Ustaša
The Ustaša was a political movement that gained control over parts of Croatia during World War II, specifically from 1941 to 1945. Led by Croat nationalist Ante Pavelic, the group was supported by Axis powers, including Germany and Italy, and is often regarded by historians as a terrorist organization due to its violent actions. The Ustaša established the Independent State of Croatia, where they implemented extreme nationalist policies, targeting ethnic and religious groups such as Serbs, Jews, and Roma, leading to mass killings and the establishment of concentration camps, most notoriously Jasenovac. The Ustaša's rule was marked by severe repression, including torture and executions of political dissidents and perceived enemies. After World War II, the Communist partisans, led by Josip Broz Tito, ultimately defeated the Ustaša, leading to the reformation of Yugoslavia. The legacy of the Ustaša remains contentious in contemporary Croatia, with some viewing their actions as exaggerated while others recognize the gravity of their crimes. In recent years, a resurgence of nationalist sentiment has led to renewed discussions about the Ustaša, reflecting broader global trends in nationalism.
Ustaša
The Ustaša was a political group that controlled much of Croatia during World War II (1939–1945). Some historians consider it a terrorist group. The Ustaša ran several concentration camps, including Jasenovac, where tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and others were murdered during the war. Croat nationalist Ante Pavelic, who was influenced and supported by Axis powers such as Germany and Italy, led the Ustaša. The group killed and tortured thousands of people. Communist partisans eventually defeated the Ustaša.
Background
The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which lasted from 1867 to 1918, was a large kingdom that united people from many different cultures and backgrounds. The empire fell apart because of World War I (1914–1918). Some of the ethnic groups—such as the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes—from the empire signed a pact to show their unity. In 1929, King Alexander I tried to unify part of the region by creating the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The kingdom consisted of people from different ethnicities who spoke their own languages and practiced specific religions. The king ruled strictly to keep the different groups loyal to him.
At first, the king was able to keep Yugoslavia together, but soon some members of the different ethnic groups wanted their own individual countries. Ante Pavelic was a strong and outspoken Croat nationalist who wanted to create a country for Croats. He did not want to reside in a kingdom like Yugoslavia where many different ethnic groups coexisted. Pavelic and other nationalists began subverting the government. He fled the country after Alexander passed laws that tried to control nationalist zeal. Pavelic traveled to Italy, where fascist leader Benito Mussolini ruled. His strict, militant rule appealed to Pavelic. Pavelic then established the Ustaša, which literally means "rebel." In October of 1934, the Ustaša followed Alexander to France and executed him while he was visiting French citizens. Without its king, Yugoslavia was greatly weakened, giving the Axis powers an opportunity to control more of Europe.
Overview
Germany and other Axis forces invaded Yugoslavia in 1941 and broke up the nation. With the support of the Germans and Italians, Pavelic and the Ustaša created the Independent State of Croatia from part of the former Yugoslavia. The Ustaša aligned themselves to the German Nazi cause. The Ustaša, like the Nazis, killed or expelled people they viewed as outsiders, including Serbs, Jews, Roma, and political enemies. Mass killings began less than a month after the Ustaša took power. Serbs and Jews were two of the groups most violently targeted by the Ustaša.
The Ustaša strictly ruled its newly formed country. All Croats were expected to support the Ustaša, and anyone who defied the group risked imprisonment or death. Some of the people who died in Ustaša death camps were political dissidents. The Ustaša were right-wing fascists, much like the other Axis powers. However, the groups had its own ways of controlling and ruling the country. For example, the Ustaša were staunchly Roman Catholic—even though the Nazis supported no particular religion. The Ustaša used Catholic faith as a weapon, forcing everyone to follow the religion. The Ustaša rounded up political enemies and either imprisoned or killed them.
The Ustaša built several concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia. The Jasenovac was considered the worst of the camps. Jasenovac housed mostly Serbs and Jews, but Roma and political enemies also were taken there. Many of the accounts from Jasenovac describe extreme torture and violence. The guards in the camp killed prisoners for many reasons. They used a weapon they called a "Serb cutter." The knife, which was worn on the hand, made it easier for the Ustaša to kill quickly.
According to some historians, the Ustaša wanted to kill or expel anyone in Croatia who was not Catholic. Historians argue about the role of the Catholic Church and clergy in the violence perpetrated by the Ustaša. Some historians believe that many members of the Catholic clergy ignored the systematic murder and violence by the Ustaša. Some think members of the clergy may have even been involved in the violence. The Catholic Church explains that it cannot control individuals' actions but denies the Catholic Church was a part of the violence.
During World War II, the Communist Soviet forces began taking over Axis-held regions in Eastern Europe. The Nazis eventually lost the war to Allies, including the Soviet Union. Josip Broz Tito led Communist sympathizers in the Independent State of Croatia. They eventually took over the region and created a unified state called Yugoslavia. The Communist partisans murdered thousands of Ustaša and Ustaša sympathizers at the end of the war. However, because the Communists also had a strong, violent government, most people living in Yugoslavia ignored the Ustaša murders. In 1991, Yugoslavia broke apart again, with Croatia becoming its own country. As communism failed around Eastern Europe, survivors of World War II felt safer about speaking out against Communist actions during that war. Around that time, a mass grave filled with Ustaša members and supporters was discovered near Sofia, Croatia.
In the twenty-first century, the history of the Ustaša remains complicated in Croatia. Most of the world sees the Ustaša as violent nationalists who committed mass murder. However, some people in Croatia claim that the charges against the Ustaša have been exaggerated. In the 2010s, nationalist zeal began to rise in the country. Some Croats wore Ustaša symbols and spoke positively about the Ustaša legacy. This rise in Croat nationalism mirrored a rise in nationalism in many parts of the Western world at the time.
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