Croatia Reveals the Rising Beast!

What is happening in Croatia reaches far beyond the boundaries of that small nation. It is so shocking that the nations of this world would be paralyzed with fear if they really understood! Shamefully, America is its chief architect. Herbert W. Armstrong prophesied of this unparalleled disaster for over 50 years.

To give you the background, let me begin by quoting from a 1995 issue of Intelligence Digest (emphasis mine throughout): “American generals trained and advised the recently triumphant Croatian army, and German pilots have been training the Croatian air force (UN sources at Zagreb airport say air-traffic control frequencies ‘resound to the voices of German pilots’). Yet the recent events in the former Yugoslavia, important (and dangerous) as they are, form only a small part of an overall U.S.-German plan for Europe. Subscribers should be in no doubt of this….

“America’s solution is to encourage and support German hegemony [political dominance] in both east and west Europe.

“Germany’s control of Western Europe is exercised through the European Union (EU), and American support for German dominance of the EU has been evident since at least 1990. At that time a pro-German U.S. State Department under James Baker started a whispering campaign against British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher because of her opposition to any further surrender of British sovereignty to the German-dominated EU (or European Community as it then was).

“This whispering campaign was partly responsible for Mrs. Thatcher’s ouster from the leadership of the Conservative Party and hence from the British premiership. (Under President Reagan, Mrs. Thatcher had unwavering American support, and this bolstered her at home. The withdrawal of that support by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker, at a time when she was in domestic difficulties, did much to weaken her parliamentary power base.) …

“Washington is following an intentional policy the purpose of which is to leave both east and west Europe under German domination. …

“So Germany, with the full backing of America, is to be the sole great power of Europe. …

“Washington urgently needs to think again before it is too late: its policy for Europe is not a policy for future stability; it is the reverse” (Aug. 11-25, 1995).

So American foreign policy supports German dominance in the EU. And both America and Germany support Croatia’s independence in Yugoslavia. The question is why?

A Look at History

Let’s consider some recent history concerning this war-torn region in former Yugoslavia.

In December 1991, serious events began to take shape within Germany and Eastern Europe. Strongly opposed by the European Economic Community, the U.S. and the UN, Germany recognized the breakaway states of Croatia and Slovenia. The Pope quickly followed Germany by also recognizing these states. (This was not by coincidence; the people of these two states are very loyal to the Roman Catholic Church.) The European Economic Community eventually recognized these two states on January 15, 1992.

Here is what the New York Times wrote about this watershed event in a front-page article titled, “Germany Adamant it will Recognize Yugoslav States”: “Germany will go ahead with its plans to extend diplomatic recognition to the breakaway Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Croatia, German officials said today, increasing prospects for a pronounced rift on the issue in the Western alliance. Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s spokesman, Dieter Vogel, said on Friday that the Bonn government would wait until after a meeting of European Community foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday before announcing recognition, which has been opposed by the United Nations, the United States and by the European Community. But officials made clear that Bonn’s decision would not be affected by the outcome of Monday’s meeting” (Dec. 15, 1991).

Germany was opposed by virtually the whole world on this matter! Yet they still proceeded. Why? Does it make sense that a nation with Germany’s recent past would attempt such a thing? It makes a lot of sense if you understand Bible prophecy about the Holy Roman Empire!

Another New York Times article entitled, “UN Yields to Plans by Germany to Recognize Yugoslav Republics,” said, “The Security Council backed off a confrontation with Germany over Yugoslavia today after Germany’s European allies on the council decided that they did not want a major clash with Bonn.

“The incident underscored Germany’s growing political power within the 12-nation European Community, diplomats said. Some added that it marked the single most visible demonstration of that power since reunification of the two Germanys more than a year ago [in 1990].

“Moreover, in its unusual assertiveness in moving ahead with a plan to extend diplomatic recognition to the breakaway Yugoslav Republics of Croatia and Slovenia, Germany has stirred troubling historical associations…. Nazi Germany dominated the two Yugoslav regions during World War II, absorbing Slovenia into the Third Reich and creating a puppet regime in Croatia” (Dec. 16, 1991).

