Politics of the past: the use and abuse of history - Socialists ...

and sometimes in adjustment and adaptation. The result can still
be observed today. It is interesting to note, as the authors rightly declare,
“Loyalty to the dynasty was, as in most medieval and early
modern states more important than any ethnic affiliation”. The European
Union and its member states are still struggling with this.
In teaching the history of the Second World War, the Balkan region
is often neglected or at least treated with in passing in a few paragraphs.
As the authors of Workbook Four – dealing with the Second
World War - state: “A Western perspective has marginalised the part
played by South East Europe in World War II and has sometimes
subordinated it to long- lasting stereotypes about the region.”
German and Italian occupation of the countries of the Balkans reinforced
and exploited on-going disputes. The nationalistic elites
of the different countries used the opportunity to settle some of
their disputes with their neighbours and with some ethnic groups
inside their respective countries. The enemy of the enemy often became
a tactical friend: hence the Ustasha forces of the puppet state
of Croatia, led by Ante Pavelić, included units of Bosnian Muslims
which they even called the flowers of the Croatian people.
What was clear from the start was the fact that the occupation did
not unite the peoples of the region against their foreign occupiers
but rather reinforced historic divisions and led to additional hardship
and atrocities. The formation of Yugoslavia could only heal these
wounds in a very superficial way. The death of Josip Broz Tito was
an opportunity for genuine healing that instead was used to re-open
traditional conflicts and to forcefully settle disputes of the past.
European integration means settling disputes by peaceful negotiation.
It would, though, be naive to think that the European integration
process automatically erases the past or generates one single interpretation
of all the disputes and wars. Every state, every ethnic and
national group has to confront itself with its own history and its own
behaviour. To do that in an honest and forward looking way requires
taking into account of the views of others – both the neighbours
across the border and the neighbours inside the border.
Alternative Educational Materials are valuable contributions to the
history of South East Europe and to anyone looking to see history
from the perspective of others. Of course the selection of events
157 Hannes Swoboda