From the perspective of scientific historical research, the victorious narrative is problematic on multiple levels. For instance, in textbooks covering the 1990s, specific events are selectively highlighted and arranged in a chronological sequence that supports the creation of an independent Republic of Croatia[1]. These include events such as the first multi-party parliament in Croatia, the Christmas Constitution, Croatia’s recognition in 1992, and the military operations Maslenica, Bljesak, and Oluja. While these events are undeniable facts, the issue lies in the selective use of facts to reinforce a specific narrative. The manner in which these facts are interconnected is one-sided, emphasizing a nationalistic discourse while ignoring a series of other events, such as crimes against Serbian civilians and Croatia’s aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This results in the omission of facts that do not align with the dominant narrative. Alongside the silence on war crimes committed by Croatian forces, textbooks also fail to address peace activism during the 1990s (in both Croatia and Serbia) and the negative economic consequences of that decade, such as privatization. These critical aspects, which shaped the context of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, are often overlooked or mentioned only briefly[2]. For decades, generations of students have been educated through the lens of “national history,” which lacks depth in understanding the conflict and fails to foster critical thinking. Among historians, there is no consensus on the events of the 1990s. Yet, current political authorities appear to favor historians who uphold the dominant narrative, granting them influence in shaping the content of history textbooks. This further complicates the adoption of a multi-perspective approach, which is essential in contemporary history education. Such an approach should strive for an objective examination of events or processes from the past while encouraging students to become tolerant citizens who understand the context of war without glorifying it and aim to prevent future conflicts.
The Proposal for depoliticizing history textbooks is aligned with the recommendations of the Council of Europe for purposeful history education in the 21st century:
- History education should provide a space for critical reflection on the past, strengthening competencies for developing a democratic culture and teaching young people how to actively participate in society.
- History curricula must include the experiences of minorities and/or marginalized social groups, not solely the history of the largest or dominant (ethnic) community.
- History teaching should avoid creating binary divisions such as “us vs. them,” which dehumanize the “other” and impose collective guilt on entire groups.
- History lessons should not shy away from controversial topics or oversimplify them. Instead, they should offer various conflicting sources and interpretations, demonstrating that different events can be approached from multiple perspectives. This approach is also useful for contemporary issues, encouraging constructive dialogue.
- History education should be part of civic education, fostering civic competencies, combating discrimination, and promoting the rule of law. It should support modern educational principles rather than traditional methods that present history in a one-sided manner.
- History teachers, researchers, and other stakeholders must recognize their own cognitive frameworks and value systems. Criticism of differing opinions should not rely on presenting one’s position as unbiased and neutral while dismissing others as ideologically driven.
One of the primary goals of modern history education should be to examine events from multiple perspectives, transforming history from mere storytelling into an interpretation and understanding of the past. A multi-perspective approach also facilitates the inclusion of marginalised groups in history education, such as national minorities and their roles in society—an extremely important and timely topic. Interculturalism and multi-ethnicity are increasingly common phenomena in today’s world (e.g., due to migration waves or population movement from less-developed regions to more-developed ones). Therefore, history education must adapt to these realities and address challenges related to the integration of different nations.
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Literature:
Stradling Robert, Nastava europske povijesti 20. stoljeća, Zagreb, Srednja Europa, 2005.
Stradling Robert, Multiperspektivnost u nastavi povijesti, Zagreb, Srednja Europa, 2005.
Koren Snježana, Najbar-Agičić Magdalena, Europska iskustva i nastava povijesti u obveznom obrazovanju, Zagreb, Srednja Europa, 2007.
Pešorda Suzana, Agičić Damir, Nastava povijesti u Hrvatskoj, Povijest u nastavi, 2 (1), 140-148., 2003.
Koren Snježana, Svrha i ciljevi suvremene nastave povijesti, Povijest u nastavi, 3 (1), 142.-147., 2004.
[1] Anić, Tomislav; Barić, Nikica; Brigović, Ivan; Ledić, Stipe; Nazor, Ante; Samardžija Ivan; Bagarić, Petar; Magaš, Tihana. POVIJEST 4: udžbenik iz povijesti za četvrti razred gimnazije. Zagreb: Alfa. 2021.
[2] Erdelja, Krešimir; Stojaković, Igor. TRAGOVI 4 – udžbenik povijesti u četvrtom razredu gimnazije. Zagreb: Školska knjiga, 2021.
