Leftist errors (Yugoslavia)

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Leftist errors
Part of World War II in Yugoslavia
Location <templatestyles src="Tree list/styles.css" />
Date July 1941[dubious – discuss] – Spring 1942
Deaths <templatestyles src="Tree list/styles.css" />
  • 1941–42:
    • Herzegovina: 500
    • Montenegro: 500–624
Perpetrator Communist Party of Yugoslavia

Leftist errors (Serbo-Croatian: leva/lijeva skretanja) was a term used by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) to describe radical policies and strategies – described as the Red Terror by others – pursued by self-described left-wing elements among the party and partisan units during World War II, mostly in Montenegro, Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as to a lesser extent in Croatia and Slovenia.[1][2][3] From 1941 to 1942, these areas saw mass executions, burning of villages and confiscation of property,[4][5] motivated both by partisan fears of a "fifth column" and class conflict.[6] As a result of these actions by the communists, many villagers from Eastern Herzegovina and Montenegro, who were far from being collaborators or kulaks, joined Chetnik forces en masse.[7] The Communist Party of Yugoslavia condemned actions undertaken during the period and punished several local commanders.

Name

This policy was also referred to as Leftist deviation or Left-wing deviation,[8] Left Errors[7] or sectarian deviations. In Titoist dogma after World War II this policy was referred to as the "Mistakes of the left" [4] or "left deviations" while the others referred to it as Red Terror.[9] This policy is sometimes referred to as the "Second Stage".[7] Karl Marx believed that revolution has two stages: bourgeois-democratic and proletarian. He believed that in the second stage the proletarian revolution has to turn against its allies from the first stage.[10]

Background

Tito formulated the leftist strategy of the CPY in October 1940

Josip Broz Tito was the main protagonist of the leftist deviations.[11] Tito was well known as leftist who was against any arrangements with non-communists. His formal appointment as general secretary of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) was confirmed in October 1940 during the Fifth Land Conference of the CPY in Zagreb. At this conference Tito formulated the leftist strategy of the CPY as focused on revolutionary seizure of power in the country in order to organize Soviet-style administrative organization in Yugoslavia.[12][13][14]

In July 1941, after the beginning of the Second World War, the Communist Politburo adopted the strategy which insisted that the Partisans should aim to create "liberated territories", cleared of enemies. According to the instructions of the Poliburo, such territories were to be administered by the communists in a state-like manner so the local population would be exposed to the ideas and practice of the socialism. On the territories that came under their control the communists adopted many leftist polices including radical socialism. This antagonized many peasants in Serbia, Montenegro and Herzegovina.[15] Laziness was punished as desertion, peasants were punished with high taxes or forced labor if their houses were not tidy or if they got lice.[1] The Yugoslav communists suspended the instructions not to reach the second stage (the revolution) given by the Comintern in June 1941. Because they ignored instructions from Moscow the leadership of CPY could not find a modus vivendi with other resistance movement, the Chetniks of Mihajlović, because they could put in danger communist revolutionary action.[16] That is why Tito rejected Soviet pleas to cooperate with Chetniks and insisted on carrying on with the communist revolution.[17]

Montenegro

Moša Pijade, one of the main protagonists of Leftist errors in Montenegro

In June 1941 the Regional Committee of CPY for Montenegro, Boka and Sandžak issued a proclamation inviting people to "final liquidation of capitalist system".[18] Leftist errors policy was pursued in Montenegro since August while its intensity was increased since September 1941.[18][19][verification needed][20][15] This extremist policy was pursued by the Partisans in Montenegro under the influence of Milovan Đilas and Moša Pijade.[21] After the initial success of the Uprising in Montenegro communists seized control of almost all the territory of Montenegro and began to fight against their class enemies. The substantial percentage of population of Montenegro supported Chetniks because they were afraid of the "red terror".[22] Despite instructions to minimize the revolutionary side of their policies, the leaders of Montenegrin Partisans introduced "Soviet elements" in the summer of 1941, during the Uprising in Montenegro, because they perceived the uprising as the first stage of the communist revolution.[15]

