Southeast Of Europe Research Articles

Carex distachya (Cyperaceae) with both subspecies in Europe

Carex distachya Desf. is a circum-Mediterranean species. Since 1985 two varieties have been distinguished, C. distachya var. distachya and C. distachya var. phyllostachioidea Ö.Nilsson. The former is widespread, while the latter is considered to be restricted to West Türkiye and the East Aegean Islands, but our research has revealed that C. distachya var. phyllostachioidea is much more widespread in the south-east of Europe, in Croatia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and mainland Greece. It seems to have been overlooked in these countries so far. As C. distachya var. phyllostachioidea occurs in the East Mediterranean region, we have therefore raised this taxon to subspecies level. Our research has also shown that the differences between the two subspecies are less clear than initially suggested. An upgraded key is therefore added.

Ecological situation in European cities in 2013-2023: transition to green economy

The study is devoted to the study of the relationship between the structure of the economy and the level of pollution of European cities in the context of the environmental imperative. Based on comparative statistical analysis, the level of pollution in European cities in 2013 and 2023 was considered and cities with the most and least favorable environmental situation were defined. Studied cities were divided into 7 groups by pollution index; stable trend of their location was determined through carrying out a cartographic analysis: groups of the most polluted cities are located mainly in the southeast of Europe and the least - in the northwest. Five types of cities with different trends in pollution index dynamics were identified. Based on a comprehensive synthetic analysis of cities with maximum improvement and deterioration of the environmental situation, the main factors of multidirectional dynamics are described - activity of environmental policy, sectoral structure transformation of urban economy. Main spatial trends in the environmental situation of European cities were identified: cities with positive dynamics of pollution index predominantly concentrated in the southeast, with a negative - in the east. The analysis showed that 2/3 of the largest cities in Europe improved their ecological condition mainly due to the effectiveness of environmental measures, the green political movement, the development of the tertiary and quaternary sectors in their economy.

The Potential of Lakes for Extracting Renewable Energy—A Case Study of Brates Lake in the South-East of Europe

The aim of this work is to provide some details regarding the energy potential of the local wind and solar resources near the Galati area (south-east of Romania) by considering the performances of a few recent technologies. Based on 22 years of ERA5 data (2001–2022), a picture concerning the renewable energy resources in the Brates Lake area is provided. Comparing the wind and solar resources with in situ and satellite data, a relatively good agreement was found, especially in regards to the average values. In terms of wind speed conditions at a hub height of 100 m, we can expect a maximum value of 19.28 m/s during the winter time, while for the solar irradiance the energy level can reach up to 932 W/m2 during the summer season. Several generators of 2 MW were considered for evaluation, for which a state-of-the-art system of 6.2 MW was also added. The expected capacity factor of the turbines is in the range of (11.71–21.23)%, with better performances being expected from the Gamesa G90 generator. As a next step, several floating solar units were considered in order to simulate large-scale solar projects that may cover between 10 and 40% of the Brates Lake surface. The amount of the evaporated water saved by these solar panels was also considered, being estimated that the water demand of at least 3.42 km2 of the agricultural areas can be covered on an annual scale.

Molecular Characterisation of Epstein-Barr Virus in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphomas (HLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid neoplasia associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. EBV, considered to be an important etiological co-factor in approximately 1% of human malignancies, can be classified into two genotypes based on EBNA-2, EBNA-3A and EBNA-3C sequences, and into genetic variants based on the sequence variation of the gene coding for the LMP1 protein. Here, we present the results on the distribution of EBV genotypes 1 and 2 as well as LMP1 gene variants in 50 patients with EBV-positive classical HL selected from a cohort of 289 histologically verified cases collected over a 9-year period in a tertiary clinical center in the Southeast of Europe. The population-based sequencing of the EBNA-3C gene showed the exclusive presence of EBV genotype 1 in all cHL samples. The analysis of EBV LMP1 variant distribution showed a predominance of the wild-type strain B95-8 and the Mediterranean subtype with 30 bp deletion. These findings could contribute to the understanding of EBV immunobiology in cHL as well as to the development of a prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine.

