The Ustasha Youth Organization, Ideology and Practice, 1941-1945
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YOUNG, MILITARIZED, AND RADICAL: THE USTASHA YOUTH ORGANIZATION, IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE, 1941-1945 Goran Miljan A DISSERTATION in History Presented to the Faculties of the Central European University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree in Doctor of Philosophy Budapest, Hungary 2015 Supervisor of Dissertation: Professor Constantin Iordachi CEU eTD Collection ii Copyright in the text of this dissertation rests with the Author. Copies by any process, either in full or part, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European Library. Details may be obtained from the librarian. This page must form a part of any such copies made. Further copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the written permission of the Author. I hereby declare that this dissertation contains no materials accepted for any other degrees in any other institution and no materials previously written and/or published by another person unless otherwise stated. CEU eTD Collection iii Abstract This dissertation examines and analyzes, for the first time, the ideas, establishment, practices, and connections of the fascist Ustaška mladež [Ustasha Youth] organization during the Ustasha regime, the Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, 1941-1945 [Independent State of Croatia, 1941-1945]. Empirically, this study contributes towards a wider understanding of fascism in Central and Southeastern Europe, especially with regard to the youth organizations which emerged during the interwar and Second World War periods. The main hypothesis presented is that the Ustasha Youth organization, the key variable within the Ustasha regime, was deemed crucial for setting in motion the Ustasha idea of an all-embracing, totalitarian revolution whose main goal was to create a new national community composed of ‘new’ Croats – the Ustashas. Led by their charismatic Poglavnik, Ante Pavelić, the Ustashas embarked on a totalitarian experiment of creating a new state and a new individual devoted to the Poglavnik, as the embodiment of this state and nation. Their ‘new’ state and society were envisioned as a strong national community, where the individual matters only as much as he/she devotes himself/herself to the cause and benefit of the community. Once set in motion, this revolution consisted of two interconnected, mutually depended practices: prosecution, mass murder, and Holocaust, all legalized within a month of the regime’s existence, and the youth regimentation and reeducation. CEU eTD Collection The Ustasha Youth organization was tasked with providing the youth with new education, with a new worldview, so as to create the ideal ‘new’ Croat – the Ustasha. Education, sport, manual work, camping, separately established Ustasha schools, and transnational connections with other fascist youth organizations all had the purpose of immersing the youth into this ‘new reality’, as presented by the Ustashas. Through all iv this the youth was to learn what it meant to be the ‘real’ Croat – the Ustasha, who was to become an active participant in this emerging ‘new’, fascist Europe. Despite swift organizational success, within a year of its establishment the Ustasha Youth organization’s ideas and practices were hindered by serious organizational and political problems. These included the lack of trained youth officials, lack of youth facilities, decrease in number of members, and unwillingness of parents to enroll their children in the Ustasha Youth. All this was further influenced by organizational failures and deteriorating security situation in various regions, which caused diminishing of popular support and consequently led to a complete defeat of this radical policy of remolding of Croatian society. CEU eTD Collection v Acknowledgements Reaching the end of a journey entices one to reflect on it and those who made the journey possible and inspiring. I would like to use this opportunity to thank the people who accompanied me on this journey and made the process easier as well as thoroughly enjoyable. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Constantin Iordachi, for his support and supervision of my project. His inspiring lectures, articles, books, and conversations provided invaluable insight for me with regard to my research and my own intellectual development as a scholar. I am thankful for the time devoted to comments and discussions on the various drafts during my writing process, which greatly enabled me to finish my dissertation. I am also grateful to professors and staff from the Hugo Valentin Centre in Uppsala, Sweden who accommodated me twice, and whose comments and suggestions during my lectures on the dissertation were much appreciated. My special thanks go to Professors Tomislav Dulić and Roland Kostić from the Centre, for their support in my project and for always finding time to discuss and comment on my ideas and writing. Being part of the CEU community influenced me both as a developing scholar but also on the basic, everyday level. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be part of such a diverse social and intellectual community. I would like to thank all the professors and staff of the Department of History for their lectures and time devoted to CEU eTD Collection their students. Special thanks to my colleagues and friends for making my time and my experience at the CEU unique in many ways. I would especially like to thank Professor Roumen Daskalov for showing his interest in my topic and for his support. Also, special thanks go to Professor Susan Zimmermann and my colleagues who vi participated in the Third Year PhD Seminar. Their comments were of great help in reviewing and directing my research. I would like to thank my family who has shown nothing but understanding as well as constant support. To my sister, Nada, for taking her time to read, comment, and discuss my work in detail, and for showing me how someone who is not a historian and who is unfamiliar with the topic reads and understands what I have written. Finally, a special thanks goes to Zrinka, my life partner, for her understanding and support, without whom this dissertation would not have been completed. CEU eTD Collection vii Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... vii List of Illustrations ........................................................................................................ ix INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 Aim and Methods ....................................................................................................... 1 The Structure of the Dissertation ............................................................................... 8 Croatian Historiography on Fascism – Coping with One’s Own History ............... 12 Fascism and Youth – Literature Review and Approach .......................................... 22 CHAPTER I: The Ustasha in the Interwar Period, 1918-1941 .................................... 34 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 34 1.1. A Prelude to Action – The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from Versailles to January Dictatorship, 1918-1929 ........................................................ 36 1.2. Ante Pavelić and the Newly Established Kingdom ...................................... 39 1.3. The Origins of the Ustasha Movement, 1929 – 1934 ................................... 44 1.4. Ustasha Ideology and Organization .............................................................. 47 1.5. Ustasha Organizational Activities and Publications, 1934-1941 .................. 57 CHAPTER II: The ‘Prophet’ and His Followers, 1941-1945 ...................................... 69 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 69 2.1. The Poglavnik and the Ustashas – Charisma and Charismatisation ............. 70 2.2. Welcoming the ‘Savior’? – The Poglavnik and ‘His’ People ....................... 78 2.3. The Ustasha Elite – Attempt at Charismatisation of the Youth .................... 85 CHAPTER III: The Youth and the Ustasha Idea of a ‘New’ Croat ............................. 99 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 99 3.1. Ideological and Organizational Models – The Hitlerjugend and Gioventù Italiana del Littorio ................................................................................................ 101 3.2. The ‘New’ Croat – The Ideology of the Ustasha Youth Organization ....... 114 3.3. Organizational Challenges: Call for Reforms ............................................. 128 3.4. The Ustasha Revolution(s) and ‘New’ Youth ............................................. 138 3.5. Gender Roles within the Ustasha Youth Organization ............................... 147 CHAPTER IV: Breeding Young Minds and Bodies – Education, Work, Sports, and Militarization .............................................................................................................