CROATIAN POLITICAL EMIGRATION – A SECURITY THREAT TO SOCIALIST YUGOSLAVIA

Sa？etak Croatian political emigration exists abroad as political opposition to the communistic state of Yugoslavia which does not tolerate political antinomy. Hence the existence of political emigration by itself represents a security threat to the regime. However, because of the repressive nature and activities of the Yugoslav regime, a part of emigration radicalized so the use of political violence has become the only option which could lead to desired social and political changes. Croatian emigration was neither static nor homogeneous, but a political entity which went through various changes, processes, and fragmentation caused by internal and external factors. Its activity overcame the dimension of a mere political threat to Yugoslavia and evolved into a security threat, characterized by the use of political violence and terrorism – manifesting as a series of performed or prevented acts of violence. Yugoslavian security apparatus conducted extremely aggressive campaigns both in-state and abroad with the aim of neutralizing the political emigration on the whole. Its repressive and offensive methods can be identified with state terrorism. Both entities were formed on the basis of extreme ideologies so with the radicalization of the activities of one entity the other was proportionally radicalized. The existence of this relationship between both entities can be characterized as “special warfare” due to its unconventional methods of conflict