Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
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<strong>Cultural</strong> <strong>Identity</strong> <strong>Politics</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> (<strong>Post</strong>-)<strong>Transitional</strong> <strong>Societies</strong><br />
remnants of <strong>the</strong> Vojna Kraj<strong>in</strong>a lasted ano<strong>the</strong>r 114 years, till <strong>the</strong> descendants of <strong>the</strong> “free<br />
Serbian peasant soldiers” were expelled from <strong>the</strong> Kn<strong>in</strong> region and Slavonia <strong>in</strong> 1995. In<br />
historical times, <strong>the</strong> identity of <strong>the</strong> peasant soldiers was primarily a religious, Orthodox<br />
one. A Serbian national identity started to develop only <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> 19th century, when<br />
Austrian authorities sympathized with <strong>the</strong> Serbian national awaken<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
codification of <strong>the</strong> language, as a means of <strong>in</strong>terfer<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> destabilization process<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Ottoman Empire and with <strong>the</strong> self-understand<strong>in</strong>g and self-def<strong>in</strong>ition of Serbian<br />
nationalism. Retrospectively, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> light of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terethnic contradictions <strong>in</strong> Yugoslavia,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Austrian Military Border was <strong>in</strong>terpreted from a national perspective, which<br />
overshadowed and determ<strong>in</strong>ed conflicts between central and prov<strong>in</strong>cial authorities,<br />
as well as between <strong>the</strong> national identities of Serbs and Croats. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, old<br />
differences were redef<strong>in</strong>ed along actual l<strong>in</strong>es of conflict.<br />
The second half of <strong>the</strong> 19th century was def<strong>in</strong>ed by multiple ethnic and language<br />
identities <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region, show<strong>in</strong>g various comb<strong>in</strong>ations between religion, class, national<br />
identity and political loyalty (see Komlosy, 2006):<br />
- <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Austrian part of <strong>the</strong> Habsburg Empire (Carniola, Goerz-Gradisca, <strong>the</strong><br />
littoral with Istria and Trieste, Dalmatia, <strong>the</strong> Military Border/Vojna Kraj<strong>in</strong>a until<br />
1881): German Austrians and o<strong>the</strong>r representatives and adm<strong>in</strong>istrators of <strong>the</strong><br />
dynasty and <strong>the</strong> Viennese government, Slovenes, Italians, Magyars, Croats, Serbs<br />
and Romanians;<br />
- <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Hungarian part of <strong>the</strong> Habsburg Empire: Magyars, Croats, Serbs, Germans<br />
and Muslims; s<strong>in</strong>ce 1867, Hungarian representatives and adm<strong>in</strong>istrators of <strong>the</strong><br />
dynasty and <strong>the</strong> Budapest government;<br />
- <strong>in</strong> Bosnia after 1878: Serbs, Muslims, Croats; representatives/adm<strong>in</strong>istrators of<br />
<strong>the</strong> occupants;<br />
- In Serbia: Serbs, Muslims;<br />
- In Montenegro: Serbs;<br />
- In <strong>the</strong> Ottoman Empire (with dim<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g scope): representatives/adm<strong>in</strong>istrators<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Ottoman dynasty and <strong>the</strong> authorities of Constant<strong>in</strong>ople, Serbs, Albanians,<br />
Bosnians, Croats, Macedonians and Bulgarians.<br />
For Austrian politics <strong>the</strong> total change of political power relations <strong>in</strong> 1878/1881<br />
(Bosnia was submitted to Austria and <strong>the</strong> Vojna Kraj<strong>in</strong>a dissapeared as an adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />
body) had two implications. The occupation, conquest, pacification and adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
of Bosnia and Herzegov<strong>in</strong>a to a certa<strong>in</strong> extent symbolized strength and geopolitical<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>s. This strength relied on <strong>the</strong> chance offered by <strong>the</strong> Western powers to take over <strong>the</strong><br />
rule of Bosnia, while, formally, Ottoman sovereignty was ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed (until annexation<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1908). Austrian occupation faced severe resistance from <strong>the</strong> prov<strong>in</strong>cial Muslim elites,<br />
who <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>the</strong> Habsburg troops <strong>in</strong> a heavy, colonial war, lead<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong>ir subord<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
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