Talk:Španovica

Citizens of Španovica before 1942 were almost all Slovenians from Kranjska and almost none of them were Croats. They were themselves settled there in XIX. century in Serb populated area on the property formaly taken from the Serbs by the government of Austrian Empire. (In fact, the property was owned by the state and loaned to neigbouring Serbs.)

Between two wars, animosity between local predominantly Slovenian population and neigbouring Serbs had escalated several times basically on ethnic and cultural differences (being connected to the first ones). Differences also occured in political views. While in the time of the first election in Kingdom of SCS majority of Španovica population were supporting communists, ethnic Serbs voted predominantly for Radical Party. After the ban of CPY, citizens of Španovica gave their votes to Croatian (Republican) Peasant Party.

After the start of WW II in Yugoslavia, citizens of Španovica retained their Yugoslav elected government instead of accepting new of the ISC and only except citizenship of ISC if they were exempt of conscription. Otherwise, they were willing to help communists in their resistance. However, ISC soon organized concentration camp for neigbouring Serbs in the village of Španovica and replace elected government with their confidants, thus ones more deliberately inducing and enlarging previous animosities.

Since Španovica was located on the important road between axis-held Slavonska Požega and Pakrac, partisans had decided to attack it which occured as it was mentioned in the article. After two days of fierce fighting, which included bombing by the ISC air force planes, partisans withdrew taking with them prisoners. After that, majority of Španovica population (two and a half thousand at the time) was taken away by ustashas.

Prisoners taken by partisans were issue of negotiation of partisans with ISC government. However, negotiations were suspended by executing of captured partisans in Pakrac. As a reprisal for that, partisans executed nearly 50 prisoners from Španovica. ISC government was not to much worried for that since they also had their "problems" with citizens of Španovica (mostly because they were known as communist supporters and because they weren't in fact Croats as it was erroneuosly repeated in the article).

After the forced evacuation of Španovica led by ISC government, village was abandoned for almost entire year (with neither side in control of it). Together with the vast destruction during the house-to-house battle and air raides, this abandonment contributed to total devastation of area in following three years of war.

After the war, population were granted alternative housing in Pakrac and Slavonska Požega predominantly, while the remaining houses in Španovica were settled by Serb refugees from Bosnia. This act was widely seen as act of repression against the former local population of Španovica and as the undeserved defeat in their pre-war skirmishes with local Serbs.

In order to put every ethnic skirmishes ad acta, as the general policy of "brotherhood and unity", local population was strongly discouraged to return to Španovica. Whether that was fair or not, it is a sad fact that every contact between pre-war and new residents of Španovica ended in conflict (both before and after 1990).

After December 1991, all "new" residents of Španovica were expelled by Croatian Army. Španovica is to this day almost unihabited. To the families of pre-war residents none of their property won't be returned. They will however get simbolic refundment as addition to the property awarded to them after the WW II (in form of government bonds).

This is my view of the history of village based on the book "Španovica" by Tonči Erjavec and many discussions with my grandmother and her sister who were pre-war residents of Španovica. I have excluded every subjectivity which I was able as second generation far from the "original" residents of Španovica and as a scientist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.198.100.191 (talk) 17:31, 24 July 2010 (UTC)