Revealing the recent demographic history of Europe via haplotype sharing in the UK Biobank

Haplotype-based analyses have recently been leveraged to interrogate the fine-scale structure in specific geographic regions, notably in Europe, although an equivalent haplotype-based understanding across the whole of Europe with these tools is lacking. Furthermore, study of identity-by-descent (IBD) sharing in a large sample of haplotypes across Europe would allow a direct comparison between different demographic histories of different regions. The UK Biobank (UKBB) is a population-scale dataset of genotype and phenotype data collected from the United Kingdom, with established sampling of worldwide ancestries. The exact content of these non-UK ancestries is largely uncharacterized, where study could highlight valuable intracontinental ancestry references with deep phenotyping within the UKBB. In this context, we sought to investigate the sample of European ancestry captured in the UKBB. We studied the haplotypes of 5,500 UKBB individuals with a European birthplace; investigated the population structure and demographic history in Europe, showing in parallel the variety of footprints of demographic history in different genetic regions around Europe; and expand knowledge of the genetic landscape of the east and southeast of Europe. Providing an updated map of European genetics, we leverage IBD-segment sharing to explore the extent of population isolation and size across the continent. In addition to building and expanding upon previous knowledge in Europe, our results show the UKBB as a source of diverse ancestries beyond Britain. These worldwide ancestries sampled in the UKBB may complement and inform researchers interested in specific communities or regions not limited to Britain.

Education for Sustainable Development – An Evaluation of Students’ Perceptions within the Bucharest University of Economic Studie

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key component of sustainable university. The complex issue of ESD raised a great amount of interest among scholars and stakeholders. The body of studies published so far highlight that even though ESD seems well defined from a theoretical level, there are still numerous gaps and missing links between university policies and strategies. In this context, the present study explores how business students, as recipients of ESD, perceive their own level of knowledge acquired about sustainable development. Using statistical and econometric methods on a sample (N = 1249) of students from Bucharest University of Economic Studies (which is the most important university in Romania on the economic field), the study shows a heterogeneous perception among observed population. Bucharest University of Economic Studies (BUES) was chosen due to the fact that it is the most prestigious university in Romania, ranking 801-1000 in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2020 and thus being ranked first in Romania. Also, the significant number of students enrolled in the bachelor's degree (27,598) places BUES among the largest universities with economic and business profile in the South-East of Europe. The results of the research show a heterogeneous perception in the analyzed sample and reveals university studies potential to develop ESD (the students in the final year report a higher level of knowledge on sustainable development than those in the first year). At the same time, students perceive a level of knowledge acquired about sustainable development below average, which suggests that ESD among business students is still at an early stage. Finally, the analysis shows that, frequently, students are not fully aware that the information gained during university studies is relevant to the issue of sustainable development.

Monitoring Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus RNA shedding in body secretions and serological status in hospitalised patients, Turkey, 2015.

IntroductionCrimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease in Africa, Asia, the Balkan peninsula, the south-east of Europe and the Middle East, with mortality rates of 3–30%. Transmission can also occur through contact with infected animals or humans.AimThis observational, prospective case series aimed to investigate detectable viral genomic RNA in whole-body fluids and antibody dynamics in consecutive daily samples of patients diagnosed with CCHF until discharge from hospital.MethodsWe tested 18 patients and 824 swabs and sera with RT-PCR and 125 serum samples serologically.ResultsThe longest duration until clearance of viral RNA was 18 days from serum collection and 18, 15, 13, 19 and 17 days, respectively, from nasal, oral, genital (urethral or vaginal) and faecal swab, and urine. In seven patients, viral load decreased in serum at the same time as it increased in urine or persisted at the same logarithmic values. Despite clearance in serum, viral RNA was detected in faeces and genital swabs in two and three patients, respectively. Viral clearance from body fluids occurred earlier than from serum in eight patients on ribavirin treatment. The shortest seroconversion time was 3 days after symptom onset for IgM and IgG. Seroconversion of IgG occurred until Day 14 of symptoms.ConclusionWe report persistence of viral RNA in urine, faeces and genital swabs despite serum clearance. This may indicate a need for extending isolation precautions, re-evaluating discharge criteria and transmission risk after discharge, and considering oral swabs as a less invasive diagnostic alternative.

