Srbská otázka v Chorvatsku v letech 1989–1990

This study focuses on the evolution of the Serbian question in Croatia from the first manifestation of political and social actuation of the Serbian community in Croatia at the beginning of 1989 until the nadir in Croatian-Serbian relations at the end of May1990. The most important theme tracked here is the transformation of the moods and opinions of a large percent of the Croatian Serbs, which, in the period analyzed, underwent a fundamental transformation. The author primarily pays heed to the circumstances and causes for this process, which is contextualized within the wider Yugoslav crisis. Both the leaning of a significant percent of the Croatian Serbs away from the communist system, and the first months of activity of the oppositionally-inclined Serb Democratic Party (SDS) led by Jovan Rašković (1929–1992) are described in detail. The crux of the study is its analysis of the growing support for the nationalist ideas in the political preferences of the Serbian community in Croatia. The study is based upon detailed research into news articles on the pages of the leading Croatian periodicals (Vjesnik, Slobodna Dalmacija, Večernji list, Danas, and Start).