The article deals with reasons that led to a change in the attitude towards the partisan movement in Yugoslavia and, consequently, the destruction of partisan memorials. By evaluating World War II, political elites in respective republics aimed to strengthen their position and vision of a restructured Yugoslav society. Anything associated with evaluating the past became subject to polemic. Therefore the line between professional historiography and more popular genres was blurred and historiography became increasingly politicized, confining itself within the borders of its own republic. Following the first multi-party elections in respective republics (1990), history was still an important, in some places even the central factor in political battles within the newly established states. New states, and particularly the local authorities, thus decided to rewrite history, inter alia, also by demolishing memorials. Historical facts, quality, artistic value and top-quality authorship were not regarded as factors speaking in favour of their preservation.