Original scientific paper
German Shadows in the Balkan Wilderness: International Reactions to the Recognition of Croatia and Slovenia
Daniele Conversi
; Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The central myth which accompanied the incapacity of the West to tackle the crisis and subsequent war in former Yugoslavia was that Germany's recognition of Slovenia and Croatia made all international efforts to negotiate peace impossible. The “German conspiracy thesis” was actually following the legend of Gennan's attempt to extend influence to the Mediterranean, which would secure its domination. This mainstream political interpretation, embraced also by certain sectors of the academia and parts of public opinion, was accompanied by intense Gennan-bashing, especially in British tabloids. Tracing its roots, the author points out three major elements: (a) re-emergence of anti-European trends, especially in Britain and the US, (b) the threat posed by Gennan reunification, felt by various European countries, and (c) the lack of Western expertise in Balkan security questions, which was recognized and used by Belgrade's diplomatic circles. In the concluding part, the author argues that German recognition had no discernible negative impact on the crisis; by recognizing Slovenia and Croatia as international partners, Germany did indeed dissuade further Serbian aggression.
Keywords
dissolution of Yugoslavia; Germany; Croatia; Slovenia; international politics; media
Hrčak ID:
154420
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1998.
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