Why is the genocide of Serbs by the Ustashi during WWII neglected so much?

[Bradina]

It's something I've never understood. I realize there's a lot of controversy over the exact number of Serbs massacred with some (mostly Holocaust deniers) claiming as little as 70,000 while other estimate as much as 1.5 million. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum estimates that between 300 000-400 000 Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were murdered. The Jasenovac Research Institute estimates that between 300,000 to 700,000 total Serbs, Jews and Gypsies were massacred in the Jasenovac concentration camp alone. Most historians, academics and researchers place the total death toll of Serbs at 300,000 to 500,000.

But the recognition of the crimes, genocide and tragedies which occurred against the Serbian people has been suppressed and neglected. Why? There are a few reasons...

Most of the Croatian people and the Croatian government refuse to acknowledge the atrocities that were committed against the Serbs and in fact many of them today support and hail the Ustashi as heroes (see:Thompson).

When Tito and his communists took over in 1945, no effort was made to find out about the crimes that took place and the regime wasn't even serious about capturing the perpetrators (Pavelić died in Spain in 1959). Under Tito's "Brotherhood and Unity" motto, with the aim of creating tolerance between Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats, the crimes of genocide against the Serbs were pretty much forgotten.

Serbs themselves never actually took the time to count the exact number of dead and form a list of victims.

The Roman Catholic Church and Vatican supported the Ustashi regime. Ante Pavelić was hidden by members of the Catholic Church in Italy after he fled in 1945. So obviously connecting the catholic church into something like this would be unacceptable and create some outrage. So the crimes by the Ustashi have been suppressed. 

BUT

This does not explain why these crimes aren't mentioned in History Books. In EVERY SINGLE History book that I've read since Elementary school to University (I grew up in Canada), I've never read about any of this! Why are they never mentioned in history books?

An American History Book: The Enduring Vision: A History of the American people, 5th ed., on the Holocaust:

                  "Six million Jews, about 75 percent of the European Jewish population, were gassed, shot
                  or incinerated, as were several million gypsies, communists, homosexuals, Polish Catholics
                  and others deemed unfit to live in the Third Reich.." 

No mention of the Ustashi at all or Serbs being murdered. And as if more homos and Polish Catholics were killed than Serbs!

But of course this is just one book and one example. Again, of all the History books I remember reading about the Holocaust and WWII, I have never read anything about the persecution of Serbs by the Croatian Nazis or the Jasenovac Concentration camp. Perhaps if there is someone here living in the U.S. or Britain or elsewhere that has a different experience, I would love to hear about it. However, the level of ignorance and neglect on the part of western academics and Historians about this issue is unbelievable. 

[Spectator]

I don't know about USA or Canada, but I cal tell you that we in Israel are aware of it.

There is Yad Vashem - the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. It has a section dedicated to Jasenovac.
Here is the musem's information:

Jasenovac
Located in Croatia 62 miles south of Zagreb, Jasenovac was Croatia’s largest
concentration and extermination camp. Jasenovac, was a network of several
sub-camps, established in August 1941 and dissolved in April 1945. The
Nazis gave control of Jasenovac to the puppet Croatian government, which
was run by the fascist Ustasa movement. A large number of Ustasa members
served in the camp, most notably Miroslav Filipovic-Majstorovic, who was
notorious for killing prisoners with his bare hands.
In total, about 600,000 people were murdered at Jasenovac, including Serbs,
Jews, Gypsies, and Croats who opposed the Ustasa Government. Of that
number, some 25,000 of the victims were Jews - most of whom had been
brought to Jasenovac before August 1942. (at which point the Germans
began deporting the Jews of Croatia to Auschwitz).
Jews were brought to Jasenovac from all over Croatia. Most were killed upon
arrival, whilst a small number of skilled professionals were kept alive to work
at the camp. Prisoners endured horrible conditions and brutal treatment at the
hands of the Ustasa guards. Near the end of the war, Jasenovac's
administration blew up much of the camp and killed most of the prisoners, in
an attempt to conceal evidence of the mass murders that took place there.

http://www1.yadvashem.org/odot_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20-%206358.pdf

At Yad Vashem's website you can also search for the photos of Jasenovac victims.