Invasions of <i>Bidens frondosa</i> L. (Asteraceae) in communities of saline soils of south-east Europe

Bidens frondosa is an invasive xenophyte which is naturalized in vegetative communities on the territory of the Southeast of Europe. The natural area of B. frondosa is in the North America. The secondary one is on the territory of Eurasia, here B. frondosa forces out native B. tripartita that is explained by competitive superiority of the North American species on growth rates and seed efficiency on soils of different fertility and water regime. In the secondary area in Eurasia B. frondosa grows on banks of reservoirs and water currents as well as on other damp habitats (including disturbed ones) often in large quantities. This species is also found on saline soils of the European Southeast. It is registered in communities of association Atriplici aucheri-Tamaricetum ramosissimae Golub et al. 1998 belonging to class Nerio-Tamaricetea Br.-Bl. et Bols 1958 order Tamaricetalia ramosissimae Golub in Barmin 2001 alliance Elytrigio repentis-Tamaricion ramosissimae Golub in Barmin 2001, in one of its subassociations A.au.-T.r. althaeetosum Golub et al. 1998, but there B. frondosa is the diagnostic taxon as well as the constant species that is met in all of its described coenosis.

Važnost šumarske nastave i znanosti na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu za razvoj hrvatskog šumarstva

This paper explores the influence of higher forestry education and forestry science at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb on the formation and preservation of forest wealth in the Republic of Croatia during the past 120 years as the basic, authentic, self-renewable, biologically diverse and distinctly natural element. In order to do so, we shall provide a survey of some significant achievements of the faculty and its distinguished professors by citing examples of important textbooks and scientific papers. In the year 2018, the Faculty of Forestry in Zagreb marked the 120th anniversary of its establishment. It was on October 20th, 1898, that the Academy of Forestry was founded within the University of Zagreb as the first higher forestry institution in Croatia and in the south-east of Europe. The continuity of higher forestry education at the University of Zagreb has been retained to date through the periods of activity of the Academy of Forestry (1898 - 1919), the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry (1919-1946), the Agricultural-Forestry Faculty (1946 - 1960) and the Faculty of Forestry (1960 - to date). Three characteristic periods can be singled out in the development of forestry education and science at the Faculty of Forestry in Zagreb in the course of 120 years: the first half of the 20th century, the second half of the 20th century and the first half of the 21st century. The first half of the 20th century witnessed a surge in the Croatian forestry, which can primarily be attributed to the development of higher forestry education and science at the Academy of Forestry and the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Zagreb. Among the most important contributions of university forestry education and science in Croatia are the establishment of the Zagreb School of Silviculture and the beginnings of organized and systematic scientific research in forestry. The second half of the 20th century is characterized by the blossoming of higher forestry education and science in Croatia, which had a direct impact on the condition of forests and the development of practical forestry. During this period, the Croatian forestry, science and practice became an outstanding example of mutual cooperation and powerful development, which brought about an improvement in the condition of forests in Croatia as a whole. The forestry practice firmly adhered to the principles of the Zagreb School of Silviculture, an orientation towards natural regeneration, natural stand structure, and natural, diverse and stable forests. This trend has continued in the 21st century. The new age has given rise to vast changes and challenges in higher forestry education and science. The crisis of forestry, which has gradually been evolving over the past fifteen years, has had its repercussions on the basic activity of the Faculty: higher education and science. Today, the Faculty of Forestry is confronted with two serious challenges: lesser interest of young people in studying and a reduced intensity and scope of scientific research in forest ecosystems. There are no objective reasons for either of the above, however. Forests are the most widespread and the most important natural wealth in the continental part of the Republic of Croatia. There are currently a large number of job openings in forestry and urban forestry, as well as in nature and environment protection, and this trend will continue to rise in the future. The Croatian forest ecosystems are facing growing numbers of challenges and problems. On the other hand, there are fewer and fewer workers in forestry. In view of this, there is no reason for crisis in one of the most natural and oldest studies at the University of Zagreb. On the contrary, forestry experts have splendid prospects in today’s ecological, economic and social conditions. The task of the Faculty is to adjust itself and its basic products, experts in the management of forest ecosystems of the Republic of Croatia, to new challenges. Forestry practice and forestry science must work together, just as they have done throughout the long forestry history. Only be doing so will their development be ensured in accordance with the definition: forestry is a science, profession and art of managing and preserving forest ecosystems for the permanent benefit of man, society, environment and economy.

