Dimitrije Tucovic
Encyclopedia
Dimitrije Tucović (13 May 1881, Gostilje
, Čajetina
– November 1914, Vrače Brdo) was a prominent leader and theorist of the socialist movement in the Kingdom of Serbia
. He was founder of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia and the editor of Radničke novine and Borba
.
Tucović devoted entire life to fighting for workers' and human rights
, gender equality
, universal suffrage
, social justice
and civil liberties
in the Kingdom of Serbia
. Some of the ideas that he advocated as a pioneer, today are widely accepted values in contemporary Republic of Serbia.
village on Mount Zlatibor
.
Tucović was already an adherent to socialist ideas when he came to Belgrade in 1899 to finish high school. He agitated for socialism with Radovan Dragović, who was a big influence on him. In 1901, the Belgrade Workers' Society was renewed and Tucović recreated a socialist group of gymnasium
students and became one of the leaders of the Society. He attempted to create modern unions.
In 1902 he organised student demonstrations in the Senate against Nikola Pašić
. With Tucović's and Dragović's help, the "Panel for Movement Leadership" was created again and they made the "Central Committee", with a goal of setting the grounds for creating a party. Tucović led the March demonstrations against King Aleksandar Obrenović
on the 5 March 1903. He was forced to emigrate to Zemun
, and afterwards to Vienna
.
On the 2 August 1903, the Social-Democratic Party was formed. The editor of the their newspaper, "Worker's Newspaper" was Tucović. During the Second Congress of a workers union SSDP (1904), Tucović gave a lecture on union organisations.
In 1906, he graduated from the University of Belgrade
's Law School
. After coming back from Berlin, he gave up on his doctorate and started spending his time in socialist and labour movement, as a secretary of SSDP.
Tucović was the organizer and leader of the first Balkan Socialist Conference, held in Belgrade from 7-9. January 1910, aimed at creating a Balkan federation
.
In 1910, the party established a theory magazine Borba — Tucović was the editor. He participated at the International Socialist Congress in Copenhagen
the same year and gave an important speech criticizing the position that Austrian social-democrats took on the national issue, especially the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
. In a debate with Karl Renner
he pointed out the colonial-enslaving politics of Austro-Hungary and the fact that social-democrats were supporting the government on the issue.
After the outbreak of the Balkan wars
1912, he was mobilized in the Serbian army
and participated in the Serbian military campaign in Albania
. He sent letters from the front
about war crimes against civil population which were regularly published in the Worker's Newspaper. Writing of the massacres of Albanians
during the Serbian takeover of Kosovo
from Turkey
(1912), he stated:
After returning from the Balkan war, he published his influential book Serbia and Albania: A Contribution to the Critique of the Conqueror Policy of the Serbian Bourgeoisie, which analyzes the roots of Serbian-Albanian conflict and consider "among the most important Marxist contributions on the national question in the Balkans".
He died on the frontlines in World War I. He died as a member of Morava division in November 1914 in a Battle of Kolubara
against Austro-Hungarian army at Ljig
's bank.
He had a square
named after him, Dimitrije Tucović Square in Belgrade
.
Gostilje
Gostilje is a village in the municipality of Čajetina, western Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 344 people.-References:...
, Čajetina
Cajetina
Čajetina is a town and municipality in western Serbia, residing in the Zlatibor District. In 2011, the town has a total population of 3,342, while municipality has 14,762 inhabitants. Its coordinates are 43.75°N and 19.72°E...
– November 1914, Vrače Brdo) was a prominent leader and theorist of the socialist movement in the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
. He was founder of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia and the editor of Radničke novine and Borba
Borba (newspaper)
Borba is a Serbian newspaper, formerly the official newspaper of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia...
.
Tucović devoted entire life to fighting for workers' and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
in the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
. Some of the ideas that he advocated as a pioneer, today are widely accepted values in contemporary Republic of Serbia.
Life
Dimitrije Tucović was born 13 May 1881 in the GostiljeGostilje
Gostilje is a village in the municipality of Čajetina, western Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 344 people.-References:...
village on Mount Zlatibor
Zlatibor
Zlatibor is a mountain region situated in the western part of Serbia, a part of the Dinaric Alps.The mountain range spreads over an area of 300 km², 27 miles in length, southeast to northwest, and up to 23 miles in width. The highest peak is Tornik at 1496 m...
.
Tucović was already an adherent to socialist ideas when he came to Belgrade in 1899 to finish high school. He agitated for socialism with Radovan Dragović, who was a big influence on him. In 1901, the Belgrade Workers' Society was renewed and Tucović recreated a socialist group of gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
students and became one of the leaders of the Society. He attempted to create modern unions.
In 1902 he organised student demonstrations in the Senate against Nikola Pašić
Nikola Pašic
Nikola P. Pašić was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat, the most important Serbian political figure for almost 40 years, leader of the People's Radical Party who, among other posts, was twice a mayor of Belgrade...