[Bradina]

Well of course Israel is aware! They well should be and there's no reason for them to cover it up. I meant in Canada and the U.S. more specifically.

And in Western History books. In Public schools, College and University History Books.

[Lisa]

Bradina, I guess it has to do with Western governments sucking up to Muslim terrorist rogue regimes for their oil.  However, Chaim Ben Pesach is a passionate defender of the Serbs. 

[Bradina]

Bradina, I guess it has to do with Western governments sucking up to Muslim terrorist rogue regimes for their oil.  However, Chaim Ben Pesach is a passionate defender of the Serbs. 

Okay but this has nothing to do with Muslims. The Ustashi are CATHOLIC Croats....

When you are taught in school about the holocaust and the massacres of Jews, they also mention there were many gypsies, Hashem's witnesses, homosexuals, blacks, ect... that were killed but the Serbs are never mentioned. Then when it comes to teaching you about the break-up of Yugoslavia it doesn't bother them to say that the Serbs committed genocide in Bosnia and that they committed atrocities in Croatia. That's my problem.

When I was in school and learned about the Holocaust, I felt so sad for the Jewish people yet I didn't even realize that the very same thing happened to my people!...there was no mention of it in schoolbooks.

[Kerber]

It's neglected because it is a PURE EXAMPLE that Roman Church prepared,organized and executed a GENOCIDE against THREE nations,and majority of them were Serbs!

And man who lead Roman Church and its operations in Croatia was Cardinal Stepinac who recently got the beatification in Roman Church and was "blessed" from Pope John Paul II.

Stepinac and Pope Pius XII-great and honored men of Roman Church.

[Kerber]

Bradina, I guess it has to do with Western governments sucking up to Muslim terrorist rogue regimes for their oil.  However, Chaim Ben Pesach is a passionate defender of the Serbs. 

That's wrong.

You have to know some facts about conc.camp in Jasenovac.Muslims has nothing to do with Jasenovac.And regarding Muslims,they were also brought in Jasenovac from Bosnia and executed.

[Kerber]

Bradina, I guess it has to do with Western governments sucking up to Muslim terrorist rogue regimes for their oil.  However, Chaim Ben Pesach is a passionate defender of the Serbs. 

Okay but this has nothing to do with Muslims. The Ustashi are CATHOLIC Croats....

When you are taught in school about the holocaust and the massacres of Jews, they also mention there were many gypsies, Hashem's witnesses, homosexuals, blacks, ect... that were killed but the Serbs are never mentioned. Then when it comes to teaching you about the break-up of Yugoslavia it doesn't bother them to say that the Serbs committed genocide in Bosnia and that they committed atrocities in Croatia. That's my problem.

When I was in school and learned about the Holocaust, I felt so sad for the Jewish people yet I didn't even realize that the very same thing happened to my people!...there was no mention of it in schoolbooks.

Try to inform yourself about the case Alperin vs Vatican Bank,and you'll get many answers from it.

[Jasmina]

  My answer for this question is maybe because they blame Serbs for the destruction of Austro-Hungarian Empire ...

[Kerber]

  My answer for this question is maybe because they blame Serbs for the destruction of Austro-Hungarian Empire ...

What Austro-Hungarian Empire has to do with genocide in Jasenovac death camp?
How it is related?

The Empire disappeared in WWI,and Jasenovac happened during WWII.

[Sylvan]

It is complex question, but to keep the long story short mainly for following two reasons:
1. US regardless of his communism, strongly supported Tito against Stalin
2. Tito needed to cover it up because of his vision of Yugoslavia - to keep the Serbs down as if Croats would be adequately punished for the crimes they did, Serbs would become dominant nation in country, and he would not permit that. He was also a Croat btw.

[Kerber]

It is complex question, but to keep the long story short mainly for following two reasons:
1. US regardless of his communism, strongly supported Tito against Stalin
2. Tito needed to cover it up because of his vision of Yugoslavia - to keep the Serbs down as if Croats would be adequately punished for the crimes they did, Serbs would become dominant nation in country, and he would not permit that. He was also a Croat btw.

