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Origins of a Catastrophe:: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers- -America's Last Ambassador Tells What Happened an d Why

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Ambassador Zimmerman does a good job of candidly assessing the missteps of American foeign policy managers in dealing with the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. He convincingly argues that Yugoslavia's disintegration was not inevitable, and that the socioeconomic factors of that nation were no more inclined to cause the catastrophe than are conditions in many other nations. He attributes the collpase to the rise of vicious leaders like Milosevic and Tudjman who used nationalism and ethnic hatred to propel themselves to dictatorial power. Ambassador Zimmerman's book is an important contribution to realizing the devastating impact that socipoathic personalities have when they work themselves into positions of power.

The Ambassador's book is also a powerful argument for the value of the United States' professional foreign service officers (FSOs). Mr. Zimmerman exemplifies the best in our tradition of professional FSO's, a tradition lately undermined by neglecting to appoint FSOs to high positions in the State Department and embassies. If we had more people like Mr. Zimmerman working in the field, we would have better intelligence about the world.

A memoir by the man who was US Ambassador to Yugoslavia during 1989-1992. Zimmerman, declaring that "Yugoslavia was destroyed from the top down," focuses especially upon how the political leaders there tore their country apart. He also blames the Serbian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church in Croatia for their "disgraceful role by exacerbating racial tensions." Zimmerman criticizes Western Europe (and especially the British and French governments) for their early lack of concern as Yugoslav unity became imperiled.

Despite the obvious biases and shortfalls to be expected in a book written by a former US Ambassador to Yugoslavia, the book is informative and useful in piecing together the complicated chain of events taking place simultaneously in the seperate Republics as the Federation crumbled.
The book does tend to minimize the role of the US and NATO forces and focus more on the domestic events driven by local power figures but all in all I would say that the author does an admirable job of writing a relatively short, concise book about a very complex story without losing too many of the vital facts.
This may not be the "definitive" book on the collapse of Jugoslavija but for the average reader it is certainly a good foundation from which to delve deeper.

The book is an interesting document mostly because it gives the reader an insight into the attitude of USA and partially the rest of western countries towards former Yugoslav nations and the Yugoslav union in general. The author who has served as an American ambassador in the critical years of the late federation gives us views that reveal the stench and dirt of international politics that disregard peoples rights, freedoms and relativises democratic principles in the "fear" of "bigger evil". His attitude towards the people of Yugoslavia, particulary in describing the life and personal contacts in yugoslavia is patronising to say at least. He emotionaly describes the great idea that stood behind a formation of a southern slavic state ignoring the problems the union had in the early beginings. He gives the reader short history of Yugoslavia forgetting some important facts, glorifies Yugoslav version of communism and ignores the human right abuse that the league of communists was responsible for. He puts confidence into certain "enlightned" communists whose belief in yugoslavia he liked not taking into consideration the situation in which the citizens of parts of yugoslavia were in - by ignoring the democratic aspirations and dissmissing them as nationalistic. He shows understanding to the reasons why people were dissatisfied with the state of federation but he favours the "strong hand", the communists to deal with the hot situation. In one sentence he puts blame on the late communist dictator Tito for holding the lid on what he calls "nationalism" and not dealing with it in the next sentence he likes the Slovenian and Croatian communists for having the same Titoistic ideals. He favours the elites (communists) to have better judgement without the mandate of the people against the newly emerging democratic forces that came from the people by uncritically dissmising them as "nationalists". He moralises about and regrets the lack of readiness for sacrifice in republics that were bullied by the biggest republic of the union. The view that is common in politicians and public servants is also present in Warren Zimmerman. His idea of elites leading the "volk", the "plebs" is shown in his theory that yugoslavia was broken from the "elites" down. The view is understandable considering this view may be closer to the truth in the US democracy that has a huge mass of people and a relatively small elite at the top level that concentrates and searcher for interests to represent but it is not the case in smaller countries where things tend to be more transparent and ties between people are closer (in a land of 22 millions you know "someone who knows someone who is married to someone else who is the prime minister)
Mr. Zimmerman in his historic overview omits a key fact. The beginning of Yugoslavia isn't the kingdom of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs but the State of Slovens, CRoats and Serbs. The detail may have seemed unimportant to the author but is key in understanding the tensions that were present in Yguoslavia untill it's end. Before this short lived state Slovenes and Croats were a part of Austro-Hungarian empire. Slovenes lived largely in one duchy of the Austrian part of the monarchy, most of what is now Croatia belonged to Hungarian part. Croats had more authonomy and even had their own king which was subordinate to the hungarian monarchs. Pan- slavistic movement in the Austro-Hunmgarian monarchy was strong because of the German rising nationalism which was culturaly and economically agressive towards the Slavic nations in the joint monarchy. Czechs, Poles, Croats, Slovenses and Serbs living in Austria-Hungary (Vojvodina, Bosnia, border with bosnia parts of Croatia) were in favour of decentralisation of the monarchy and recognition of their national rights and cultures specifics like language, school curriculum etc to prevent melting into one big German identity. This is also something that Mr. Zimmermann doesn't quite understand since the american view favour the "melting pot" ideology (that may be working in american case but coulkd never work in europe, not even EU). After WW1 and the apparent fall of Austria-Hungary the Slovenes, Croats and the reluctant fragmented serbs in of the former monarchy joined in a State of SHS. This country was not recognised by the West or by the East. Both imperailistic powers had their own ideas how to trade with eachother. Italians that changed sides in ww1 had apetites for Slovenian land, serbs (kingdom of serbia that nbot so long ago fought independence from turks) had apetites for Bosnia and Croatia to unite all serbs in one kingdom. The new State of SHS signed formed on 29th october 1918. Encouraged by the west and russia talks began with Kindom of Serbia to join both countries into a union. Kingdom of Serbia had diametrally opposite ideas than the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. The State of SHS wanted a federation, Kindom of Serbia insisted on serbian ruled monarchy. Nevertheless a treaty was signed to unify the two entities as a federation, but Serbia withdrew it's signature since they got signals from the WW1 winning allies and Russia that they favour a stronger role of Serbs in the Balkans. State of SHS was internationally unrecognised and forced into renewed negotiations how to unify the two states. International pressure helped to form a new state called Kingdom of Serbs, CRoats and Slovenes. The ruling monarcy was Serbian. The new Kingdom of SHS had major problems starting to function since the country had low support with the people that thought they escaped the German opressing power only to fall under another that considered them as war loot. The elections into the union parliament brought further problems and the Kingdom couldn't start to function because of different views of how the state should look - be a Serbo-centralised country or a decentralised union of Southern slavs as was the innitial idea behind the State of SHS. The fate was sealed with the Serbian monarchs actions that lead to a monarchic dictatorship (jan. the 6. dictatorship) in 1929 that "consolidated" the state changed it's name to Kingdom of Yugoslavia which was supposed to be a compromise: Yugoslavism was to be the new identity instead of Serb or Croat or Slovene. The problem was that this Yugoslavism was entirely serbian in character only the name was different.
This lenghty overview is just one of the things the author of the book doesn't even consider in idolising the idea of Yugoslavia. It is important because it shows that the country was not formed narturaly but with pressure from outside and with agresion of one side against the other. The author even states that there was nothing artificial in creation of Yugoslavia - Yes there were tendencies to unite southern slavs but on different basis. And yes - there were benefits even in this union but recent history has showed that each of the "yugoslav destroyers" (except of course Serbs) that supposedly had only benefits from the union made evfen greater succdess in much shortet time than when they were parts of the union. Slovenia is a relatively succesful small country that despite Zimmermans remarks that it produced second rate products that could only be sold in a closed market of the rest of Yugoslavia and would not survive in international economical arena is today the riches an most succesful country of the new members of European Union. Croatia is despite the bloody war that was waged against it still relatively succesful and on a good road to becoming a full member of the EU.
The text of the book would be a welcome material for anyone studying international affairs, history or history of the region. It would be especially welcome as a part of a compendium of different views on the matter.

