Serbs as Victims Genocide in the Rhetoric of Slobodan Miloševi Lars Inge Staveland Master thesis in history Department of Archeology, Conservation and Historical studies UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Autumn, 2007 II Acknowledgements Every decade a few individuals emerge on top the list of authoritarian leaders who set in motion vicious crimes against their own people. Their brutal regimes bring international condemnation, but they are only rarely forced from power. It is fair to say that a fascination with the behaviour of authoritarian rulers inspired this thesis. Slobodan Miloševi has already found his way into the world’s history books as the man most responsible for the worst conflict in Europe since the Second World War. He was also the only communist leader to end up in front of an international court, where he died in 2006. I found Miloševi an obvious choice for study, and I enthusiastically embarked on a Serbian language course to make this possible. There are many miles to cover in order to make a fascination into a master thesis. This project would not have been completed without valuable help, inspiring words and patience from friends and colleagues in Norway and abroad. The idea of focusing on Slobodan Miloševi’s speeches dawned on me during a trip to Belgrade. I am grateful to the staff at the Medija Centar and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Belgrade who steered me in the right direction to literature not available in Oslo. Special thanks to Professor Ljubisa Raji at the University of Belgrade for his advice in the initial stages of this study. I am grateful to my supervisors, Professors Åsmund Egge and Svein Mønnesland for their guidance and help over these years. Also, thanks to Amar anovi for reviewing my translations. Oslo, November 2007. II I Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... III Cast of characters......................................................................................................................................VI Glossary................................................................................................................................................... VII Chronology of events.............................................................................................................................. VIII Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1 Research questions ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Thesis outline.............................................................................................................................................. 3 Clarification of concepts ............................................................................................................................ 3 Delimitations .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Previous research....................................................................................................................................... 4 Sources ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Theory and methodology ............................................................................................................................ 8 1: Genocide à la Serbia – historical background ........................................................ 13 The myth of Kosovo .................................................................................................................................. 14 Croatia in the Second World War ............................................................................................................ 16 Cultural re-orientation in Serbia.............................................................................................................. 19 Miloševi’s “revolution”.......................................................................................................................... 21 What happens now?.................................................................................................................................. 22 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 25 2: Let the wars begin ...................................................................................................... 26 In control of the press............................................................................................................................... 26 Belgrade’s friends in Croatia................................................................................................................... 29 The threat from the streets........................................................................................................................ 30 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 32 3: Selling the war on the home front............................................................................. 33 Confronting critics at home...................................................................................................................... 34 Yugoslavia – not Greater Serbia .............................................................................................................. 35 The ghost of genocide............................................................................................................................... 38 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 46 4: Bosnia - en route to genocide ..................................................................................... 47 Genocide in Bosnia................................................................................................................................... 52 The Islamist threat.................................................................................................................................... 55 Trouble at home........................................................................................................................................ 57 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 58 5: Miloševi in denial ...................................................................................................... 59 The peacemaker........................................................................................................................................ 60 IV Victims of foreign propaganda................................................................................................................. 62 The UN against Serbia ............................................................................................................................. 64 Reaching out to Muslims .......................................................................................................................... 65 Addressing the nation............................................................................................................................... 68 Elections at home ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 73 6: Breaking with the Bosnian Serbs .............................................................................. 74 Ditching Miloševi’s peace ...................................................................................................................... 75 Protector of national interests.................................................................................................................. 77 Genocidal sanctions ................................................................................................................................. 80 The final break.......................................................................................................................................... 81 End game.................................................................................................................................................. 83 Summary................................................................................................................................................... 84 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 85 Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 90 Primary sources: ...................................................................................................................................... 90 Secondary sources:..................................................................................................................................