Round table

The resistance movement: people, history, memory

Statement of Mr. Rade Drobac in Round table The resistance movement: people, history, memory. Organizers of this Round table are The State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, Russian Historical Association "History of Motherland" Found

Moscow, June 11 2020

Intervention of Ambassador in retirement Rade Drobac,
Deputy President of Belgrade Forum for the world of Equals

Ladies and Gentleman,

Dear colleagues,

Since I was introduced as an ambassador, I have to point out that I am participating in this round table as a representative of Belgrade forum for the world of equals, as well as the fact that I am an ambassador in retirement. Belgrade forum exists for 20 years now and advocates for peace, equality and strict following of the international law, all for the defense of interests of Serbia and Serbian people. With those goals, it cooperates with numerous similar organizations. When it comes to the topic which gathered us here I would like to thanks the organizers of the round table for the invitation of the representative of the Belgrade Forum to it, and to very welcome such a gathering dedicated to the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

It is the right time to discuss again about the struggle against fascism because from some time we are facing very strong attempts from all over the world, but especially in the Western countries, to change the facts of the history and rewrite it, trying the clean the biography of forces that were aggressors, lost the war and were responsible for crimes against the humanity, and, in the same time, to marginalize and ignore the role and victories of the forces that achieved to defend themselves, in the first place, win the war, destroy the fascists “contagion” and help many occupied countries  liberate themselves.

Today, after 75 years, we have to repeat again the facts we believed were well known and historically proven, not only to fortify their incontestable significance, but to prevent the rebirth of some new fascism and defend the integrity and the dignity of the countries that contributed the most to the struggle against them and paid for that an enormous price in human lives and destruction of their counties.
Many contributed to the victory over the fascism, but Soviet Union contributed the most to that victory and paid for that an enormous loss of lives of its citizens, It is with pride that I can say that Yugoslavia was between the ones that played the most important role in the territorial resistance against fascism in Europe and significantly contributed to the victory of the Allies, in first place Soviet Union.

I would like to stress that the resistance movement in Yugoslavia of Tito`s Partizans, that started in July 1941, was so strong that during the whole war its obliged Hitler`s Germany to keep in Yugoslavia more than 10 divisions. The Partizans of Tito were in the big percentage Serbs and they were the “force majeure” of the resistance in Yugoslavia. Why, because Yugoslavia was a case little bit more complicated than the other states in Europe. It was occupied not only by Germany, but parts of the country were under the occupation of Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. Moreover, on its territory were installed a puppet states, such an Independent state of Croatia (NDH), that was not just ally of the Nazi Germany, but worse of it, committing a huge genocide against the Serbs, in the first place, and smaller extent Jewish and Roma population. Just in the concentration camp in Jasenovac, more that 700.000 Serbs were killed, some 33.000 of Jews and about 80.000 Roma, all civilians, and between them a lot of women and, even worse, children. A part of a Muslim community joined the military forces of the fascist Croatian forces, called “Ustasha” and contributed to the fight against Serbs, that were leaders of the antifascist struggle. The Serbs from Yugoslavia, under the fire from many sides suffered a huge loss in human lives. About 1.700.000 Yugoslavs were killed during the World War II, and between them about 1.200.000 Serbs.

The fights in Yugoslavia were very strong, against the invaders, but between different internal forces too, and if Soviet Union can pay tribute to the bravery of its soldiers and citizens in Stalingrad, Leningrad, Kursk ant many other places, Yugoslavia Partisan’s resistance always remember battles on Sutjeska, Neretva, Kozara and other places..
World War II forged the brotherhood between the liberation armies of the whole progressive world, giving hope that such a mess would not happen again. We don’t have the right to forget that today and neither to neglect the obligation to defend the truth about those times, happenings, facts and actors, and suspend the fight against the historical revisionism.

I am convinced that today’s round table will certainly contribute to that