Njemačke sjene u balkanskoj divljini: međunarodne reakcije na priznanje Hrvatske i Slovenije

The central myth which accompanied the incapacity of the West to tackle the crisis and subsequent war in former Yugoslavia was that Germany\u27s recognition of Slovenia and Croatia made all international efforts to negotiate peace impossible. The “German conspiracy thesis” was actually following the legend of Gennan\u27s 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\u27s 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.Teza prema kojoj je njemačko priznanje Slovenije i Hrvatske onemogućilo izvanjsko rješavanje krize u bivšoj Jugoslaviji jest središnji mit kojim se Zapad poslužio kao racionalizacijom vlastite nesposobnosti. Mit o “njemačkoj uroti” nastavak je legende o njemačkom nastojanju da prodorom na Mediteran ostvari dominaciju nad ostatkom Europe. Takva je interpretacija, prihvaćena u međunarodnim političkim krugovima, dijelu javnog mnijenja i znanstvene zajednice, bila popraćenja kampanjom “blaćenja Njemačke” u kojoj su vodeću ulogu imali Britanski tabloidi. Analizirajući uzroke takvog razvoja događaja, autor upućuje na tri važna elementa: (a) obnavljanje antieuropskih tendencija, osobito u Velikoj Britaniji i SAD, (b) strah izazvan njemačkim ujedinjenjem i (c) nedostatak ekspertnog znanja o Balkanu, što je iskoristila beogradska diplomacija i srpski lobby. Autor zaključuje kako njemačko priznanje nije imalo negativnog utjecaja na krizu u bivšoj Jugoslaviji, već je, dapače, obeshrabrilo srpsku agresiju na Hrvatsku