COMMUNIST TAKE-OVER METHODS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R001600620001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 11, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized -Approved For Release : CIA-RDE3-0042
COUNTRY: Yugoslavia
SUBJECT: Communist Take-over Methods
PLACE:
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- ----~ - ? 1.L-um Lr~enas or mine in the Litija district of
Yugoslavia. Because they are afraid of the Communist censorship, they do not
dare to criticize the regime directly. However, I have received many indirect
implications that conditions in Litija have not improved since I left in 1946.
Based on what I saw happen when the Communistook over in 1945, I do not
believe the people of Litija will ever losp-their hatred of the Tito regime.
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00 over control of the
town in 1945, there w lee very few loc 1 men with them. ,-? ePartisans set up
a committee of 12 to a mister tl,. fairs of th rounding area. Because I
knew everyone in Litij I wasoe, o becom member of the committee,
which consistpa of IV) r mm? t .. , _ ___ ?~ ___ _ , _
--~~ _..' -.. .L Lruue Uc)
know nearly everyone in the area. 'n the Partisans t k
- - -- . -. --j ?-++a' iicau, U U 1Vk3e. --
~+. Litija is a town of\ab ut 3000 `eople. Prior to World War II it had a police
force of 3 men but w n I lef` iii 194-6 there were about 280 Communist pplice
there.
5. In the first 3 months o Communist control they executed over 200 people.
In contrast, during fo years of German occupation only 12 people in the
Litija area were exe ted.
6. The Communists hagl`two basic motives for killing. If a man owned a farm
or a house that ai Party member wanted, the man would be secretly killed and
his property confiscated by the Party. Or, if a man refused to aid the
Communists, a member of his family, preferably a young son, would be killed
to "convince" the father.
I believe the only reason I was not killed was that I was the only doctor
in the area. However, my house was taken by the Communists and I received
the equivalent of US$ 50 cents a month rent.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP83-0F0' 0620001-5
 Sanitizedpproved For Release : CIA-Rl3-0042
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8. The Communists passed a decree stating that any house containing
3 apartments or more became the property of the state.
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The farmers in the area were so heavily taxed that to keep their farms,
they were forced to cut down their woodlots to pay the taxes.
9. Within a year, all travel was closely controlled by the Communist police.
Everyone carried an identity card. I could not travel more than
10 kilometers from Litija without having to show my card to the police.
10. In March 19+6 I went hunting with a friend. On the way home we stopped
to see a farmer I had known for many years whose 15 year old son had
recently been shot by the Communists because the father would not join
the Party. The following day the police came to me and wanted to know
if ithe farmer had said anything against the Communists. I said no because
they were looking for an excuse to arrest him and take his-farm.
11. When I took the train from Litija to Ljubljana I had to show my identity
card to the police when I got on, at least once while on the train, and
again when I got off.
Y
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP83-00423RO01600620001-5