Yugoslav Youth Group Uniforms (1922-92)

Figure 1.--This is a Yugoslav Scout. The photograph is unidentified, other than the bo was a Serb. We are not sure when the photograph was taken, but it looks like the 1930s to us.

We have very limited information about Yugoslavia. There were a range of nationalist organizations, but this is very complicated because many were ethically based and not national organizations. We have some information about the Boy Scouts. Scouting was founded in Serbia during 1911. We have less information about Croatia, Bosnia and other areas of what came to be Yugoslavia in 1919. Scouting existed in Yugoslavia during the inter-War era, but ethnic tensions presumably affected the Scouting movement. After the German World War II invasion, Yugoslavia was partinioned between Germzany, Italy, and their Balkan partners. Croatia became a NAZI ally. Presumably they had some form of NAZI youth group. Ther may have been other Fascist groups formed in the other areas occupied Yugoslavia. The Hitler Youth was established in the area of Sklovenia annexed to the Reich. Scouting was banned and with a raging insurgency it would have been dangerous for boys to wear any kind of Scout unifiorm. After the War, Tito and his Communists established a Communist dictatrorship with the Young Pioneers as the only permissible uniformed youth group. Yugoslavis in the 1990s split apart in a series of vicious wars. We are unsure about the youth groups active in each of the countries whichg emerged from Yugoslavia. Presumably Scouting is the principal one.

Nationalist Groups

We have very limited information about Yugoslavia. There were a range of nationalist organizations, but this is very complicated because many were ethically based and not national organizations. I believe there were also organizations with religious and political foundations and well as groups with over-lapped these various elements. Building a natinalist youth organization in such a divided country would have been difficult, but there were many different youth groups in the various constiuent parts of Yugoslavia. After the German World War II invasion, Yugoslavia was partinioned between Germzany, Italy, and their Balkan partners. Croatia became a NAZI ally. Presumably they had some form of NAZI youth group. Ther may have been other Fascist groups formed in the other areas occupied Yugoslavia. The Hitler Youth was established in the area of Sklovenia annexed to the Reich.

Boy Scouts

We have some information about the Boy Scouts. Scouting was founded in Serbia during 1911. We have less information about Croatia, Bosnia and other areas of what came to be Yugoslavia in 1919. Scouting existed in Yugoslavia during the inter-War era, but ethnic tensions presumably affected the Scouting movement. Scouting was banned after the NAZI invasion and with a raging insurgency it would have been dangerous for boys to wear any kind of Scout unifiorm.

Young Pioneers

After the War, Tito and his Communists established a Communist dictatrorship with the Young Pioneers as the only permissible uniformed youth group.

Civil War and Disolution (1992)

Yugoslavis in the 1990s split apart in a series of vicious wars. We are unsure about the youth groups active in each of the countries whichg emerged from Yugoslavia. Presumably Scouting is the principal one.