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There are distinguished voices within France who have written about ex-Yugoslavia... They are perhaps not so well known in the English speaking world for no other reason than many of us can't read French

VIEWPOINT FROM LONDON

VIVE LA FRANCE?

by Brian Gallagher

The Croatian Herald, Australia No. 966 - 16 May 2003

 

Are the French pro-Serb or anti-Croat? Given France's behaviour in the past, backing Serbia during the 1991-5 war, both are probably true. It's worth taking a look at French exceptions, in particular the film Harrison's Flowers and Francophone academic works.

I have only recently seen the excellent Harrison's Flowers; unaccountably it is not available in the UK. My copy is from France and has both a dubbed French version and the 'Version Originale' - in the original English with French subtitles. The film is never boring, moving along at a good pace, and with some well-staged war scenes. Despite a reference to the 'both sides equally guilty' idea, it very much portrays the Serbs as the aggressor committing vast amounts of war crimes; no excuse is given for them.

The full extent of what happened in Croatia is half-forgotten by the world these days. The film is then an important - and unfashionable - reminder of what really happened at places such as Vukovar; a one sided orgy of death and horror committed on a vast scale by the Serbs - an uncomfortable truth for some. That the film is French is all the more remarkable.

But there are also distinguished voices within France who have written about ex-Yugoslavia, who have not cut the Serbs any slack. They are perhaps not so well known in the English speaking world for no other reason than many of us can't read French.

For example, I am assured by the prominent Croat linguist and historian, Dr Branko Franolic - who taught at the Lycee Charlemagne in Paris - that French academic Paul Garde "knows more about ex-Yugoslavia than anyone in the West". Garde is the author of Vie et mort de la Yugoslavie (Paris, Fayard, 1992) and is no Serb apologist.

Croat academics have been able to work with French colleagues and have been published by Francophone publishers. The aforementioned Dr. Franolic has had some of his works, including that on the French influence on the Croatian language, L'Influence de la langue Francaise en Croatie (Paris, NEL 1975) published in France. The recently re-published Le Nettoyage Ethnique (Documents Historiques sur une ideologie Serbe) (Pocket Edition, Paris, Fayard, 2002), edited by Mirko Grmek, Marc Gjidara and Neven Simac with an introduction by Paul Garde, puts together various Greater Serbia texts - damning Serbian ideology with its own words.

Other works published in French include Miro Kovac's La France, la creation du royaume "Yugoslave" et la question Croate, 1914-1929 (Bern, Peter Lang 2001) and Jasna Adler's, L'Union Forcee: La Croatie et la creation de l'Etat Yugoslave 1918 (Chene-Bourg - Suisse- Georg 1997).

Such works are of great importance in relating an accurate picture of Croatian history and culture to the world, especially the Francophone part - which is in great need of it. All involved should be thanked and encouraged.

I have excellent news from London. Soon to be published is Dubrovnik: A History (Saqi Books, London, ISBN: 0863563325), a new book relating Dubrovnik's history from its beginnings to the present day. The author is Robin Harris, one of Margaret Thatcher's top advisers. Dr Franolic - who helped with research - describes it as being the best history of Dubrovnik available. I recommend people to order it now for themselves, friends, libraries etc.. Such projects are all too rare and should be supported.

 

© Brian Gallagher

My 'Viewpoint from London' column appears fortnightly in the Australian 'Croatian Herald'.