That’s why Germany was so determined to recognize Croatia! But why would the U.S. support such a move? Well, at first, America did not. But that quickly changed once Germany flexed its political muscle. A December 8, 1991, article in the New York Times, “U.S. is at Odds With German Backing for Slovenia and Croatia,” explains Germany’s historical ties with the Yugoslav “breakaway” republics: “Germany has long historical ties, both glorious and shameful, to Slovenia and Croatia. Slovenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and many people there still identify with the German-speaking world. There has also been German influence in Croatia, and during World War II, Croatia was ruled by a pro-Nazi regime.

“This aspect of Croatian history, and the fact that the Tudjman government has refused to disassociate itself from the Croatian fascists who ruled the republic in the 1940s, has made European leaders unwilling to move quickly toward recognition. German public opinion is strongly pro-Croatian and anti-Serbian.”

This is a shocking article. German public opinion is strongly pro-Croatian and anti-Serbian, or in reality anti-Yugoslavian. The German people are emotionally involved with these two republics. Why? Most Americans probably were unaware of these two republics a few years ago.

Isn’t it also disturbing that a Croatian leader who will not disassociate himself from the Croatian fascists, or Nazis of the 1940scan be a respected leader in a Roman Catholic country? If these people are good Roman Catholics, how can they still be fascists? Shouldn’t this strike us as rather alarming? If Croatian leaders won’t disassociate themselves from such a horrible past, and the Pope has spoken out openly that he recognizes Croatia in its struggle for independence despite being opposed by most of the world—shouldn’t these facts cause people to think that there is something dangerously ominous developing?

Do you understand the importance of this history? How quickly the world has forgotten the events surrounding World War II. How quickly the world has forgotten that Germany has historically considered it a primary duty to protect the Roman Catholic Church! During the various reigns of the Holy Roman Empire, they have felt it was their duty to enforce the church’s desires—good and bad. That helps us to understand why Germany will stand up against the European Community, the United Nations, the United States, and the entire world!

There is something very dark and sinister stirring in Europe. What is now happening in Croatia is only a small sample of what is about to spread over the entire continent! This is the “straw that is going to stir the drink” to unify all of Europe. It will not be long before Europe is reunited as the Holy Roman Empire. It will be led very assertively by Germany.

Two republics now have their independence because of Germany and the Pope. The whole world would have been against the independence of these two republics had not Germany and the Pope spoken out in support of them! That reveals a great deal about the power Germany has today. But more importantly, it projects where Germany and the Vatican are headed in the future!

Germany forced the issue and revealed how weak America and the West really are!

Many Serbian leaders feel the driving force behind the independence of Croatia and Slovenia has been the Roman Catholic Church! This is only a small part of a rising Holy Roman Empire. Germany and the Vatican are willing to offend the whole world because they want to recognize two little Roman Catholic republics! These events show anybody willing to take note that something dreadful is stirring in Germany and the Vatican.

For the most part, what is happening in Europe is invisible to the world. Even many political leaders in Europe will be moved with great emotion in support of European unity, not truly understanding why they are doing it.

The Bible shows that Satan the devil is the real power behind European unity. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon [or Satan, see Rev. 12:9] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2). Satan knows he has very little time left, and he is pushing political events and leaders to unify quickly.

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12). The devil is using human emotion to achieve his ends. Even Satan must use something to unite people. A strong religion is often his best tool. Satan can use the ideals of the Holy Roman Empire to unite Europe. Europe thinks this will be for the world’s good. The Bible says otherwise.

Let me give you a more recent quote from the Detroit Free Press, by Alexander Cockburn: “When Germany led the Western powers to recognize Croatia, Slovenia and finally Bosnia at the start of the ’90s, the Serbs remembered vividly what had happened to them at the hands of the Nazi-backed puppet state of Croatia in World War II. At least 700,000 Serbs—some say as many as 1.2 million—along with 30,000 Jews, were slaughtered by Croats in the Jasenovac concentration camp.

“The Croat lobby in the United States has displayed eel-like slipperiness when pressed about the fascist predilections of Croat leader Franjo Tudjman. Inquiries into his character and intentions are very much to the point: Tudjman has written books of spine-chilling anti-Semitism and apologetics for mass extermination.

