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Wollfy Krašić Chicago: CroLibertas

ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM

Croatian National Resistance

to the Yugoslav Communist Regime (1945-1966)

From the Foreword by Ante Čuvalo:

„Krašić’s book is very valuable for three main reasons. First, because it shows the continuity of the Croatian struggle for freedom, even in the worst of times. Second, because the author focuses on concrete victims — real people — and for him, they are not some accidents of history. Third, this book, based on the extensively researched materials found in the archives of the Yugoslav secret police (presently located at the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb), brings ample evidence to the fact that the Croatian travelers on the road to freedom from 1945 to 1966 were idealists willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of a greater good, and they deserve a respectful place in the national historiography. For all of the above, this book deserves to be read and studied at the university level.”

While nations in Western Europe welcomed with relief and joy the fall of Nazism and Fascism in May 1945, a number of them in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe fell under another slavery ― Communism ― which turned out to be longer lasting. The situation was even more difficult for those who found themselves in multi-national states where their national identities were systematically suppressed, and their members were marginalized. Moreover, some, like the Croats, experienced mass biological extermination by the Yugoslav Communist Party during the Second World War, and then by the newly established Yugoslav communist regime, under the guise of fighting Fascism and the "enemy of the people." Therefore, in May 1945, the Croats did not find freedom and justice, but experienced one of the darkest moments in their centuries-long history, which prompted many of them to oppose or try to oppose a far superior and cruel enemy.

The activities of those involved in that struggle are presented in the just-published book: ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM. Croatian National Resistance to the Yugoslav Communist Regime (1945-1966). More specifically, the book describes and analyzes the activities of several dozen Croatian state-building organizations and groups that operated in Croatia from the end of World War II to the mid-1960s. It should be emphasized that Croats from other areas of Croatian historical and ethnic territory, primarily those from Bosnia and Herzegovina but also from parts of Montenegro and Vojvodina, also participated in various forms of organized resistance to the Yugoslav Communist Regime on Croatian soil.

In addition to the aforementioned, the book also explains the reasons and methods of persecution of Croatians who, although not involved in specific anti-regime activities, were seen as a potential danger by the regime especially because they wanted to nurture and express their Croatian national identity. Among those people, the main target of the communist authorities were Zagreb students that came from the regions of Herzegovina and Dalmatian Zagora.

The research presented in this book suggests that different forms of resistance existed throughout Croatia in the mentioned period and that people from different social strata participated in it. Also, the younger Croatian generations, who were brought up or born during the Yugoslav communist rule, gradually took on the burden of the struggle for freedom and independence. In addition, the book unequivocally proves that the fighters for an independent Croatian state who thought about its future political system imagined their country exclusively as democratic and socially just.

This book is also a contribution to the history of Croatian political emigration, since it talks about people who had to leave their homeland in the face of persecution and continued their political work abroad, some of whom were assassinated by the Yugoslav intelligence services.

The author of the book is Wollfy Krašić, Ph.D., Associate professor of history at the Department of Demography and Croatian Emigration, Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb. It was published by CroLibertas Publishers from Chicago, Illinois, USA. The reviewers of the book are Josip Mihaljević, Ph.D., from the Croatian Institute of History and Ante Čuvalo, Ph.D., a well-known public figure among the Croatian emigrants for many decades and a retired university professor of history. The book has 217 pages. It was written on the basis of documents from the Yugoslav repressive secret police, the published memoirs of former political prisoners, and the author's interviews with the latter. It is illustrated with a number of specific graphic attachments. Also, the book contains a large number of footnotes that make it easier for the reader who is not familiar with Croatian history to understand this topic.

You can order the book at the e-mail address: roadtofreedom1945@gmail.com

Prices: Croatia – 17 euros, includes shipping; all other countries 30 euros or 33 US dollars, includes shipping.

Make payment via PayPal to CroLibertas Publishers crolibertas.publishers@gmail.com