Развој југословенске (српске) историографије о „Великом Октобру”
He Development of Yugoslav (Serbian) Historiography on „Great October”

Summary/Abstract: Renewed interest in the history of the First World War, stimulated by the centenary of its beginning and the striving of certain countries to influence contemporary interpretations of the causes that led to its outbreak, resulted in new studies, researching of less known problems, different views and publishing of several dozens of monographs and collection of papers. Their contribution to the Serbian historiography is difficult to measure at the moment; however, some prevailing influences already impose themselves. It is noticeable, for instance, that historians paid insufficient attention to the events in Russia during 1917 and in the period to follow, regardless of the fact that its coming out of the war not only influenced the alteration in the status of the Kingdom of Serbia but also the creation of international circumstances in which the first Yugoslav state was established. At the same time, a “great Russian event”, as certain Serbian politicians spoke at that time, gave impetus to the spreading of leftist ideas the Yugoslav kingdom was opposed to during its entire existence. This is in fact why the disproportion between the significance of these issues and the existing indifference of researchers to devote themselves to them surprises, which is totally contrary to the period starting with the end of 50s until the end of 70s of the twentieth century during which several dozens of historians dealt with the mentioned issues. All of these reasons, besides the fact that the centenary of the Russian revolution will be marked this year in different ways and with different motives “justify” the need to put an emphasis on the most important characteristics of truly voluminous literature having been produced in the meantime in the Yugoslav (Serbian) historiography on it and its impacts. Therefore, we have endeavoured in this paper to draw attention to its peculiarities and its most important achievements. Even though there are only several selective bibliographies published in relation to these topics, we have concluded by getting an insight into them and several dozens of special editions and smaller contributions that the development of Yugoslav (Serbian) historiography on the Russian revolution depended largely on the leading ideology and the type of social structure, owing to which three periods are classified: the period between the two world wars, epoch of Socialist Yugoslavia and the period following its dissolution. Topics of interest, methodological approaches and (un)scientific interpretations have mainly been determined by political affiliations and beliefs, national interest, existence or absence of scientific freedom.

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