Conservation and trade of wild edible mushrooms of Serbia – history, state of the art and perspectives

Wild edible mushrooms have received significant scientific and socio-economic attention in the last few decades, since they have become the subject of a booming trade business. Through last decades, Serbia, a small country positioned in the South East of Europe, has become a source country for extensive export of commercially important species of wild mushrooms. The data used for international analyses of national policy on mushroom protection and trade are cited usually from personal communications and therefore are not really reliable. Extensive investigations into diversity or ecology of macro fungi in Serbia have never been undertaken. The forestry sector, which is managing all forests in the country, has absolutely neglected its role in ecosystems while habitats of macro fungi have been permanently destroyed. There are only two legal acts that refer to mushroom protection directly and none aims to protect their habitats or diversity in practice. In this contribution, a comprehensive review of official data on research, conservation, socio-economic importance and legislation on wild edible mushrooms and truffles in Serbia was provided. Additionally, the application of existing legal acts on conservation of macro fungi and data on wild mushroom trade in the period between 1993–2016, during which time the trade control has been initiated was analysed. The currently valid system of conservation and trade control are discussed in the frame of protection of wild mushroom species and their habitats and measures for upgrading this system in order to meet the requirements of the sustainable use of natural resources in the socio-economic conditions of Serbia are proposed.

Living in the Age of Axis Internationalism: Imagining Europe in Serbia Before and During the Second World War

This article explores how ‘European civilization’ was imagined on the margins of Europe in the first half of the twentieth century, and how Balkan intellectuals saw their own societies’ place in it in the context of interwar crises and World War II occupation. It traces the interwar development and wartime transformation of the intellectual debates regarding the modernization of Serbia/Yugoslavia, the role of the Balkans in the broader European culture, and the most appropriate path to becoming a member of the ‘European family of nations’. In the first half of the article, I focus on the interwar Serbian intelligentsia, and their discussions of various forms of international cultural, political and civilizational links and settings. These discussions centrally addressed the issue of Yugoslavia’s (and Serbia’s) ‘Europeanness’ and cultural identity in the context of the East–West symbolic and the state’s complex cultural-historical legacies. Such debates demonstrated how frustrating the goal of Westernization and Europeanization turned out to be for Serbian intellectuals. After exploring the conundrums and seemingly insoluble contradictions of interwar modernization/Europeanization discussions, the article then goes on to analyse the dramatic changes in such intellectual outlooks after 1941, asking how Europe and European cultural/political integration were imagined in occupied Serbia, and whether the realities of the occupation could accommodate these earlier debates. Serbia can provide an excellent case study for exploring how the brutal Nazi occupation policies affected collaborationist governments, and how the latter tried to make sense of their troubled inclusion in the racial ideology of the New European Order under the German leadership. Was Germany’s propaganda regarding European camaraderie taken seriously by any of the local actors? What did the Third Reich’s dubious internationalism mean in the east and south-east of Europe, and did it have anything to offer to the intelligentsia as well as the population at large?

Unique postglacial evolution of the hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) in the Carpathians and the Balkan Peninsula revealed by chloroplast DNA

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the largest and most important European glacial refugia. However, the evolutionary history and phylogeographic pattern of temperate tree species that survived in the Balkans glacial refugia and their contribution to the genetic structure of the current population in the Carpathian Mountains remains poorly understood.Using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and extensive population sampling, we explored the phylogeographic pattern of Carpinus betulus in both the Balkan Peninsula and the Carpathian region. We aimed to determine the locations of potential glacial refugia, in order to delineate post-glacial colonization routes, and also to test if northern cryptic refugia had persisted during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).Our results provide strong support for the existence of multiple refugia similar to the ‘refugia-within-refugia’ scenario, which would suggest that Carpinus betulus has experienced a complex evolutionary history.In agreement with pollen data, our findings corroborate with previous hypotheses suggesting that hornbeam has a distinct postglacial evolution in the southeast of Europe (Carpathians and Balkan Peninsula) compared with that in Western Europe.Three postglacial re-colonization routes, from three distinct effective glacial refugia: (1) the Dinaric Alps; (2) the Pirin and Rhodope Mountains and (3) the Strandzha Mountains, were detected within the Balkan Peninsula. The pattern of cpDNA haplotypes distribution across the Ukrainian Carpathians revealed a “suture zone”, which is a consequence of contact due to postglacial re-colonization between hornbeam populations originating from all three effective glacial refugia.The peculiar haplotype geographical structure found in C. betulus and the identified multiple glacial refugia in the Balkans may have direct consequences in the management and conservation of hornbeam forest genetic resources.

