The Breakup
Today, when in Zagreb, the language is Croatian; in Sarajevo, Bosnian and here in Banja Luka, Serbian. Apart from varying dialects and nuances, to linguists, the Balkan language is, Serbo-Croatian. However, when moving across borders, as only foreigners do, you pick your language accordingly.
It is fractious.
A pair of my adult students, each a Ljilijana, asked me, How do you refer to yourself? As an American, no? That’s how we want to be, as Yugoslavians…
It is fractious.
A pair of my adult students, each a Ljilijana, asked me, How do you refer to yourself? As an American, no? That’s how we want to be, as Yugoslavians…
Sometimes I wonder if I would have preferred the land of Yugoslavia to the divided, bitter, nation-states now. When Yugoslavia was in its prime, there was trade, economies of prosperity, the sturdy Yugo car, and more revealing then anything, a national candor, an anthem and a leader. Never have I come across such favorable unanimity for a political leader as that for Josip Broz, “Tito.” (Apart from global pacifist icons, i.e. the Dalai Lama, Gandhi and Mandela.)
Yet, in such overwhelming favor, it points any skeptic to believe that there was in fact masked oppression. Not to mention it was a socialist rule albeit one that was not akin to the neighbors, in Stalin’s Russia. To the West, Tito was the harbinger of stability. Only latent and young academics are surfacing evidence of student dissidence and partisan disruption during Tito-time, but it requires a deep shovel nothing a powerful search engine can find.
Grand Marshal Tito was a Croatian, a man who had a soft touch and a hard ruling hand. He believed in brotherhood, sustenance and nonalignment. People sang to him in more than one chorus, he acknowledged the diversity of his land and appropriated it accordingly over time. Typical of former socialist countries, there is a deep collection of sundry heirlooms an
d paraphernalia of this time.
Yet, in such overwhelming favor, it points any skeptic to believe that there was in fact masked oppression. Not to mention it was a socialist rule albeit one that was not akin to the neighbors, in Stalin’s Russia. To the West, Tito was the harbinger of stability. Only latent and young academics are surfacing evidence of student dissidence and partisan disruption during Tito-time, but it requires a deep shovel nothing a powerful search engine can find.
Grand Marshal Tito was a Croatian, a man who had a soft touch and a hard ruling hand. He believed in brotherhood, sustenance and nonalignment. People sang to him in more than one chorus, he acknowledged the diversity of his land and appropriated it accordingly over time. Typical of former socialist countries, there is a deep collection of sundry heirlooms an
d paraphernalia of this time. A period lasting 37 years, Tito was a grandfather to many Yugoslavs who put him and their nation first and that of their family and parents, second, respectfully. In the children’s uniforms complete with stars on their berets, songs to Tito, operas, numerous biographies, photo books and always, vintage posters of families and children with apple-cheeks and sun-kissed faces, times were the best they could be.
As my Croatian friend noted, People had something to believe in then.
In particular the generation that survived WWII, coined as the Greatest Generation in Tom Brokaw’s terms, embraced Tito. Over 1.6 million Yugoslavs died during the war. However, among Serbs, there was serious mistrust and Titophobia ensued because Germany occupied Croatia and as allies, subsequently killed the Serbian population and that of the Orthodox Church under the Ustasha. For this alliance, Serbs consider Croatians to be traitorous, and therein remains a serious hostility among Serbs that would later seek retribution during the war.
Ten years after the war, few Croatian-Serbs, including my friends and colleagues feel comfortable returning to the streets of Zagreb. They aren’t welcome. It is explicit and restrains Croatia from entering the E.U. until they allow Serb re-entry.
Today, there remains a loyalty to his legacy. If it’s not that of longhaired men of the Led Zeppelin/Zappa classic variety, donning Tito tees as if he was on tour, or a collection of Tito songs, his face on Slivo bottles, to coffee table books, he is not forgotten. Yugoslavia is not forgotten. It’s flag?? This form of patronage is not to be mistaken as a threat to existing nation-states nor does it support the anteceding leadership under Milosevic. This nostalgia is a nod, a sentiment to the good ol’ days, when everyone could travel and everyone could talk to another, everyone had a job and a song to sing—in his name.
Throughout his time, Tito had to rewrite constitutions and address issues of po
litical pluralization, and as the economy soured in the 70s, it was clear that a new system would have to be devised. When he passed away in 1980, there was nothing to unify Yugoslavs without such a charismatic leader. He was irreplaceable. Added to that loss was the outside pressures, namely from Europe and the U.S., to enter the global economy, and the fated socialist-capitalist hybrid was axed, the attempt to decentralize the state only spread bureaucracy further, inflation was crippling people, and things expectedly, fell apart.
That spirit transgressed into anger.
As my Croatian friend noted, People had something to believe in then.
In particular the generation that survived WWII, coined as the Greatest Generation in Tom Brokaw’s terms, embraced Tito. Over 1.6 million Yugoslavs died during the war. However, among Serbs, there was serious mistrust and Titophobia ensued because Germany occupied Croatia and as allies, subsequently killed the Serbian population and that of the Orthodox Church under the Ustasha. For this alliance, Serbs consider Croatians to be traitorous, and therein remains a serious hostility among Serbs that would later seek retribution during the war.
Ten years after the war, few Croatian-Serbs, including my friends and colleagues feel comfortable returning to the streets of Zagreb. They aren’t welcome. It is explicit and restrains Croatia from entering the E.U. until they allow Serb re-entry.
Today, there remains a loyalty to his legacy. If it’s not that of longhaired men of the Led Zeppelin/Zappa classic variety, donning Tito tees as if he was on tour, or a collection of Tito songs, his face on Slivo bottles, to coffee table books, he is not forgotten. Yugoslavia is not forgotten. It’s flag?? This form of patronage is not to be mistaken as a threat to existing nation-states nor does it support the anteceding leadership under Milosevic. This nostalgia is a nod, a sentiment to the good ol’ days, when everyone could travel and everyone could talk to another, everyone had a job and a song to sing—in his name.
Throughout his time, Tito had to rewrite constitutions and address issues of po
litical pluralization, and as the economy soured in the 70s, it was clear that a new system would have to be devised. When he passed away in 1980, there was nothing to unify Yugoslavs without such a charismatic leader. He was irreplaceable. Added to that loss was the outside pressures, namely from Europe and the U.S., to enter the global economy, and the fated socialist-capitalist hybrid was axed, the attempt to decentralize the state only spread bureaucracy further, inflation was crippling people, and things expectedly, fell apart.That spirit transgressed into anger.
posted by kc at 17:50
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