Book Review Croatia: Myth and Reality the Final Chapter by Stan Granic
Journal of Croatian Studies XXXVI-XXXVII, 274-276 (1997)
CROATIA: MYTH AND REALITY THE FINAL CHAPTER.
By C. Michael McAdams. 3rd ed. (Arcadia, CA: CIS Monographs, 1997. 175 pp. Reproductions. Map. ISBN 0-9633625-3-4)
Written primarily for journalists, academics, and those following events in the former Yugoslavia, the purpose of this work is "to con-front" (p. 13) the myths and fabrications about the Croats appearing in the English-language press. From the mid-to late 1980s, many of these stockpiled myths resurfaced with renewed intensity and reached a peak with Croatia’s disassociation from Yugoslavia and the ensuing war which engulfed the new state. At the same time several new misrepresenta-tions were generated to augment those already in existence and are included in this revised and expanded edition. Most of the myths gath-ered in the book center around the attempt "to tar the fledgling Croatian government with the brush of fascism" (p. 15), and to "mask the rea-sons for. . . aggression" and "to blur the realties of a war prosecuted solely to gain territory and to maintain...Yugoslavia" (p. 16).
Following a brief overview of Croatian history (pp. 19-41), McAdams goes on to dispel fifteen myths (three of which are included for the first time in this edition) commonly found in the press. For instance, the historical Croatian coat of arms (grb) has been repeatedly stigmatized as an Ustasha and fascist symbol, even though it predates the Ustasha regime by almost five hundred years, was adopted by the first Yugoslav state (1918-41), the Socialist Republic of Croatia (1945-91) and also adorned the coat of arms of the Serbian Royal House of Karadjordjevic (p. 145). In a similar fashion Croatia˙s currency (kuna), named after the marten pelt used as a medium of exchange in medieval times and minted on silver coins as early as 1256, "unleashed a media fire storm" (p. 149). This small wood marten, which looks much like a mink or ferret, was transformed by the press into a ‘fascist ferret˙ (p. 149).
One of the major myths debunked by McAdams is that all Croats were fascists and all Serbs were pro-Allied during the war (pp. 53-63). The author shows that both Serbs and Croats, like others in oc-cupied Europe, had elements which collaborated with the Axis. His inclusion of color reproductions of Serbian anti-Semitic stamps issued during the war (p. 59) makes this abundantly clear. The author also devotes attention to such important questions as whether or not the Croatian people were ever consulted about joining Yugoslavia (pp. 42-47). The North American reader will be surprised to learn that no such consultations ever took place and that there "was no vote of the Croatian people about their future" in the Yugoslav state formed in 1918 (p. 47).
A more recent myth which the author challenges includes Belgrade˙s often-repeated assertion, still reported in 1996, that the Serbian minority in Croatia had no rights. McAdams points out that Croatia˙s 25 June 1991 independence declaration "guaranteed not only civil rights, but unique rights, to the Serbian minority" (p. 121). To stress its commitment in this area the Croatian government adopted a special charter which further emphasized its willingness to accommodate the Serbian minority (pp. 123-124). In fact, during the entire period during which Croatia was occupied, attacked from multiple fronts and forced to care for nearly half a million refugees and displaced persons. repre-sentatives of the Serbian minority held seats in the Croatian parliament (pp. 125-126). The presence of Serbian representatives in the Croatian parliament at a time when their Serbian brethren were ethnically cleansing Croats and leveling entire Croatian cities and towns is quite surprising. especially when compared to Canadian and American treatment of its citizens of Japanese origin during World War II. McAdams also addresses the arrangement of Yugoslavia˙s internal borders, the language issue, and the massacre and atrocities during and immediately follow-ing the Second World War.
Written in a readable and popular format, this quick reference tool successfully exposes the numerous misrepresentations. myths and fab-rications about Croats. McAdams is sympathetic to his subject and on occasion glosses over certain matters. This is the case when he discusses the myth that a Croatian assassinated Serbian King Alexander in 1934 (pp. 48-52). While the gunman who actually pulled the trigger was a Macedonian, it is generally accepted that the Ustasha organization planned the operation.
Through his analysis, the author shows that many of the rationalizations for the Serbian rebellion, which were legitimized by subsequent coverage in the press, do not hold up particularly well when scrutinized more closely. The justifications for the destruction to which Croatia was subjected are unmasked by the author with striking clarity. To be sure, each of the myths covered by the author deserve the attention of a longer scholarly format. Those planning to pursue these myths further will find this work to be a reliable guide.
STAN GRANIC