“This is the man pampered by the West, even as he drives toward a greater Croatia built in the image of Ante Pavelic’s Croatian Republic of the 1940s” (Aug. 24, 1995).

That reminds me of the years leading up to World War II, after Hitler had already written his hateful diatribe Mein Kampf. Yet Neville Chamberlain and other weak leaders were actually cozying up to and pampering this man who would head the Nazi war machine.

Germany’s World Dominance

The civil war in Yugoslavia began shortly after Germany recognized the breakaway republic of Croatia. Many people blame Germany for causing that civil war.

All of Europe and America were openly hostile to Germany’s action at that time. But Europe quickly caved in when Germany threatened to pull out of the European Community.

America saw the flow of events and, as usual, weakly changed its public view by submitting to Germany.

Franjo Tudjman, the leader of Croatia, has publicly and repeatedly said his country was right in supporting Hitler! He is very adamant and unrepentant.

An inquiring mind might ask how Germany and the Vatican could openly and flagrantly support a Nazi-type leader, considering their own recent history? Nazi atrocities and the Vatican’s involvement in protecting and hiding Nazi leaders during and after World War II is overwhelmingly documented!

Now they are unrepentant and headed in the same direction again. Is there a frightening spirit afoot here that we need to be very concerned about?!

Sadly, the facts become more disturbing. America has surrendered to Germany’s nationalistic Croatian policy. The U.S. has lifted the arms ban against all of Yugoslavia. Now Germany is supplying modern military armaments to Croatia. America is supporting Bosnia.

According to some reports, America has signed a secret agreement to continue operating with the Croatian military. And remember, this is the same nation that we were bullied into accepting as an independent republic in 1991! Where Germany leads, we seem to follow.

This American foreign policy shift in 1991 enraged our traditional allies: Britain, France and the Netherlands. These nations saw what Germany was doing, not only in Yugoslavia, but all over Europe. The European Community collectively had hoped to keep powerful Germany under control—with help from the U.S.! Instead, as Joseph de Courcy wrote in Intelligence Digest, America is helping Germany enforce its will on Europe! The Europeans who are being helplessly swept along are painfully aware that Germany has caused two world wars—in living memory—and the death of 60 million people!

Has America forgotten our loyal allies of World Wars I and II and in 50 years of cold war? Germany has bullied us into almost wrecking that alliance!

These traditional American allies know a great deal about Germany’s desire to control Europe. The U.S. leaders seem to be ignorant of the danger of a powerful Germany. It seems that we learned little or nothing from the lessons of World Wars I and II.

Russia has supported the Serbs to some extent. But they can do very little now since their economy has collapsed and since they are dependent on German loans.

This is an amazing scenario! The only outstandingly powerful foreign policy in this world comes out of Germany! At first, America was bitterly opposed to Germany’s recognizing the republic of Croatia. Now we are helping Germany fight with Croatia! What a pathetic turnaround.

In Ezekiel 23:12, God condemns Israel—primarily America and Britain—for “doting” on the Assyrians or Germans. (Write for our free booklet, The History and Prophecy of Germany.) Verse 17 says the mind of Israel is “alienated” from the Chaldeans, or the German-led Holy Roman Empire. Look at the recent history of the two world wars and you can see that our minds are indeed “alienated” from Germany. God condemns Israel for making the Germans our lovers and not trusting Him. Unless we wake up, the Holy Roman Empire is going to betray us and fight against us! Then we shall know very deeply what God thinks about our “lovers”!

After an open skies treaty, the Germans are now making surveillance flights over the United States. Also, all of our nuclear weaponry is now controlled from Washington D.C. There are no more submarines with independent authority to launch nuclear missiles. America and Britain are becoming dangerously vulnerable to their lovers, who will soon betray them!

“Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side” (Ezek. 23:22). This is a specific prophecy aimed at Israel—the American and British peoples in this end time! “And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord God” (v. 49).

In spite of this colossal tragedy, there is still good news. This towering crisis is going to bring our nations to repentance. Then they shall really get to know the great God! Most of our peoples only think they know God today. What a shame that it takes such a terrifying crisis to awaken our peoples. But it doesn’t have to be that way, if only they would heed this message.