9 Questions
Why did Croatian Serbs join the Partisans during the war?
Due to the Partisans' broad popular front and emphasis on national self-determination
What made the Partisans more successful in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war?
Mass enlistment in their ranks
What led to the Croatian Spring in 1969–71?
Cultural and national revival
Who set up the Independent State of Croatia in April 1941?
The Germans and Italians
What was the main reason for the Ustaša's ruthless persecution once they were in power?
Eliminating Croatia's Serb minority
What role did Maček play in the formation of the Independent State of Croatia?
He refused to take part in a puppet government
Who provided the resistance to the Ustaša with leadership and a program?
Josip Broz Tito and the communist Partisans
How did the Germans present themselves during their campaign against Yugoslavia?
As liberators
What was the main method used by the Ustaša to eliminate Croatia's Serb minority?
Conversion from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, expulsion, and extermination
Study Notes
World War II and Yugoslavia
- Yugoslavia declared its neutrality after the Sporazum was signed, but was soon invaded and occupied by Germany and Italy in 1941.
- The Independent State of Croatia was established, which included Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of Dalmatia, with Pavelić's Ustaša in power.
Ustaša Regime
- The Ustaša regime ruthlessly persecuted Serbs, Jews, Roma, and antifascist Croats, killing between 350,000 to 450,000 victims.
- The Ustaša planned to eliminate Croatia's Serb minority through conversion, expulsion, and extermination.
Resistance and Partisans
- Sporadic resistance began, particularly by Croatia's Serbs, but the communist Partisans under Josip Broz Tito provided leadership and a program.
- Croatian Serbs joined the Partisans in flight from Ustaša terror, and antifascist Croats were attracted by the Partisans' broad popular front and emphasis on national self-determination.
- By 1944, most of Croatia was liberated territory, and Croats were joining the Partisans' ranks in large numbers.
Post-War Period
- After 1945, Croatia was a republic within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
- A centrally controlled Communist Party and supranational push for Yugoslav unity undermined the federation's structure.
- The effects were felt in Croatia, including the purge of Croatian communist Andrija Hebrang and others who supported Croatian national interests.
Croatian Nationalism and Reforms
- By the 1960s, Croats had grown increasingly critical of economic centralization, which appropriated part of the republic's income for investment in other parts of the federation.
- The Yugoslav government instituted economic reforms and attempts at political liberalization and decentralization, encouraging a "Croatian Spring" in 1969-71.
- The movement took the shape of a cultural and national revival, culminating in calls for greater Croatian autonomy, which was eventually suppressed by Tito.
Test your knowledge on the events that occurred in Yugoslavia during World War II, including the signing of the Sporazum, German occupation, and the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia.
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