What Tito's "vision" has to do with neglecting historical evidence of genocide in Western societies?

[Spectator]

It is complex question, but to keep the long story short mainly for following two reasons:
1. US regardless of his communism, strongly supported Tito against Stalin
2. Tito needed to cover it up because of his vision of Yugoslavia - to keep the Serbs down as if Croats would be adequately punished for the crimes they did, Serbs would become dominant nation in country, and he would not permit that. He was also a Croat btw.

What Tito's "vision" has to do with neglecting historical evidence of genocide in Western societies?

Sylvan apparently means the following:

The West needed Tito's Yugoslavia as an example of communist country that is not a puppet of Moscow.
This undermined the unity of the Communist block.

Therefore, thought the West, we should prevent spreading of information that would undermine Tito's reputation.
Therefore, as long as Tito and his followers ruled Yugoslavia, spreading the information about the genocide of the Serbs was blocked.

[Jasmina]

  My answer for this question is maybe because they blame Serbs for the destruction of Austro-Hungarian Empire ...

What Austro-Hungarian Empire has to do with genocide in Jasenovac death camp?
How it is related?

The Empire disappeared in WWI,and Jasenovac happened during WWII.

  I am not really sure, but I think they had this in the back of their mind! I heard this rumor and it is not really directly connected with Jasenovac, but they really hate Serbs!!!

[Kerber]

I'm still @my point of view.Those are all speculations,and that what I've said is supported with proves.
We know every main detail that clearly shows who was behind the genocide.And even today,we had a trial on court in USA which has shown us how accused defended its self-with argument that killings were not against the laws of the state(Alperin vs Vatican Bank).

It's clear that Jasenovac is the purest example in history that RCC was behind one genocide in 100%.

[Bradina]

Yes Jasmina you are right, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Croatia are all old enemies of the Serbs and they hate us completely. They supported the Nazis and the Ustashi.

During Tito's regime, the crimes of the Ustashi had to be erased and forgotten. Thanks to the communists, including many Serbian communists, no serious inquiry was ever made into the Genocide. They refused to catch and punish the people who participated in the Genocide of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. It took them 14 years to find Pavelić.

Yugoslavs at the time were not taught about these crimes. Stupid Serbian communists went along with Tito's government and the notion of "Brotherhood and Unity" and assimilated with all the other Croats and Bosniaks and became Yugoslavs, and in the process they forgave the genocidal crimes that were committed by their Croats "brothers" in WWII. It wasn't until 1965 that a Jasenovac memorial was established in Croatia. And it was only established after years of pressure from the victims' families.

But you would think that when you pick up a history book and read about the holocaust, that the Jasenovac concentration camp, whom the Nazis themselves described as the definition of horror would be mentioned or that at least it would tell you that a Genocide happened in Yugoslavia against the Serbian and Jewish population.

It usually reads "Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, Poles, Homosexual and others..". Heck even Black people are mentioned but not Serbs. Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that more Serbs died than Jehovah's Witnesses, Poles or Homosexuals.

[Sylvan]

Bradina, I agree that it is crime to neglect the crime.
But let us not talk about the mistakes of other, and talk about us. Did some other nation made Yad Vashem for Israel? Has any Jewish man, woman or child ever forgotten Jerusalim?
It is always about us.
And do not be so hasty in making enemies, as we have them a lot already. Main problems with Serbs and history and collective remembering, is that they (we) have been the only nation that has invested itself completely in to Yugoslavian identity (this was once a noble idea of liberation of Balkan nations) Now this is changing and we are getting back to our identity as a nation. That is why today it is up to you, me, and all the other people interested in the subject to grow over resent and start doing something about it. By this I mean some substantial and meaningful action in terms of research, and presentation of the facts to the world. It is up to this generation to do so, don't you think?

[Americanhero1]

Yes Jasmina you are right, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Croatia are all old enemies of the Serbs and they hate us completely. They supported the Nazis and the Ustashi.

