YUGOSLAV HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE SERVICE OF IDEOLOGY, THE EXAMPLE OF VLACHS

Autor na temelju analize značajnih djela povjesničara bivše Jugoslavije upozorava na ideologizirani karakter jugoslavenske historiografije koja je bila u funkciji velikosrpske, odnosno državnopolitičke ideologije u interesu postojećeg državno-pravnog sustava.Yugoslav historiography existed during in the 1918-1991 period, with the interruption in the 1941-1945 period. Before the World War II historiography of the Yugoslav state was strongly influenced by the Greater Serbian ideology and it served to support the political regime which denied autonomy to the (non Serb) nations living in Yugoslavia. According to this, the Yugoslav historiography also denied the particular ethnic identity of the Vlachs. After 1945 Yugoslav historiography was influenced by the Marxist approach, which was used to explain all main historical developments and events. Politics and ideology gained the control over the scientific work of the historians. Despite the fact that Yugoslav historiography also achieved some notable success, especially in the historical research of the prehistorical period and antiquity, it was nevertheless always under the strong influence of the Yugoslav communists and their political plans. Only during the 1980-ies some historians tried to disassociate themselves from the influence of the official communist ideology