This is what students in EU are learning about wars in Yugoslavia, Tito and Milosevic

Who was the aggressor in the Croatian war? Who was the victim? Students in schools across Europe won't get the unambiguous answers to these questions, showed the analysts of textbooks in Finland, Italy and Germany, and they have the common emphasis on the consequences of nationalism, writes "Vecernji list".

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Zagreb papers noticed that the authors of textbooks tried to refrain of marking any people or system in the region as the "aggressor", and the idea of "Homeland war" is not even mentioned.

Foto: Profimedia/AFP

Examples from textbooks from Finland, Italy, Germany and with explanations of professors of history of their high schools show that wars are mentioned in the context of wider historical events of the age. 

- Yugoslavia under Tito was presented as a successful country of the "third way", while Balkan wars were presented to students as a part of secessionist events in eastern and south-eastern Europe after 1990 - said professor Sirka Ahonen from the University in Helsinki, who participated in profiling program in history.

She adds that special attention wad dedicated to nationalism, and that it is discussed how the international community did not have an adequate response to the wars.

Under the same paradigm that part of history is treated in schools in Germany, namely in Bavaria, said history professor and head of the Department for Education Policy of Teacher Society, Fritz Schaefer.

- We are not going into details. Eventually, if someone from the class is from Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia, they will tell their story -said Schaefer.

Foto: Profimedia/AFP

According to him, wars in Yugoslavia are presented in a block which processes the end of Cold War, and the responsibility for the crimes the student should understand from the concept of increased nationalism from every side. 

Italian students in their textbooks read that "cold war acts in Croatia were justified by existence of significant Serbian minority, but also that with the regular army (Yugoslav People's Army) Serbian paramilitary units participated, and they have repeatedly committed heinous crimes against Croats. "

Foto: Tanjug/AP

- Croatia quickly created an army and started returning territory. When Croatian forces came to territories inhabited to Serbs, they committed ethic cleansing, expelling Serbs - written in the textbook.

Professor from Tuscany, Andrea Nardi, said to that it is not about the revitalization of crimes and victims, but for the students to adopt the "tendencies like ethic mosaic, as Yugoslavia was and what is happening when that kid of community breaks or when nationalism grows".

Foto: Profimedia/Alamy/Mark Milstein/Northfoto

Unlike the Croatian war, war in Bosnia and Herzegovina is treated in more detail in all countries. High school "Jacek Kuron" from Warsaw is taking the students of third grade to Sarajevo every year. 

It was written in Italian notebooks that Serbs are treated like aggressors in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the media, Muslims like victims, while Croatians are neutral.

- Slobodan Milosevic is mentioned in the context of creating International court for war crimes on the territory of former Yugoslavia - pointed "Vecernji list" and added that next to Slobodan Milosevic photo stands "charged with crimes against humanity, but died before sentencing".

Foto: Profimedia/Alamy/Mark Milstein/Northfoto

(Telegraf.co.uk / source: vecernji.hr / Tanjug)