Variation of Mean Seasonal Discharges in the Miletin River Basin (Moldavian Plain, Romania)

AbstractThe hydrographic basin of the Miletin River is situated in the southeast of Europe, in a transitional temperate-continental climate, with considerable variations in the regime of precipitations. The purpose of this study is the spatial and temporal analysis of the mean seasonal discharges, meant to underline the need of implementing regulation projects for the Miletin stream. Furthermore, there are only a few specialized works on this hydrographic basin. The mean seasonal runoff presents significant seasonal and multiannual variations, caused by the high frequency of torrentiality, which characterizes the climate of the Miletin River area. Data from the rainfall stations of Nicolae Balcescu, Chiscareni, and Halceni, as well as from the hydrometric stations of Nicolae Balcescu, Sipote, and Halceni- downstream, respectively, were used. Unlike the stations with a natural runoff regime (Nicolae Balcescu, within the upper basin, Sipote within the middle basin, respectively), for Halceni-downstream (on the lower stream), the artificial runoff underlines a weak correlation with the rainfall regime. The data rows regard periods of 33-59 years, enough to conduct statistical analyses. Data from Halceni- downstream were analyzed, too, though the variables that characterize the hydrologic and rainfall regime within this region concern only 18 years. In the Miletin hydrographic basin, low and high discharge oscillations occur in all the four seasons. This characteristic is very different from those of the great hydrographic arteries that cross the east of Romania: Pruth and Siret.

Tourism Climate Comfort Index (TCCI) – An attempt to evaluate the climate comfort for tourism purposes: the example of Serbia

<div> <p>This paper proposes one new attempt to formulate a mathematical approach to climate parameters in the context of their complex implications for tourist activities through the tourism climate comfort index (TCCI). This paper also aims to formulate an original and optimal mathematical correlation between readily obtainable climate parameters (mean monthly air temperature, monthly amplitude of air temperatures, monthly insolation, average monthly relative air humidity and the number of rainy days), which results in values of the TCCI. Simultaneously, this index will provide the values correspondent to the values of air temperatures (°C), which represents a comparative baseline understandable equally for tourists, tourism planners and managers. The example of Serbia as a mainland country in the south-east of Europe was used to apply the proposed methodology. The spatial-temporal variability of TCCI is formulated on basis of data for the period 1961-2000 while for testing model was used selected period 2001-2010 on the sample of 26 meteorological stations distributed all around Serbia. For this purpose a standard statistical techniques were applied and ArcGIS software was used for analyze of the variability of the TCCI in relation to the altitude, which is of particular importance for the development of tourism in the mountains. Checking variability of the index was carried out in relation to statistical data about number of tourists on the three most visited tourist destinations which are of importance for the development of urban, mountain and spa tourism, the leading forms of tourism activities on the territory of Serbia. The obtained results correspond with the fact of the pronounced seasonality of tourism market and thus may represent a good basis for future tourism planning and management.</p> </div> <p> </p>

“БАЛКАНИЗАЦИЯ” И “ЕВРОПЕИЗАЦИЯ” НА ЮГО-ВОСТОКЕ ЕВРОПЫ

“БАЛКАНИЗАЦИЯ” И “ЕВРОПЕИЗАЦИЯ” НА ЮГО-ВОСТОКЕ ЕВРОПЫ

The Big Question

The Big Question

The Dilaridae of the Balkan Peninsula and of Anatolia (Insecta, Neuropterida, Neuroptera)

Basing upon all available information on type material of Dilar turcicus Hagen, 1858, Dilar syriacus Navás, 1909, and Dilar lineolatus Navás, 1909, together with a large number of dilarid specimens, the pleasing lacewings of Anatolia and Southeast Europe are revised. The current taxonomic concept of D. turcicus is confirmed, and a lectotype is designated. Dilar turcicus is widely distributed in the southeast of Europe (being the only representative of Dilaridae in this region), in Anatolia, and, most probably, in the Caucasus region. Dilar syriacus and D. lineolatus remain nomina dubia. Dilar syriacus might occur in Anatolia, while D. lineolatus is a species occurring in western Central Asia. Two new species, Dilar anatolicus sp. n. and Dilar fuscus sp. n. are described from Anatolia. Wings and genital segments of the three species occurring in Anatolia are illustrated, and a map documenting the known distribution of these species is provided.

