The Image of the Sacrificed of World War I: Shaping Collective Memory during the Interwar Period in Yugoslavia

The First World War had a profound impact on the lives of the ordinary people who found themselves in a whirlwind of war. Therefore, the war became a recurring theme across various forms of cultural expression—through literature (particularly autobiographical genres), architecture, theatre, and, most notably, popular culture, where cinema rightly took central stage. However, the stance of the newborn Yugoslav state toward war-related themes sometimes led to open disapproval and censorship. Along with the complex and delicate posture of the state trying to integrate all its nations into one common political system stood oblivion and inadequate recognition of war memories in Yugoslav interwar society. Given the complexity of the Yugoslav political space, the paper aims to point out the image of war and its different (sometimes radical) interpretations and representations of the First World War in various forms of literature and art. Through this examination, we can gain insight into how the image of war was shaped, repressed, or distorted in public discourse.