During Tito's regime, the crimes of the Ustashi had to be erased and forgotten. Thanks to the communists, including many Serbian communists, no serious inquiry was ever made into the Genocide. They refused to catch and punish the people who participated in the Genocide of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. It took them 14 years to find Pavelić.

Yugoslavs at the time were not taught about these crimes. Stupid Serbian communists went along with Tito's government and the notion of "Brotherhood and Unity" and assimilated with all the other Croats and Bosniaks and became Yugoslavs, and in the process they forgave the genocidal crimes that were committed by their Croats "brothers" in WWII. It wasn't until 1965 that a Jasenovac memorial was established in Croatia. And it was only established after years of pressure from the victims' families.

But you would think that when you pick up a history book and read about the holocaust, that the Jasenovac concentration camp, whom the Nazis themselves described as the definition of horror would be mentioned or that at least it would tell you that a Genocide happened in Yugoslavia against the Serbian and Jewish population.

It usually reads "Jews, Gypsies, Hashem's Witnesses, Poles, Homosexual and others..". Heck even Black people are mentioned but not Serbs. Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that more Serbs died than Hashem's Witnesses, Poles or Homosexuals.

More Serbs did not die then Polish people did.
2,360,000 civilians died in Poland this is not including the number of Jews killed in Auschwitz a total of 5,600,000 million people died in Poland.Poland lost 16.07% of it's population.

[4International]

Shalom brother AmericanHero,


actually, according to documentation provided to the Nuremberg trials in 1945 and later verified by German, French, Italian, US and British historians, the number of Serbs killed in the Ustasha Independent State of Croatia [NDH] - as a proportion of the total population - was the highest of any people in Europe - apart from European Jewry of course. In 1941, there were 1,900,000 Serbs living in Ante Pavelic's Ustasha NDH Croatia [which annexed Bosnia Herzegovina in April, 1941].

According to war-time German Nazi official figures - at the very least - 750,000 Serbs were brutally slaughtered between 1941-1945 by the Ustasha Croats. Other estimates from post-war German and British historians are as high as 1.2 Million Serbs murdered.

As a percentage, if we take the more conservative figure of 750,000 Serbs murdered, then that works out to a shocking 39.5% of the total population of Serbs slaughtered.

If we take the higher figure of 1.2 Million then that works out to a staggering 63.2% of the Serbian population murdered in Ustasha Croatia.


Now even if we take the entire population of Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina into account in April 1941 - i.e. ALL Croats, muslims, Serbs, Jews, Roma, Hungarians, Germans and numerous other minorities - the total population at that time being 6.3 Million - and we take the 1.2 Million figure given by post-war German and British historians, we end up with a figure of 19.05% of the TOTAL population being exterminated. This is still significantly higher than the figure for ALL of Poland's population that you quoted - so Roman Catholic Professor Edmond Paris was absolutely one hundred percent correct in his analysis contained in his 1961 book "Genocide in Satellite Croatia".

Roman Catholic Professor, Edmond Paris, in his magnificent book "Genocide in Satellite Croatia, 1941- 1945", Chicago, 1961, published by The American Institute for Balkan Affairs, states the following and I Quote:


"The greatest genocide during World War II, in proportion to a nation's population, took place, not in Nazi Germany [i.e. "The Third Reich" - which included occupied Poland and many other countries] but in the Nazi-created puppet state of Croatia.There, in the years 1941-1945, some 750,000 Serbs, 60,000 Jews and 26,000 Gypsies - men, women and children - perished in a gigantic holocaust. These are the figures used by most foreign authors, especially Germans, who were in the best position to know..."


Chaim has mentioned this terrific book - even holding it up in front of the camera - in one of JTF's videos here:

[Americanhero1]

If you take away the percentage Poles had more deaths in ww2 then the Serbs did

[4International]

If you take away the percentage Poles had more deaths in ww2 then the Serbs did

Yes, brother AmericanHero, that is correct but you brought up the percentage and proportionality of the total population of Poland. Poland had a much bigger population than Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina put together in 1941 so it is not a valid comparison.

