Fascism in the Contemporary World

rce defending the interests primarily of Yugoslavia (Dedijer, 1945, p. 211). Mihailovich's Cetnics, a strong fascist organization, lost all credibility in this role (Pavlowitch, 1971, p. 135).The contemporary Croatian government led by Franjo Tudjman is comprised of both moderate and extreme nationalist factions (LeBor, 1994, p. 11). The policies of the Tudjman government are authoritarian and they are ultranationalist (LeBor, 1994, p. 11). The Tudjman government also provides funding for the Bosnian Croats in the conduct of ethnic cleansing campaigns against Muslims in Bosnian areas controlled by the Bosnian Croats (LeBor, 1994, p. 11). The Tudjman government restricts the freedom of the mass media, and attempts to expel Serbians from Croatia (LeBor, 1994, p. 11).Recently, the Tudjman government made a decision "to scrap the Croatian dinar and replace it with the kuna, currency of the wartime Ustasha regime" (LeBor, 1994, p. 11). The fascist Ustase government that controlled Croatia during the Second World War "murdered Serbs, Jews, and Gypsies en masse" (LeBor, 1994, p. 11). The reinstatement of a fascist symbol by the Tudjman government represents a strengthening of the fascist element of the government (Roberts, 1994, pp. 16﷓18).Tudjman is a megalomaniac, although he is hardly charismatic (Banac, 1993, pp. 20﷓21). Tudjman has, however, succeeded in creating a merging of his own identity with that of Croatia in both the domestic and international arenas. The Tudjman government has also used propaganda to arouse ordinary Croatians against the government's enemies (Branson, 1991, p. 48). Thus, the Tudjman government appears to be trying hard to earn its fascist credentials.A valid issue is how the Tudjman government in contemporary Croatia rates as either an ultranationalist or a fascist group. Within these contexts, the assessment of the Croatian government is as follows:1. Ultranationalism:a. The Tudjman gov...