ON THE OCCASION OF AN ANNIVERSARY New documents about events of July 27, 1941 in Srb

Abstract

Tri dokumenta, koji se ovdje objavljuju, unose više svjetla u razumijevanje događaja 27. srpnja 1941. u općinskom mjestu Srbu u Lici. Riječ je o svjedočenju sudionika i očevidaca tih događaja, koji su kao predstavnici organa Nezavisne Države Hrvatske, došli u sukob s domaćim ustanicima Što su se spomenutoga dana pobunili protiv ustaškog režima i NDH. Poznato je da su ti događaji od 1945. do1990. simbolično označivali početak partizanske antifašističke borbe i obilježavali se kao Dan ustanka naroda Hrvatske.The author presents three documents in connection with events of July 27, 1941 in Srb, the Province of Lika. They represent testimony of government representatives of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), who were eye witnesses and participants in the events. They were confronted by Serb uprisers, who began a rebellion that day against the Ustasha regime of NDH. This event marked in postwar Yugoslavia the beginning of Partisan uprising and antifascist struggle; it was designated as »the day of general people\u27s uprising in Croatia«, and was celebrated as a »popular holiday«. Historical research could not avoid the fact that it was a complex historical event. Only Serb population participated in the rebellion, their uprising is pointed toward Croats and Muslims, and it was partially used as vengeance against the terror of the Ustasha regime over Serbs. Thus, this event could only have a limited anti-fascist character, insofar as communists participated in it and directed it to serve the interests of the Communist Party. For this reason, Communists soon had to contend with extreme Serb nationalists (Chetniks), who wanted to take leadership positions in the uprising. Documents which are published here bring more light to the understanding of this event from the point of view of »other side«, which it was directed against. The statements of NDH police clearly point out ideological and political divisions among uprisers. On the occasion of its anniversary in 1991, this event was more critically examined and more objectively appraised. its symbolic meaning is assigned to a new date, June 22; on this day in 1941, communists and antifascists of Sisak formed first Partisan unit in Croatia and Yugoslavia. The Sabor of the Republic of Croatia passed a law, which designates June 22 as the day of anti-fascist struggle