Suchergebnisse

The author poses the question: what makes Francois Mitterrand the "classic" type of ruler i.e. what makes him above-the-average contemporary politician. Following the well-documented analysis of the entire period of his rule, the author concludes: history will reveal Mitterrand's various masks, but never his true face. He exploited the classical mise en scene of power, so his true persona should be sought in the interplay of his numerous disguises. Mitterrand stands out among the contemporary political figures in the ability to use his power to ward off all attempts at its usurpation, th transforming his own power into the memory of the coming generations. (SOI : S. 178)

After the assassination of king Alexander (1934) the Kingdom of Yugoslavia witnessed a revival of the party and political life and confrontation between the regime and opposing forces. The new president of the government Milan Stojadinovic recognized again the existence of the Croatian question. At all political meetings the followers of Vladko Macek and of the Croatian Peasant Party all over Croatia asked the prince Pavle and the government to abolish the dictatorship. The same happened also at the meeting of Croatian Peasant Party in Sisak (1936), when one of the Party leaders, Ljudevit Tomasic, criticized the political situation in the country. Facing 12000 citizens of Sisak and peasants from the Sisak region, he asked for full sovereignty of Croatian people, Croatian Parliament in Zagreb, and said that Croats had never been nor would ever be Yugoslavs "because Yugoslavism is no nation at all". Because of this speech a criminal proceedings against Tomasic were instituted. It was a political process which included a series of state-run institutions. After the agreement between the new president of the government Dragisa Cvetkovic and Vladko Macek and after the establishment of Banovina Croatia, the procedure against Tomasic was stopped. (SOI : CSP: S. 296)

Seljacka Sloga (Peasant Unity) was the most important organization for cultural advancement and education among peasants in Croatia during the interwar period. The idea for such an organization was first conceived in 1920, but for political reasons, was not established until 1925. In spite of insufficient financial resources, the results proved to be overwhelming. For the four years of the organization's existence, 216 branches were founded throughout Croatia which numbered over 9000 members. Seljacka Sloga's most important activities included. courses in literacy, general lectures on varied subjects, and cultural and folkloric activities. Politically, the organization was a part of the Croatian Peasant Party, by far the most important political party at the time. With the coming of King Aleksandar's dictatorship, Seljacka Sloga was forced to disband. This was a huge blow to the Croatian peasantry. (SOI : CSP: S. 378)