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As all aspects of the thematization of genocide in Yugoslav historical culture – the subject of this book – are far too wide-ranging to be thoroughly covered in the present publication, I have instead foregrounded the developments and examples that seem to me to be the most crucial. These are cases in which particular political attention is paid to representations of the war and its massacres; examples of statements and representations of massacres and war history that have caused heated disputes among historians or in the public sphere; and introductions of new perspectives and points of focus in academic or popular representation of wartime massacres. In deciding what seems to have had an impact, I have relied on later reviews as well as the degree to which statements and representations are referred to and quoted in later research and presentations.

Since the subject of history was a highly institutionalised and hierarchical field, academic and educational history writing played a central role in Yugoslav historical culture. Therefore, scholarly monographs, periodicals and schoolbooks form the backbone of the analyses in this book. But history was also heavily drawn upon in the wider public sphere and therefore other methods of its communication are regularly included in the investigation. As political influence on the communication of 20^th century history was critical, speeches, statements and accounts from communist and post-communist leading politicians are essential. Furthermore, I discuss representations of the war and its massacres in film and fictional literature, as some of the representations that were to challenge officially established versions came from this field. I also refer to war memorials: monuments to the victims of war crimes and the disputes surrounding them. Finally, I explore the publication and popularisation of historical representations in magazines and other printed media.