., Cowgill, Anthony, The

Repatriations from Austria in 1945. Report of an Inquiry, London 1990; Tolstoy, Nikolai, The Klagenfurt

Conspiracy, in: South Slav Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1 (19), p. 6-23, 1983; Ibid., The Minister and the Massacres,

London 1986; Jarman, Robert L., Yugoslavia. Political Diaries 1918-1965, Vol. 3: 1938-1948, Chippenham

1997; Völkl, Ekkehard, Abrechnungsfuror in Kroatien, in: Klaus-Dietmar Henke und Woller, Hans ( eds.),

Politische Säuberungen in Europa. Die Abrechnung mit dem Faschismus und Kollaboration nach dem Zweiten

Weltkrieg, München 1991, p. 358-393; Kaltenegger, Roland, Titos Kriegsgefangene. Folterlager,

Hungermärsche und Schauprozesse, Graz / Stuttgart 2001; Elste, Alfred, Filipic Hanzi, Koschat, Michael, NS-

Österreich auf der Anklagebank. Anatomie eines politischen Schauprozesses im kommunistischen Slowenien,

Klagenfurt/Wien 2000.

29 Weber, Hermann (ed.), Terror. Stalinistische Parteisäuberungen 1936-1953, Paderborn 2001; Maderthaner,

Wolfgang/Schafranek, Hans/Unfired/Berthold (eds.), "Ich habe den Tod verdient". Schauprozesse und politische

Verfolgung in Mittel- und Osteuropa 1945-1956, Wien 1991; Courtosi, Stéphane (ed.), Das Schwarzbuch des

Kommunismus: Unterdrückung, Verbrechen und Terror, München 1998; Hodos, Georg Hermann,

Schauprozesse. Stalinistische Säuberungen in Osteuropa 1948-54, Berlin 1990; Weber, Hermann/Staritz,

Dietrich (eds.), Kommunisten verfolgen Kommunisten: stalinistischer Terror und “Säuberungen” in den

kommunistischen Parteien Europas seit den dreissiger Jahren (Beiträge des internationalen wissenschaftlichen

Symposions an der Universität Mannheim “Weisse Flecken” in der Geschichte des Weltkommunismus -