In the middle of August 1941, Đilas wrote a letter to the Regional Committee of Yugoslav Communist Party for Montenegro, Boka and Sandžak and recommended an isolation and destruction of the fifth column. He emphasized that tolerance and inactivity of communists toward spies is a crime equal to treason. At the end of August 1941 the Regional Committee issued a directive which follows the recommendations of Đilas and insists on cleansing of the villages from the fifth column. In another directive issued in October the Regional Committee repeated similar instructions insisting on the destruction of those who disturb the mobilization of insurgents even by saying "wait, it's not the right moment yet".[23] Đilas himself wrote how retreating Partisans, who only punished their opponents in July, arbitrarily executed them following the Italian counteroffensive of August 1941.[9]

Since September 1941, the program documents of the Communist Party began to mention courts authorized to prescribe the death penalties. This immediately came to life in practice. Since October 1941, the headquarters of Partisan forces in Montenegro, Boka and Sandžak published lists of executed "enemies of the people, including spies and traitors" with a note - to be continued....[24] During this first year of leftist errors the victims also included women who "flirted" with Italians.[25] Most of the people killed by the communists in 1941 were military and administrative officers of former Kingdom of Yugoslavia before the war.[25] According to Professor Jozo Tomasevich, in the period of "left deviation" from about December 1941 to May 1942, the Partisans, especially in Herzegovina and Montenegro, used terror against people who were not collaborating, but were potential class enemies.[26]

The Partisans occupied Kolašin in January and February 1942, and turned against all real and potential opposition, killing about 300 people and throwing their mangled corpses into pits they called the "dogs' cemetery". Due to this and other examples of communist terror, a part of Montenegrin population turned against the Partisans. "A land without Chetniks was suddenly overwhelmed by Chetniks" largely due to the policy of Left Deviations.[18][27] Communist executions of notable tribal chieftains in Montenegro caused additional animosity of middle class peasants towards communists.[28] Đurišić soon recaptured Kolašin and held it as a Chetnik bastion until May 1943.[29] His rule was marked by terrorizing Partisan supporters. A large number of captured Partisans and sympathizers were executed in following weeks, including lieutenant colonel Radisav Radević, major Batrić Zečević, captains Đuro Radosavljević, Mileta Lakićević and Tomica Jojić, and former member of Yugoslav Parliament Blagota Selić, none of which were members of the Communist Party.[30] Đurišić formed a Chetnik prison in Kolašin, in which some 2,000 opponents were incarcerated and tortured.[31] Lots of them were handed over to the Italians.[32]

In March 1942, communists from Nikšić burned villages of Ozrinići and Zagarač.[33] According to some sources this was ordered by Đilas and Sava Kovačević.[34][35] In the period between the beginning of the Uprising in Montenegro and the middle of 1942, communists killed between 500 and 624 people in Montenegro, most of them during armed conflict.[36]

Serbia

In September 1941 Partisans in Serbia established the Republic of Užice, a short-lived military mini-state with its administrative center in Užice. At the end of November 1941 Partisans were defeated and had to retreat from Serbia. The policy of leftist errors pursued by Josip Broz Tito substantially contributed to Partisan defeat in the Republic of Užice.[37] Because of the repression of the communists and their intention to carry on with communist revolution the population of Serbia also turned against the uprising and communist insurgents. At the beginning of December 1941[38] the communists moved from Serbia to Bosnia (nominally NDH) and joined their comrades who had already left Montenegro.[39]

Herzegovina

In January and February 1942 alone, Partisans executed 250 people in Eastern Herzegovina because they were accused of belonging to "fifth column".[2] In Herzegovina alone the total number of civilians murdered by communists in 1941–42 was probably around 500.[7] Because of leftist errors Partisans were chased away from Herzegovina in Summer 1942,[40] not by the Axis forces but by its population.[41]