Global health issues of aflatoxins in food and agriculture: challenges and opportunities.

Global health issues of aflatoxins in food and agriculture: challenges and opportunities.

Local Networks in the Provision of Long-term Care Services in Serbia – a View from the South-East of Europe

This paper is focused on social support networks in providing long-term care services for elderly along a centre-periphery divide in Serbia. Long-term care is fragmented at Republic and local levels between the social assistance and health care, residential and community based services, state and private service providers with consequential (negative) effects on coverage, quality and sustainability of services. Against this background, available literature points to numerous advantages of networking. The analysis, which is substantiated by four semi-structured expert interviews, reveals the dominance of ego-centred networks over the thematic ones at the local level which are rudimentary existent. Improvement of networking requires the mobilisation of all stakeholders and the identification and allocation of leadership and moderation tasks. Lokale Netzwerke in der Bereitstellung von Langzeitpflege in Serbien – ein Blick vom Südosten Europas Die vorliegende Analyse konzentriert sich auf die Betrachtung von sozialen Netzwerken bei der Bereitstellung von Langzeitpflege für ältere Menschen entlang einem Zentrums-Peripherie-Gefälle in Serbien. Das Feld der Altenpflege in Serbien ist sehr stark fragmentiert zwischen Sozialhilfe und Gesundheitssystem, zwischen stationären und ambulanten Dienstleistungen sowie zwischen den unterschiedlichen involvierten Akteuren. Hieraus resultieren (negative) Effekte im Hinblick auf Reichweite, Qualität und Nachhaltigkeit von Dienstleistungen. Bezogen auf diese Problemstellung verweist die Literatur auf die Vorteile von Netzwerken und Vernetzung. Die hier durchgeführte Analyse, für die u. a. vier semi-strukturierte Experteninterviews durchgeführt wurden, untermauert die Dominanz von ego-zentrierten Netzwerken in der Versorgung von pflegebedürftigen älteren Menschen in Serbien. Thematische Netzwerke sind hingegen auf der lokalen Ebene nur rudimentär vorhanden sind. Eine bessere Vernetzung erfordert sowohl die Mobilisierung der Akteure als auch die Identifikation und Zuweisung von Führungs- und Moderationsaufgaben.

1944 Battle of Serbia

This year, this autumn exactly, we are celebrating another major anniversary - 70 years since the liberation of Serbia in the World War Two. If one bears in mind that Serbia was a key country of the military and political turn of events in Yugoslavia in 1944, when, in fact, the fate of the war was resolved in Yugoslavia and the Southeast Europe as a whole, our interest in this topic is fully justified. At the time when the events in other battlefields of Europe during the second half of 1944 were ever more directly announcing also a battle for the Balkans, Serbia, as its strategic axes, was becoming ever increasingly important for the German Wehrmacht, especially the communications that linked the German Reich over this territory to the forces located in Greece, Albania and Bulgaria. Due to the advance of Soviet forces towards the Balkans and the danger of a united front of allies being formed in southeastern Europe, the German command turned to strictly military measures as of mid-1944, in order to prevent, through decisive defense of Serbia ('inside and outside') and plans for the formation of a new front on the line Albania-Skopje-Iron Gate, the meeting of People's Liberation Army and the Soviet armies on the territory of Serbia, and subsequently, when they had to leave the Balkans, to enable the drawing of their own forces out of Greece along the approach Vardar-Morava towards Belgrade, and, together with other German forces in Serbia, their transfer across the Sava and the Danube rivers towards the north. In addition to its strategic and geopolitical importance, and regarding the German interests in the Balkans and the plans of allies (the USSR and Great Britain) on the division of spheres of interest in the South East of Europe after the war, Serbia was also at the national level the key to the Yugoslav military and political outcome in the autumn of 1944. As the war in Yugoslavia had characteristics of a civil war as well, the issue of Serbia's leadership of the Partisan and Chetnik Movements (Broz and Mihajlović in particular) was closely linked with the issue of seizure of power in Yugoslavia after the war.