The likelihood of civilians reading this memo is high considering the tensions which were present. These individuals fear of their individual safety and the future of their community which is amplified by this memo.
The use of this propaganda-literature worked to incite fear in masses in order to develop support for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims by Serbian military forces. Along with the justification of genocide out of the fear based in a genocide of Serbians.
There was an unpublished memorandum that was released by the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986 to the Serbian public. This memo mentioned the concerns about the decentralization of powers in the federation. It also mentions all of the inequities that Serbians face in Croatia, Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This piece of writing states that Serbians do not have the places which they "deserve" in the Yugoslav Federation (1986).
Cosić, as he was member of this Academy but did not take part in its writing, however his views of Serbians in the federation were shared by many others. This being that Serbian civilians were in danger per Yugoslavia's regulations on nationalism and specifically Serbian institutions (1986). While this was the first official instance of nationalistic demands from Serbia to the Federation, the release of this is inherently strategic in the creation of fear within the Serbian civilian population. This utilization of propaganda to instill fear into Serbians living in Serbia to inflict support upon the genocidal regime.
Throughout Dauphinee's writing there are countless examples of civilians becoming perpetrators. One in particular stands out as his role began out of fear of his fellow soldiers, Milan Milanovic. As explained previously, Milan's choices were impacted by the fear that he experienced from Ivan.
Looking more at Ivan, seeing the interaction which he has with Milan after he is mobilized truly captures this paranoia level of fear. Ivan, even after knowing who Milan was, interrogates him on who he is:
Ivan: "Are you a Serb, Milan Milanovic?" , "Maybe the Turks sent you to infiltrate our defenses."^1 , "Maybe you're a Turk, and maybe you are here to kill us all, one by one." , "Maybe your mother is Muslim" , "Maybe you fucked a Muslim." (2013, p. 62)
Milan had to convince Ivan that he was not going to report him to the police after convincing him he was not sent on a covert mission or that he was Muslim.
This further explains how the incitement of fear not only reached those Serb civilians but that it impacts individuals' understanding and perspective of one another. So much so that they do not trust a soldier they have been with for some time.
Milan makes the point that he is truly afraid of Ivan while Ivan sees Milan as a friend but only if he is not Muslim.
“Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences (SANU) Memorandum, 1986.” Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences (SANU) Memorandum, 1986 |
World History Commons. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://worldhistorycommons.org/serbian-academy-arts-and-sciences-sanu-
Dauphinee, Elizabeth. 2013. The Politics of Exile. 1st ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Turk(s): not Turkish but what Bosniaks during the war were called by Bosnian-Serb soldiers