Consequences

The policy of leftist deviation proved counterproductive.[4] Leftist deviation gave a real meaningful sense to the policy of those nationalists who found a way out of the difficult situation in collaboration with occupying and quisling forces.[42] "Red terror" antagonized most of the peasantry and angered the Soviet Union.[43]

As a result of the communist actions, villagers from Eastern Herzegovina and Montenegro, who were far from being collaborators or kulaks, joined Chetnik forces en masse.[7]

Propaganda

The songs and mottoes were composed to promote the policy of leftist deviations. The verse of one of them was: "Partisans, prepare machine guns, to greet the king and Englishmen" (Serbian: Партизани, спремите митраљезе да чекамо краља и Енглезе).[44][7] The Partisan slogan "Death to fascism, freedom to the people" a new greeting "Red Army is with us – the victory is ours!".[1]

Major exponents

Milovan Đilas, one of the major exponents of the Leftist errors

The major exponents of this policy included Milovan Đilas, Ivan Milutinović and Boris Kidrič. They were never punished. Instead, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia condemned this policy (ignoring the fact that this policy was formulated by its Central Committee) and punished (by warning them) several local commanders (Petar Drapšin and Miro Popara in Herzegovina and several Montenegrin party leaders).[45] Petar Drapšin was stripped of his rank, removed from all functions in the communist party and its membership.[46] Moša Pijade was also held responsible for the adoption of brutal extremist policy of the CPY.[8]

In November 1941[47] Tito dismissed Milovan Đilas from the command of Partisan forces in Montenegro because of his mistakes during the uprising, including his "Leftist Errors".[48] Tito emphasized that Đilas made mistakes because he organized a frontal struggle of armies against a much stronger enemy instead of connecting the Partisan struggle with the people's uprising and adopting the partisan methods of resistance. Đilas was appointed as editor of the paper Borba, the Party's main propaganda organ.[49] While Tito repeatedly accused other communist officials from Montenegro for "sectarianism", Edvard Kardelj admitted to Đilas that "grave sectarian errors were made in Serbia in 1941" (under Tito's administration).[50]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Banac 1990, p. 89.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Goldstein2008" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Hurem 1972, p. 155.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Banac 1988, p. 82. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FOOTNOTEBanac198882" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FOOTNOTEBanac198882" defined multiple times with different content
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "PrestonPartridge2002" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lampe 2000, p. 214. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FOOTNOTELampe2000214" defined multiple times with different content
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Petranović 1992, p. 307.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Banac 1988, p. 77.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Haug 2012, p. 68.
  16. ↑ Petranović 2002, p. 68.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ".D0.9B.D0.B0.D0.BA.D0.B8.D1.9B1981" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ".D0.9B.D0.B0.D0.BA.D0.B8.D1.9B1981" defined multiple times with different content
  19. ↑ Strugar 1997, p. 144.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Dragutin Papović: “LIJEVE GREŠKE” – DRUGO IME ZA ZLOČIN
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Tomasevich 1975, p. 257.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Pavlowitch 2007, pp. 104–106.
  30. ↑ Bojović 1987, pp. 152-153.
  31. ↑ Bojović 1987, pp. 52-53.
  32. ↑ Bojović 1987, pp. 157-160.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Pavlićević 2012, p. 14.
  37. ↑ Banac 1988, p. 81.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Pavlowitch 2002, p. 147: "When repression burst the bubble of optimism, the popular mood in Serbia also turned against the insurgency and those who wanted to carry on with revolution... The partisan crossed into nominally NDH territory, where they joined up with their comrades who had left Montenegro. "
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Strugar 1997, p. 267.
  42. ↑ Strugar 1997, p. 286.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Banac 1988, pp. 82, 83.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Ramet 2006, p. 152.
  50. ↑ Swain 2010, p. 47.
Books
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Further reading

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External links

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