Democratic Party (Yugoslavia)
Encyclopedia
The Yugoslav Democratic Party, State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats and Democratic Party was the name of a series of social-liberal political parties
that existed in succession in the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
.
n liberal
political party, founded in June 1918 from the merge of all three Slovene national liberal parties that had been formed since the 1890s in the Slovene-speaking parts of Austria-Hungary
: the National Progressive Party
in Carniola
, the National Party in Styria, and the National Progressive Party in Gorizia and Gradisca
.
Prominent members included:
, the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats ( / ) is created by a merger of the Yugoslav Democratic Party with Serbian and Croatian liberal parties, namely the Independent Radical Party, the Serbian Progressive Party
and the People's Party
.
The elected president of the party was Ljubomir Davidović
, also a president of the Assembly and a mayor of Belgrade
.
The party won the majority of votes in the first elections held in 1920
.
: Демократска странка) and the Independent Democratic Party
.
The Slovenian, Croatian, Croatian Serb and Bosnian sections, led by Svetozar Pribićević
, moved to the latter. The Democratic Party thus shrunk mostly to Serbia
, Macedonia, and Montenegro
, while in the former Austro-Hungarian areas of the state, the Independent Democratic Party prevailed.
The Democratic Party was in and out of government, either independently or as part of a coalition, until 1929 when King Alexander
abolished the constitution and created a personal dictatorship
, changing the name of the country to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Democratic Party remained in opposition until World War II
.
After Davidović's death in 1940, Milan Grol
took over the presidency of the party.
Following the invasion of Yugoslavia
by Germany
in 1941, Grol and most of the party leadership fled to United Kingdom
. Some members who stayed fought either as part of Chetniks
or Partisans.
After the war, the Democratic Party called for a boycott of communist-organized elections in 1945. The Communist Party (KPJ) led by Josip Broz Tito
banned the Democratic Party. Its members were persecuted, some killed, some sentenced to long prison terms.
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
that existed in succession in the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
.
Yugoslav Democratic Party
The Yugoslav Democratic Party was a SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
political party, founded in June 1918 from the merge of all three Slovene national liberal parties that had been formed since the 1890s in the Slovene-speaking parts of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
: the National Progressive Party
National Progressive Party (Slovenia)
The National Progressive Party was a political party in the Carniola region of Austria-Hungary. It was established in 1894 by Ivan Tavčar as the National Party of Carniola and renamed in 1905 to The National Progressive Party...
in Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
, the National Party in Styria, and the National Progressive Party in Gorizia and Gradisca
Gorizia and Gradisca
The County of Gorizia and Gradisca was a Habsburg county in Central Europe, in what is now a multilingual border area of Italy and Slovenia. It was named for its two major urban centers, Gorizia and Gradisca d'Isonzo.-Province of the Habsburg Empire:...
.
Prominent members included:
- Ivan TavčarIvan TavcarIvan Tavčar was a Slovene and Yugoslav writer, lawyer, and politician.- Biography :Tavčar was born into a poor peasant family of Janez and Neža née Perko in the Carniolan village of Poljane near Škofja Loka in what was then the Austrian Empire and is now in Slovenia. It has never been entirely...
- Ivan HribarIvan HribarIvan Hribar was a Slovene and Yugoslav banker, politician, diplomat and journalist. At the turn of the century, he was one of the leaders of the National Progressive Party, and one of the most important figures of Slovene liberal nationalism...
- Albert Kramar
- Gregor ŽerjavGregor ŽerjavGregor Žerjav, sometimes spelled Žerjal , was a Slovene and Yugoslav lawyer and liberal politician. Together with Albert Kramer, he was the leader of the Slovenian liberals in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes....
- Milko BrezigarMilko BrezigarMilko Brezigar was a Slovene and Yugoslav liberal economist.Born to a Slovene family the village of Doberdò del Lago in the Austrian Littoral , he attended the State gymnasium in Gorizia. He studied law at the universities of Graz and Vienna, graduating in 1910...
State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats
In the Spring of 1919, in SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats ( / ) is created by a merger of the Yugoslav Democratic Party with Serbian and Croatian liberal parties, namely the Independent Radical Party, the Serbian Progressive Party
Serbian Progressive Party (historical)
The Serbian Progressive Party was a liberal political party in Serbia that existed from 1881 to 1919.-Origins:The origin of the Progressive Party can be traced back to a political grouping known as "Young Conservatives" that had existed from 1871...
and the People's Party
People's Party
The People's Party, Peoples Party, or Popular Party, is any of several political parties claiming to speak for the people.People's Parties in various countries run the gamut from left to right...
.
The elected president of the party was Ljubomir Davidović
Ljubomir Davidovic
Ljubomir Davidović was a prime minister of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.Davidović was born in Vlaško Polje....
, also a president of the Assembly and a mayor of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
The party won the majority of votes in the first elections held in 1920
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Constitutional Assembly election, 1920
The 1920 Constitutional Assembly election of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes for the National Assembly took place on 28 November 1920....
.
Democratic Party
In 1924, the party split between the Democratic Party (Serbo-Croat and Slovene: Demokratska stranka; Cyrillic scriptSerbian Cyrillic alphabet
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script for the Serbian language, developed in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two standard modern alphabets used to write the Serbian language, the other being Latin...
: Демократска странка) and the Independent Democratic Party
Independent Democratic Party (Yugoslavia)
The Independent Democratic Party was a social liberal political party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was established by Svetozar Pribićević as a breakaway faction of the Democratic Party in 1924...
.
The Slovenian, Croatian, Croatian Serb and Bosnian sections, led by Svetozar Pribićević
Svetozar Pribicevic
Svetozar Pribićević was an ethnic Serb politician from Croatia who worked hard for creation of unitaristic Yugoslavia. However, he later became a bitter opponent of the same policy and of the dictatorship of king Aleksandar Karađorđević...
, moved to the latter. The Democratic Party thus shrunk mostly to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Macedonia, and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, while in the former Austro-Hungarian areas of the state, the Independent Democratic Party prevailed.
The Democratic Party was in and out of government, either independently or as part of a coalition, until 1929 when King Alexander
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
abolished the constitution and created a personal dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
, changing the name of the country to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Democratic Party remained in opposition until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After Davidović's death in 1940, Milan Grol
Milan Grol
Milan Grol was a Serbian literary critic and politician.-Biography:Milan Grol studied in Belgrade and in Paris. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Philology and Literature at the University of Belgrade in 1899. He studied literature and theatre for two years in Paris...
took over the presidency of the party.
Following the invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1941, Grol and most of the party leadership fled to United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Some members who stayed fought either as part of Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
or Partisans.
After the war, the Democratic Party called for a boycott of communist-organized elections in 1945. The Communist Party (KPJ) led by Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
banned the Democratic Party. Its members were persecuted, some killed, some sentenced to long prison terms.