The following article deals with repressive measures undertaken by communist-dominated Partisan forces during and especially after WWII in order to take revenge on former enemies, to punish collaborators, and “people’s enemies“ and to decimate and eliminate the potential of opponents to a new, socialist Yugoslavia. The text represents a summary of a master thesis referring to the above-mentioned topic written and accepted at Vienna University in 2002.
Table of Contents
I RETALIATION AFTER WWII IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT
II STAND OF RESEARCH AND SECONDARY LITERATURE
a) Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian literature of the 1990ties
b) Yugoslav-communist literature
c) South-Slavic exile literature
d) Miscellaneous literature
III GENERAL ASEPCTS OF THE COMMUNIST TAKE-OVER
Legal base for persecution and retaliation
The State Commission on Ascertaining Crimes Committed by Occupying Powers and their Helpers
IV RETALIATION AND PERSECUTION: DEVELOPMENTS IN RESPECTIVE REPUBLICS AND REGIONS
Definition of “Retaliation”
The Italian minority in Dalmatia and the Coast Land: Flight and Persecution
Serbia after liberation
The Vojvodina under military administration (with special consideration of the German and Hungarian Minority)
a) The Yugoslav Germans in the Vojvodina after 1944
b) The Hungarian minority
The final days of the cetnici
Bleiburg and the “Death Marches”
The end of real and alleged Slovenian collaborationist forces
Legal proceedings and show trials in Yugoslavia
V FINAL REMARKS
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines the repressive measures, persecutions, and retaliations carried out by communist-led Partisan forces during and after World War II in Yugoslavia. It seeks to analyze the complex interplay between legal justifications, political consolidation, and the systematic elimination of perceived enemies, while also documenting the historical historiography of these events in the successor states.
- Legal framework and jurisdiction of the communist takeover.
- Mechanisms of "retaliation" against ethnic minorities and political opponents.
- Case studies of regional developments in Serbia, Vojvodina, Slovenia, and Dalmatia.
- Analysis of communist-era archival data vs. modern historiographical debates.
- The impact of post-WWII purges on the structural stability of the second Yugoslavia.
Excerpt from the Book
The Vojvodina under military administration (with special consideration of the German and Hungarian Minority)
Immediately after the invasion by the Red Army and the Yugoslav partisan units the Military administration was set up on October 17th 1944 in the area of the Banat, Backa and Baranja (Vojna uprava za Banat, Backu i Baranju, hereafter: VU BBB). After the end of all combat operations and liberation of the whole country, the VU BBB was to be abolished; in fact civil authorities (the so called People’s Liberation committees, hereafter: NOO) resumed power already on February 15th 1945.
The reasons for the establishment of a military administration were complex: Since the partisan movement in Banat, Backa and Baranja due to the “efficient” Hungarian and German occupation policy was underdeveloped, the NOO couldn’t immediately operate as the new authority. It was additionally stated in the public announcement (proglas), that the “Yugoslav character of these areas must be preserved”. The military authorities saw to it that economical resources of the Vojvodina were primarily used for purposes of the People’s Liberation Army. Maybe one of the main motives for the implementation was the desire of the Partisan military leadership to punish both the German and Hungarian population and to take control over German property. A letter from the Province Committee of the Vojvodina of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (hereafter: CPY or CP) to all members of the CP in the Banat, Backa and Baranja seems to confirm this impression:
Summary of Chapters
I RETALIATION AFTER WWII IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT: Discusses the historical phenomenon of post-war transformation processes and the unique intensity of retaliation against perceived collaborators in Europe between 1943 and 1948.
II STAND OF RESEARCH AND SECONDARY LITERATURE: Provides an overview of the historiographical shifts in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and the broader Yugoslav/exile academic discourse regarding post-WWII events.
III GENERAL ASEPCTS OF THE COMMUNIST TAKE-OVER: Examines the legal foundations of the communist transition, specifically the establishment of military courts and commissions tasked with identifying and punishing "war criminals" and "people's enemies."
IV RETALIATION AND PERSECUTION: DEVELOPMENTS IN RESPECTIVE REPUBLICS AND REGIONS: Analyzes regional cases of post-war violence, including the experiences of Italian, German, and Hungarian minorities, as well as the destruction of opposing political forces like the cetnici.
V FINAL REMARKS: Synthesizes the motives for repressive measures, arguing that the combination of ideological consolidation and retaliation was used to construct a new Yugoslavia, while also laying the groundwork for later fragmentation.
Keywords
Yugoslavia, WWII, Partisans, Retaliation, Communism, Collaborators, Bleiburg, Vojvodina, Military Administration, Ethnic Minorities, People's Enemies, Historiography, Purges, OZNA, State Building.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary scope of this historical study?
This work explores the repressive actions taken by communist Partisan forces in Yugoslavia during and immediately after World War II, focusing on the period between 1943 and 1950.
What were the main justifications for these persecutions?
The regime justified its actions as necessary measures against "war criminals," "people's enemies," and collaborators, while simultaneously seeking to consolidate political power and seize state property.
What research methodology was employed?
The study relies on a review of contemporary literature, legal documents, archival sources, and previous historical appraisals to analyze the transformation of the Yugoslav state.
How is "retaliation" defined in this context?
The author defines retaliation as the killing and repressive measures against civilians and soldiers occurring during or after the liberation of a region, where no significant military strategic advantage could be asserted.
What role did ethnic minorities play in these events?
Ethnic minorities, such as Germans (Danube Swabians) and Hungarians, were targeted for collective punishment, internment, and property confiscation based on the actions of the occupation forces or perceived support for them.
What were the main thematic fields covered in the work?
The text covers the legal apparatus for persecution, the regional dynamics of post-war violence in Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia, and the historiographical controversies surrounding the death tolls.
How significant was the role of the State Commission (DKUZOP)?
The State Commission for Ascertaining Crimes played a central role in registering millions of notifications and identifying thousands of individuals as war criminals, providing the legal basis for subsequent state actions.
What was the outcome for the "cetnici" forces?
The Partisan forces systematically destroyed the cetnici and other domestic resistance groups, culminating in major military operations like the battle at Zelengora in May 1945.
How does the author view the "genocide" debate regarding Ethnic Germans?
The author argues that while the scale of the tragedy was immense and the conditions often led to mass death, it cannot technically be categorized as a state-planned genocide, as there was no explicit intention of total extermination.
What is the significance of the "Bleiburg" and "Death Marches" events?
These events symbolize the mass retribution against the retreating Croatian and German forces at the end of the war, marking a defining and traumatic moment in the consolidation of communist power.
- Quote paper
- Dr. phil. Michael Portmann (Author), 2004, Communist Retaliation and Persecution on Yugoslav Territory during and after WWII (1943-1950), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/49718
