Rat protiv podanika? Slučaj Jeftanović
War against subjects? The Jeftanović case

Summary/Abstract: The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy began waging war against its subjects when it started battling a dominant, growing element of the modernization of society – i.e. the national movements of Slavic peoples. In this framework, its relations towards Serbia as a potential axis of the unification of the South Slavic peoples clouded the Monarchy’s attitude towards the Serbian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The unsuccessful attempt to shape the Serb national movement in the direction of its Bosnian and Herzegovinian provincial statehood was increased with tensions from the Annexation crisis and the Balkan Wars, culminating with the outbreak of First World War when revanchists repressive measures were undertaken against Serbs from the very beginning. The response to these actions were different and confirmed the social diversity of the Serb national corps – from the radical Gavrilo Princip to the example of the most distinguished, rich and influential Serb of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gligorije Jeftanović. According to his deep convictions, which stemmed from his traditional, patriarchal and authoritarian values, and political culture, he respected the basic principles of legitimate governance even when the authorities negated his dignity and importance, devalue his property, boycotting him socially, and fi ling two lawsuitsagainst him. His response was within legalistic principles – legitimate defence, moral resistance, ignorance, satirical subversion, through which he questioned the institutionalized violence and state terror. In that way he gave sense to the real and symbolical negation of subjecthood, confirming his own dignity and social position, but also his belonging to the civic society in a state which was politically not “his own”, but which provided him with experience of parliamentarism, even though it was monarchic, where national identity produced a sphere of individuality from which one could only act in a legalist manner, not completely liberal, but a civic system nonetheless. This symbolic negation of subjecthood came from his action, his own free will, from a general human framework, but also from the Bosnian-Herzegovinian, Serb and Sarajevan society.

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