. With Tucović's and Dragović's help, the "Panel for Movement Leadership" was created again and they made the "Central Committee", with a goal of setting the grounds for creating a party. Tucović led the March demonstrations against King Aleksandar Obrenović
Aleksandar Obrenovic
Not to be confused with Alexander I of Yugoslavia.Alexander I or Aleksandar Obrenović was king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903 when he and his wife, Queen Draga, were assassinated by a group of Army officers, led by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević-Accession:In 1889 Alexander's father, King Milan,...
on the 5 March 1903. He was forced to emigrate to Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
, and afterwards to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
On the 2 August 1903, the Social-Democratic Party was formed. The editor of the their newspaper, "Worker's Newspaper" was Tucović. During the Second Congress of a workers union SSDP (1904), Tucović gave a lecture on union organisations.
In 1906, he graduated from the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
's Law School
University of Belgrade Faculty of Law
The University of Belgrade Faculty of Law , also known as the Belgrade Law School, is one of the first-tier educational institutions of the University of Belgrade, Serbia...
. After coming back from Berlin, he gave up on his doctorate and started spending his time in socialist and labour movement, as a secretary of SSDP.
Tucović was the organizer and leader of the first Balkan Socialist Conference, held in Belgrade from 7-9. January 1910, aimed at creating a Balkan federation
Balkan Federation
The Balkan Federation was a project about the creation of a Balkan federation or confederation, based mainly on left political ideas.The concept of a Balkan federation emerged at the late 19th century from among left political forces in the region...
.
In 1910, the party established a theory magazine Borba — Tucović was the editor. He participated at the International Socialist Congress in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
the same year and gave an important speech criticizing the position that Austrian social-democrats took on the national issue, especially the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. In a debate with Karl Renner
Karl Renner
Karl Renner was an Austrian politician. He was born in Untertannowitz in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and died in Vienna...
he pointed out the colonial-enslaving politics of Austro-Hungary and the fact that social-democrats were supporting the government on the issue.
After the outbreak of the Balkan wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
1912, he was mobilized in the Serbian army
Serbian Army
-Objectives:The Serbian Army is responsible for:* deterring armed threats* defending Serbia's territory* participation in peacekeeping operations* providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief-Personnel:...
and participated in the Serbian military campaign in Albania
Serbian occupation of Albania
Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and achieved full recognition the following year. This chapter of Albanian history was shrouded in controversy and conflict as the larger part of the self-proclaimed region had found itself controlled by the Balkan League states: Serbia,...
. He sent letters from the front
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
about war crimes against civil population which were regularly published in the Worker's Newspaper. Writing of the massacres of Albanians
Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars
A series of massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars were committed by the Serbian and Montenegrin Army and paramilitaries, according to international reports....
during the Serbian takeover of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(1912), he stated:
After returning from the Balkan war, he published his influential book Serbia and Albania: A Contribution to the Critique of the Conqueror Policy of the Serbian Bourgeoisie, which analyzes the roots of Serbian-Albanian conflict and consider "among the most important Marxist contributions on the national question in the Balkans".
He died on the frontlines in World War I. He died as a member of Morava division in November 1914 in a Battle of Kolubara
Battle of Kolubara
The Battle of Kolubara was a major victory of Serbia over the invading Austro-Hungarian armies during World War I. The invaders were routed, and driven back across the Serbian border....
against Austro-Hungarian army at Ljig
Ljig
Ljig is a town of 3,219 inhabitants in central Serbia. It is surrounded by a municipality of the same name, which has a total of 12,730 inhabitants.Ljig is an underdeveloped region of Serbia, surrounded by Mount Rajac and Mount Rudnik...
's bank.
He had a square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
named after him, Dimitrije Tucović Square in 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...
.
Works
- Union Organization (Sindikalne organizacije) 1904.
- Unions and Party (Sindikati i partija) 1904.
- Austria-Hungary in the Balkans (Austro-Ugarska na Balkanu) 1908.
- Labor Law and Social Democracy (Zakon o radnjama i socijalna demokratija) 1908.
- The labor movement in Serbia (Radnički pokret u Srbiji) 1909.
- Balkan Conference (Balkanska konferencija) 1910.
- First Balkan Social Democratic Conference (Prva balkanska socijaldemokratska konferencija) 1910.
- The Albanian question (Albansko pitanje) 1910.
- War and Peace (Rat i mir) 1910.
- Women's liberation (Oslobođenje žene) 1910.
- Tactics and action (Taktika i akcija) 1910.
- Bourgeois and proletarian Serbia (Buržoaska i proleterska Srbija) 1911.
- Marx and Slavs (Marks i Sloveni) 1911.
- Serbia and AlbaniaSerbia and Albania (book)Serbia and Albania: A Contribution to the Critique of the Conqueror Policy of the Serbian Bourgeoisie is influential book of Serbian socialist Dimitrije Tucović, which analyzes the roots of Serbian-Albanian conflict and consider "among the most important Marxist contributions on the national...
(Srbija i Arbanija) 1914.
External links
- Review of “Serbia and Albania” by Dimitrije Tucovic
- Austro-Marxism and the Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Letter to Karl Kautsky (by Dimitrije Tucovic) Dimitrije Tucović: Serbien und Albanien: ein kritischer Beitrag zur Unterdrückungspolitik der serbischen Bourgeoisie Tucovićevo pismo o zločinima srpske vojske nad Albancima