Vladko Macek
Encyclopedia
Vladko Maček was a Croatia
n politician active within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
in the first half of the 20th century. He led the Croatian Peasant Party
(HSS) following the assassination of Stjepan Radić
, and all through World War II
.
, southwest of Zagreb
. A famous Polish general Stanisław Maczek was his cousin. In 1903 Vladko earned a law degree at University of Zagreb
. After clerking at various Croatian courts he opened private law practice in 1908 in Sv. Ivan Zelina.
Maček joined Croatian Peasant Party
since its founding. After World War I
, during which he had served in Austro-Hungarian Army
, he became close associate of Stjepan Radić. In 1925, after Radić's visit to Moscow
and the Croatian Peasant Party joining the Peasants International
, he was arrested by Royal Yugoslav
authorities. While in jail, he was elected to the National Assembly. A few months later HSS joined the government, paving the way for Maček to be released.
and his dictatorship. For that he was again arrested in April 1933 and sentenced to three years in jail for treason. He was released following Alexander's assassination in 1934. His stated aim during that period was to transform Yugoslavia from unitary state, dominated by ethnic Serbs, into new form of state organization in which Croatia would have its statehood restored. Maček's ideas appealed to large numbers of Croats and Croatian Peasant Party gradually gained supporters among all classes and followers of all ideologies. Maček also nurtured close relations with other opposition parties in Yugoslavia and although his coalition lost elections in 1938, it remained the force to be reckoned with.
Maček's persistence and political skills finally paid off in August 1939 with Dragiša Cvetković
in the Cvetković-Maček Agreement
and creation of Banate (Banovina
) of Croatia, a semi-autonomous entity which contained Croatia and large sections of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina
. HSS became part of the coalition government while Maček himself became deputy prime minister of Yugoslavia.
invasion in April 1941
. Seen by Germany
as an ideal leader of a new Axis puppet - the Independent State of Croatia
- Maček was offered the opportunity to become prime minister of the new state, but he refused the offer twice - being one of the few Croatian (and European) politicians at the time to believe that the Axis would ultimately lose the war. Instead, his main aim was to preserve Croatian people from war and unnecessary suffering. He called supporters of HSS to respect and co-operate with the new regime of Ante Pavelić
, while at the same time he delegated Juraj Krnjević
to represent Croatian people in Yugoslav government-in-exile.
Maček's strategy proved to be detrimental for his party and himself. In October 1941 he was arrested and put in Jasenovac concentration camp
where he was put under watch of Ljubo Miloš
for some time. Five months later, 16 of March 1942, he was put into house arrest at his home in Kupinec
together with his family and they shared his internment, first in Kupinec then two months of 1943 (9th of January to 9th of March) in Luburić's Zagreb apartment (which they shared with Luburić's aged mother and his two sisters) and finally from 9th of December 1943 until the colapse of Pavelić's Ustaša regime in May 1945 in his Prilaz 9 house in Zagreb. In the meantime, HSS began to fracture itself on ideological lines - some of its members joined the Ustaše
while other joined Tito's Partisans
. Although bitterly opposed to the former, he was equally distrustful to the latter and in 1945 he emigrated, first to France
, then to the USA.
On June 12, 1945 Maček was received by French foreign minister Georges Bidault
who offered him the right to residence in France. He visited the United States
for the first time in 1946 after receiving a visa by orders of the Department of State
. He was received by mayor David L. Lawrence
of Pittsburgh while delivering a speech in that city. He helped found the International Peasants' Union along with Georgi Mihov Dimitrov in 1947.
Still respected in exile, he was offered to lead the numerous Croatian emigration, but he refused. He died in Washington D.C. of a heart attack on May 15, 1964 a month short of his 85th birthday. His remains were brought to Croatia
in 1996 and buried at the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb
. He was posthumously awarded the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir
in 2004.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n politician active within 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...
in the first half of the 20th century. He led the Croatian Peasant Party
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
(HSS) following the assassination of Stjepan Radić
Stjepan Radic
Stjepan Radić was a Croatian politician and the founder of the Croatian Peasant Party in 1905. Radić is credited with galvanizing the peasantry of Croatia into a viable political force...
, and all through 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...
.
Early life
Maček was born to a Slovene-Czech family in the village of Kupinec near JastrebarskoJastrebarsko
- Antiquity :In 1865, remnants of a Roman settlement were uncovered in Repišće, Klinča Sela, a village in Jastrebarsko metropolitan area. Further archeological investigation in the late 20th century classified them as a villa rustica and a necropolis consisting of six tumuli, both dating to...
, southwest of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. A famous Polish general Stanisław Maczek was his cousin. In 1903 Vladko earned a law degree at University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
. After clerking at various Croatian courts he opened private law practice in 1908 in Sv. Ivan Zelina.
Maček joined Croatian Peasant Party
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
since its founding. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, during which he had served in Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
, he became close associate of Stjepan Radić. In 1925, after Radić's visit to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and the Croatian Peasant Party joining the Peasants International
International Agrarian Bureau
The International Agrarian Bureau was founded in 1921 by the Agrarian parties of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Croatia, and Poland growing to 17 political parties in Eastern Europe by 1928. It was sometimes referred to as the "first Green International". The Bureau was a key competitor with the Red...
