Fundamentalismul Balkanik

Part of the Croatian course I took in Zadar, a prominent Croatian language scholar delivered two lectures, the first on the history of the Croatian language, and the second on the history of the Croatian lands.

I will write here about the latter of the two. The professor did not lose time on any subtleties, and presented a compressed history of Croatia, starting from the Greek colonization of the coastal region to the present day, in half an hour. He recited the whole story like an incantation, in a trembling voice, with transfixed eyes. Although speaking in Croatian, he hardly ever stopped to allow the translator do her thing, and without allowing, let alone asking for any questions.

He presented the Croatians as hardened and righteous survivors fighting off relentless aggression throughout their history. Placing lots of weight on the obscure coastal Croatian kings at the end of the first millennium (mutatis mutandis, Glad, Menumorut & the others). Croats as unfortunate victims of the predatory Hungarians next door, who took advantage of an accident of nature (lack of a male heir) in order to establish their hegemony. Croats acting for centuries as the bulwark of Christendom against the Turks (sic!). Croats falling prey to the Austrians, despite their heroic fight against the Turkish invaders. Croats falling to second place in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after WW1. Stjepan Radic mischievously slain in the Parliament in Belgrade in the 1920s. Only a cursory mention of the criminal Ustase regime of Dr. Ante Pavelic, during WW2, highlighting though that back then Croatia engulfed the whole of Bosnia for the first time. The Croatian Spring in the 70s and the oppression unleashed by Belgrade. And the recent war. Serbs invading Croatia, Croats defending their homeland. Tudzman compared to de Gaulle. Slamming the judges in the Hague for their ignorance. Croats as undeserving victims of political scheming - what otherwise could be the explanation for allowing Romania (and Bulgaria) in the EU– Romania, of all countries! – and not Croatia?

We are family.