If China lost 6 Million of her people today, and her population is a total of approximately 1,330 Million as of July 2008 - then as a percentage loss that is a figure of a mere 0.45% - well under half of one percent.

The Serbs lost 63.2 % of their population in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina from 1941 to 1945 as a result of the genocide perpetrated by the Ustasha Croats and Bosnian muslims in the NDH. I am sure you can appreciate the colossal difference here.

[Bradina]

That is why today it is up to you, me, and all the other people interested in the subject to grow over resent and start doing something about it. By this I mean some substantial and meaningful action in terms of research, and presentation of the facts to the world. It is up to this generation to do so, don't you think?

You're right. The problem is that almost none or a very small number of Serbs who live outside of their home countries at the moment are interested in this topic. At least from my experience and what I've seen in Canada, where I live, Serbs are more interested in changing their names and giving up their culture in order to assimilate better in Canadian society. They're far more interested in becoming successful businessmen than learning about their history, culture or roots.

How can Western society learn about the sufferings of our people when none of us is willing to research and  tell about it? Who's going to listen to Serbia?

[Kerber]

It is complex question, but to keep the long story short mainly for following two reasons:
1. US regardless of his communism, strongly supported Tito against Stalin
2. Tito needed to cover it up because of his vision of Yugoslavia - to keep the Serbs down as if Croats would be adequately punished for the crimes they did, Serbs would become dominant nation in country, and he would not permit that. He was also a Croat btw.

What Tito's "vision" has to do with neglecting historical evidence of genocide in Western societies?

Sylvan apparently means the following:

The West needed Tito's Yugoslavia as an example of communist country that is not a puppet of Moscow.
This undermined the unity of the Communist block.

Therefore, thought the West, we should prevent spreading of information that would undermine Tito's reputation.
Therefore, as long as Tito and his followers ruled Yugoslavia, spreading the information about the genocide of the Serbs was blocked.

Well,that kind of story is old for us here in Serbia and it is a speculation and justification without much proves.
It is a truth that there were silencing of those who wouldn't shut the mouth up about the genocide in SFR Yugoslavia,but on the other side ALL "working people of our socialist society"(as it was often said) could of seen THE MOVIE about Jasenovac conc.camp.This movie was shown to all high school students from all over the country.So,generations of people were able to see it and get familiarized with atrocities.And the movie showed the most brutal scenes you can imagine-the most brutal and sadistic ways of killing.
Then,we came into '90es,war begun and the movie has been taken away(by Croatian Gov.) to Vatican at the first and then to USA.Even today,that movie is in USA,and no one can have access to it.

Why I'm talking about that film?Because,in the beginnings of the war it was taken away which is a sign clear and bright as a day that "some one" want to hide it from public.
In that film you could not only see regular Croatian ustashe soldiers,but very known Catholic priests and leaders from Croatia and especially from Herzegovina(part of the state Bosnia and Herzegovina).Those from Herzegovina were famous for their butchering skills.They were known as "Franyevci(Franciskians)" from the Catholic Franciscan Order.

If we managed to get the movie in our hands(we couldn't it was stationed in Jasenovac,Croatia),it would be seen all over the World!And what effect it could have on Roman Church if every one could see the cuttings from Catholic priests!?

As I've said already,I'm still at this kind of explanation.

[Sylvan]

Bradina, I am glad that we share a point of view on this one. But do not be disappointed, that and many other important and big issues in life are not for everyone to tackle. It is a huge, historic task, overwhelming for a single person. Also is not an easy task for a small nation like ours, to get our message across, with all this other, often conflicting interests involved. As I am sure you well know, it was not even easy for a Jewish nation, and still isn't, as today you have human garbage denying holocaust, and projecting their own personal insufficiency and impotence on them every day of the week. It is a disturbing subject, that people would most likely to forget and put behind them. But it is enough for you to talk to people you see with commitment and arguments, you are making a difference, believe me. 

[Sylvan]

And sorry for this tone in the last sentence, proscribing what "is enough for you" What I meant is that it is a good way to start doing something about it...