👉Shop:Engl:JournalMilitaryHistory:Tragedy of Bleiburg,Florian Rulitz:Rev:👉https://amzn.to/2BEeXkV
Channel: Zeitgeschichte in Kärnten Alpe-Adria
Date: 2017-12-28

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📋 Books/Rezension (Long) /Literatur/Bücher Dr. Rulitz: https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=florian+rulitz&qt=owc_search Daniel Long (Nottingham Trent University) Review: The Tragedy of Bleiburg and Viktring, 1945 by Florian Thomas Rulitz translated from German by Andreas Niedermayer (Northern Illinois University Press, DeKalb, 2016), (NIU Press/Northern Illinois University Press) in Dekalb near Chicago 2016. + 307.  in  The Journal of Military History, 81:3 (July 2017):  915-17. The Journal of Military History, George C. Marshall Library, Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA 24450. 
• Florian Thomas Rulitz: Tragedy of Bleiburg and Viktring, 1945. / (NIU Press/Northern Illinois University Press- USA) [stark erweiterte engl. Ausg.], Dekalb (USA), III., 2016. XXVII + 307 Seiten einschl. 20 illus., 6x9, ISBN 978-087580-722-5.  xxvi, 307 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.https://opac.eui.eu/client/en_GB/default/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:321568/ada?qu=rulit 
Physical Description:  xxvi, 307 pages: illustrations ; 23 cm.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/tragedy-of-bleiburg-and-viktring-1945/oclc/946004027
Bleiburg and Viktring represent symbols of memorial sites for the thousands of Croatian civilians and soldiers that were murdered at the end of the Second World War. The complex and sensitive nature that signified the final conflicts in the wake of Second World War are remembered by Croatians every year on 15 May. The English-translation provides an important and much needed discussion on the sensitive and highly volatile political nature at the end of the conflict. The expansive use of archival research from a wide-range of institutions – including the use of ex-Yugoslav communist archives – provides insightful and important eye-witness accounts from those few survivors. These massacres confirm that the new authorities wished to kill their potential opponents first and foremost in a revolutionary furore (p.157). The work though is much more than identifying the tragic events. It identifies the importance of building national identity since post-war Yugoslavia. 
The sensitive nature of memory and oppressive nature of a former communist state suppressed any attempt to examine the events that led to the tragic event. Previous partisan literature over glorified the role of the ex-communist leader in May 1945. As with the sinking of the Cap Arcona on 3 May 1945, a lack of scholarly attention fuelled many myths and conspiracy theories regarding the British attack. In terms of Viktring and Bleiburg myths flourished leading to a competition of victimhood. Outlining the use of mass graves by the right-wing German-Carinthian activists, Rulitz identifies that without scholarly attention; memory of tragic events is often mis-interpreted and thus leads to an unhealthy distortion. 
Dr Rulitz’s work is the first significant attempt to redress the historical inaccuracies that have become accepted historical narrative. In May 1945 a British-Yugoslav agreement led to all Yugoslavian citizens currently residing in Austria to be surrendered. Many thousands had tried to escape from the Tito’s communist partisans during that same month. From his research Rulitz provides an indication that the total number of refugees was about a quarter of million but highlights difficulties in the source material. Interestingly the position Rulitz adopts with regards to the role of Britain is largely positive. In summarising his main argument, he views the British actions as using the refugees as a negotiating tool for the withdrawal of Tito’s partisans from Austria. For those Croatian refugees that had sought to escape their persecutors, they were taken to Bleiburg field. Yugoslavia formally assured the British that correct treatment of prisoners would be overseen, there were indeed doubts. Yugoslav troops had already begun the massacre of prisoners on Austrian soil. Rulitz identifies that the communist regime viewed these prisoners as members of the Wehrmacht and the SS, as well as Austrian civilians caught in the group. Interestingly he identified that most of the murders were committed by members of the secret police or OZNA. This was under the direct order of the communist leaders of the partisan movement. Moreover he estimates that approximately two thirds of the Austrian civilians were buried in a mass grave in the Slovenian town of Liescha close to the border although key data remains elusive. One slight drawback is the lack of more accurate figures. If the data remains elusive, in all likelihood there is limited chance that further figures may be obtained. 
This book demonstrates that some seventy years after the conflict, there is still much work needed before victims of the Second World War are all equally rememberer.