The Dark History of the Ustashi Movement in Croatia

Ustashi (Serbo-Croatian: Усташи / Ustaše) was a Croatian fascist and ultranationalist movement that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s. The name "Ustashi" comes from the Serbo-Croatian word "usta", meaning "hook", and was chosen because the movement's founders saw themselves as hooks that would pull Croatia out of the sea of Serbdom, as they believed that Serbs were a threat to Croatian identity and independence.

The Ustashi movement was founded in 1929 by a group of Croatian intellectuals who were dissatisfied with the political and social conditions in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. They sought to create an independent Croatian state based on Catholicism, authoritarianism, and nationalism. The Ustashi ideology emphasized the need for a "pure" Croatian race and culture, and they advocated for the expulsion or extermination of Serbs, Jews, and other minority groups that they saw as threats to their vision of a greater Croatia.

The Ustashi movement gained significant support in the 1930s, particularly among young people and intellectuals, and they were able to infiltrate various aspects of Croatian society, including education, media, and politics. In 1941, during World War II, the Ustashi regime came to power in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a puppet state established by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The Ustashi regime was notorious for its brutal policies, including the persecution and murder of Serbs, Jews, Romani people, homosexuals, and other minority groups.

The Ustashi movement and regime have been widely condemned for their atrocities and crimes against humanity. Today, the term "Ustashi" is often used as a derogatory term to describe extremist or fascist ideologies and movements in Croatia and the wider region.