u/Discipline_Cautious1

The commonly repeated claim that General Ratko Mladić “saved Serbs from genocide” seems to conflict with several documented sources:

The RAM Plan, drafted before the war, outlined coordinated actions for political takeover and ethnic cleansing in parts of Bosnia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM_Plan

"Our analysis of the behavior of the Muslim communities demonstrates that the morale, will, and bellicose nature of their groups can be undermined only if we aim our action at the point where the religious and social structure is most fragile. We refer to the women, especially adolescents, and to the children."

The ICTY verdicts concluded that Mladić played a central role in crimes against humanity and genocide in Srebrenica. https://www.icty.org/en/case/mladic

Given this, I’m trying to understand why some Serbs still believe Mladić prevented a genocide against Serbs. Is this based on media narratives from the 1990s, distrust of international institutions, or something else?

I’m trying to understand how this narrative formed and why it remains strong for some people.