The destruction and strife that has plagued the Balkans for years is not an issue solely dedicated to these people. The stories of suffering are universal. Throughout history, mankind has always inflicted pain on one another. The issues that rose up in the 20th century in this area of the world included Croatian fascists under Nazi regime trying the exterminate the Serbians, the Holocaust in Yugoslavia, and dictators smothering the people of their country. While it is true that these issues occurred dozens of years ago, these are things that matter today. Terror in the Middle East, malevolent governments in East Asia, and cruelty around the world reflects what happened in the Balkan region.
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Another reason that learning about this history is necessary is because of the lack of widespread knowledge on the Balkan region. Evita, the musical, tells the story of Evita Perón, the wife of the Argentinian president. Juan Perón came to power in 1946, and remained president until 1955. One thing that is never mentioned in the fantastic musical and story is the close relationships the Peróns had with Aton Pavelić, a man who was a wanted war criminal for the deaths of almost one million people. As mentioned in Balkan Ghosts, after World War II, Pavelić ran away to Italy, and soon after, migrated to Argentina. Something that isn't even mentioned in the musical is how Pavelić, a mass murderer and Ustache leader, advised Juan Perón on how to run Argentina. |
Learning from the mistakes of the Balks and realizing how to prevent the strife that plagued this area is important -- but it is also important to remember that freedom is never free. For the countries present in the region to be there today took millions of lives lost, countless conventions and political compromises, blood, sweat, and tears. This book encompasses a larger body of belief; that learning history is a way of making sure history doesn't repeat itself.