I am an active duty Air Force member about to deploy to Sarejevo. I picked up this book to learn more about the history of the region I would be working in for 4 months. After I finished, I felt I had gained a thorough understanding of the forces that brought about the destruction of Yugoslavia during 1989-1992. The leaders of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Kosovo, etc. along with numerous other important players on the stage, are detailed for you. The relationships are complex but Mr. Zimmermann does a fine job of presenting the situation for the layman.

I found the book totally biased and chauvinistic towards the Western view of events and history of the region. For a man who supposedly spent a lot of time in Yugoslavia with the Serbs, he shows a complete misunderstanding of their collective psyche. He makes little mention of the atrocities committed against Serbs of Krajina or of the secret protocols of Rambouillet which would have left Serbia a vassal of NATO. He lists war criminals who are all Serbs without mentioning that their were criminals on all sides. There is little about the legal justifications of NATO's undeclared war or on the civilian casualties caused by Nato bombing. Worst of all, he still uses the lie that the bombing was justified to stop ethnic cleansing when it is clear that the cleansing came after the bombing began. There is very little truth here. Just revisionist history by an ignorant diplomatic bungler.

Our (USA) former Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Mr. Warren Zimmermann, presents insider information about efforts to effect a decent outcome for the citizens of Yugoslavia in the midst of ethnic and religous violence. He lets us in on the interaction of the State Department, the US President, the Department of Defense and the Military of the USA, with criticism for each, and even for himself. More importantly he lets us in on the workings of the leaders, Croation Trudjman and Serbian Melosovic. He lets us in on the failed attempts of the multiethnic democratic Yugoslavians trying to hold together their country.

It's clear where his heart is, and he makes a strong case for democracy under law. He emphasizes what makes a democracy work, respect for the rights of all citizens under the law, not special interest favors for this ethnic group over others or this religion over that one. It was a pleasure to read an interesting and erudite book that gave me focus on the confusing mailstrom of the recent wars which devoured Yugoslavia.

My background reading of Kaplan's Balkin Ghosts was a great introduction to the history and peoples of the Balkins, but this book got me into the heart of the recent horrors from the political inside.

Origins of Catastrophe is a book for everyone who likes to see how Yugoslavia was broken up before it even existed. Warren Zimmerman - a former Yugoslavian U.S. Ambasador writes frankly and in details on all his encounters with the Yugoslavian beasts that lived in Serbia's parliament.
When it comes to Kosovars long sufferings from serbs, he talks as if he were an Albanian but when it comes to Kosova's history he talks as if he were a Milosevic! He failed to mention Edith Durham's journals on Balkans in which she clearly explains that it was the Slavs who settled where Albanians always were at around 600 AD - but he doesn't failed to mention Rebecca West's 1184 pages book - more than half of them full of lies.

This book was published in 1996 and the serbs which Zimmerman blamed and praised in his book - revealed their true selves only after the 1999 Kosova War - so I am pretty sure that Warren Zimmerman now has an even harsher view on serbs and more sympathetic views when it comes to Kosova's independence which is inevitable. Slow or fast, it is getting downloaded!

After all this book became another treasure on my home library.

Americans as usual blame everybody else but themselves (CIA) and their Euro stooges such as Germans and Vatican, the biggest perpetrators of the YU collapse. Zimmerman is a totally biased ex-ground operative in Belgrade therefore should not be trusted.