Hostile propaganda, attacks on law enforcement agencies and propaganda activity of foreign intelligence services in socialist Yugoslavia, 1953–1973

Abstract

The article analyzes the enemy propaganda and the violation of public order and peace, as well as the secret services’ propaganda activities as a form of resistance and subversion towards the regime in Serbia and Yugoslavia by the early 1970s. With illegal forms of active resistance eradicated until the beginning of the 1950s, dissatisfaction mostly manifested itself through an increased number of enemy propaganda acts and the attacks on law and order authorities. Unlike those from the time immediately after the war, the culprits of these deeds were to be found predominantly among the young people who grew up after the war, and who mostly originated from communist families. The phenomena to blame for “corrupting Yugoslav youth” were to a significant extent the activities of “foreign intelligence agencies”, as well as the activities of Yugoslav political emigration. 

Summary: The paper deals with the resistance of certain structures of population to the communist regime in Serbia and Yugoslavia until the beginning of the 1970s. After suppressing the illegal forms of active resistance until the beginning of the 1950s (defeated guerilla remains, illegal youth political groups and rebellions of dissatisfied peasants), discontent with the regime mostly manifested itself as a hostile propaganda and frequent attacks on law enforcement agencies. Unlike the time immediately after the war, the participants in these deeds were more so often young people who grew up after the war and came from communist families. One could notice that the activity of “foreign intelligence agencies”, their propaganda and even more the activity of “the sixth column” (i.e. Yugoslav political emigration), were to blame for “corrupting Yugoslav youth”. The increase of such activities among young people seems to anticipate big students’ rebellions 1968–1971, which frightened the regime and were one of the reasons for a regime to make a radical turn towards “a heavy hand” rule and confrontation with the so-called “liberalism”.