, he was arrested by Royal Yugoslav
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...
authorities. While in jail, he was elected to the National Assembly. A few months later HSS joined the government, paving the way for Maček to be released.
HSS leadership and Banate of Croatia
Maček became the leader of party following Radić's assassination. He quickly became one of the main opponents of King AlexanderAlexander 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:...
and his dictatorship. For that he was again arrested in April 1933 and sentenced to three years in jail for treason. He was released following Alexander's assassination in 1934. His stated aim during that period was to transform Yugoslavia from unitary state, dominated by ethnic Serbs, into new form of state organization in which Croatia would have its statehood restored. Maček's ideas appealed to large numbers of Croats and Croatian Peasant Party gradually gained supporters among all classes and followers of all ideologies. Maček also nurtured close relations with other opposition parties in Yugoslavia and although his coalition lost elections in 1938, it remained the force to be reckoned with.
Maček's persistence and political skills finally paid off in August 1939 with Dragiša Cvetković
Dragiša Cvetkovic
Dragiša Cvetković was a Yugoslav politician.He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1939 to 1941. He developed the federalization of Yugoslavia through the creation of the Banovina of Croatia by an agreement with Croatian leader Vladko Maček...
in the Cvetković-Maček Agreement
Cvetkovic-Macek Agreement
The Cvetković-Maček Agreement was a political agreement on the internal divisions in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which was settled on August 23, 1939 by Yugoslav prime minister Dragiša Cvetković and Vladko Maček, a Croat politician...
and creation of Banate (Banovina
Banovina
Banovina may refer to:* One of the subdivisions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1941* Any territory ruled by a ban * Banovina in central Croatia, also known as Banija...
) of Croatia, a semi-autonomous entity which contained Croatia and large sections of today's 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...
. HSS became part of the coalition government while Maček himself became deputy prime minister of Yugoslavia.
World War II
This triumph proved to be short-lived, because Banovina collapsed together with Yugoslavia following AxisAxis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
invasion in April 1941
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...
. Seen 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...
as an ideal leader of a new Axis puppet - the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
- Maček was offered the opportunity to become prime minister of the new state, but he refused the offer twice - being one of the few Croatian (and European) politicians at the time to believe that the Axis would ultimately lose the war. Instead, his main aim was to preserve Croatian people from war and unnecessary suffering. He called supporters of HSS to respect and co-operate with the new regime of Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelic
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist leader, revolutionary, and politician. He ruled as Poglavnik or head, of the Independent State of Croatia , a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia...
, while at the same time he delegated Juraj Krnjević
Juraj Krnjevic
Juraj Krnjević was a Croatian politician who was among the leaders of the Croatian Peasant Party . He was the party's General Secretary since 1928 and President since 1964...
to represent Croatian people in Yugoslav government-in-exile.
Maček's strategy proved to be detrimental for his party and himself. In October 1941 he was arrested and put in Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp was the largest extermination camp in the Independent State of Croatia and occupied Yugoslavia during World War II...
where he was put under watch of Ljubo Miloš
Ljubo Miloš
Ljubomir Miloš was an official of the Croatian World War II regime. As an Ustaše, he was the head of the Independent State of Croatia secret service ....
for some time. Five months later, 16 of March 1942, he was put into house arrest at his home in Kupinec
Kupinec
Kupinec is a village in Croatia....
together with his family and they shared his internment, first in Kupinec then two months of 1943 (9th of January to 9th of March) in Luburić's Zagreb apartment (which they shared with Luburić's aged mother and his two sisters) and finally from 9th of December 1943 until the colapse of Pavelić's Ustaša regime in May 1945 in his Prilaz 9 house in Zagreb. In the meantime, HSS began to fracture itself on ideological lines - some of its members joined the Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
while other joined Tito's Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. Although bitterly opposed to the former, he was equally distrustful to the latter and in 1945 he emigrated, first to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, then to the USA.
Later life
Georges Bidault
Georges-Augustin Bidault was a French politician. During World War II, he was active in the French Resistance. After the war, he served as foreign minister and prime minister on several occasions before he joined the Organisation armée secrète.-Early life:...
who offered him the right to residence in France. He visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the first time in 1946 after receiving a visa by orders of the Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
. He was received by mayor David L. Lawrence
David L. Lawrence
David Leo Lawrence was an American politician who served as the 37th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. He is to date the only mayor of Pittsburgh to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania. Previously, he had been the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1946 through 1959...
of Pittsburgh while delivering a speech in that city. He helped found the International Peasants' Union along with Georgi Mihov Dimitrov in 1947.
Still respected in exile, he was offered to lead the numerous Croatian emigration, but he refused. He died in Washington D.C. of a heart attack on May 15, 1964 a month short of his 85th birthday. His remains were brought to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
in 1996 and buried at the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. He was posthumously awarded the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir
Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir
The Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir , or more fully the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir with sash and Morning Star , is an order of the Republic of Croatia. It ranks fourth in the Croatian order of precedence after the Grand Order of King Petar Krešimir IV...
in 2004.