Ante Trumbic
Encyclopedia
Ante Trumbić was a Croatian
politician in the early 20th century. He was one of the key politicians in the creation of a Yugoslav state.
Trumbić was born in Split
in the Austro-Hungarian
crownland of Dalmatia
and studied law at Zagreb
, Vienna
and Graz
(with doctorate in 1890). He practiced as a lawyer, and then, from 1905 as the city mayor of Split. Trumbić was in favor of moderate reforms in Austro-Hungarian Slavic provinces, which included the unification of Dalmatia with Croatia-Slavonia.
After the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the invasion of Serbia by Austria-Hungary, Trumbić became the prominent Yugoslav nationalist leader during World War I, and lead the Yugoslav Committee
that lobbied the Allies to support the creation of an independent Yugoslavia. Trumbić negotiated with Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić
to have Serbia support the creation of a Yugoslav state, which was delivered at the Corfu Declaration
on 20 July 1917 that advocated the creation of a united state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that would be led by the Serbian House of Karađorđević.
In 1918 he became foreign minister in the first government of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
. At the Versailles conference after World War I, Trumbić had to represent Yugoslav concerns in the face of Italian
territorial ambitions in Dalmatia (temporarily settled in 1920, but raised again with Benito Mussolini
).
In spite of his support for a united Yugoslavia, Trumbić opposed the 1921 constitution
over his belief that it was too centralized and allowed Serb hegemony over Yugoslavia. Trumbić was one of 35 representatives to vote against the constitution amid a wide boycott of the National Assembly by opposition parties. Trumbić grew steadily disillusioned with the Yugoslav government over time which he saw as Serb-dominated. He was elected for the last time in the 1927 elections on the list of the Croatian Bloc along with Ante Pavelić
, both representing Zagreb.
In 1929, hoping to bring an end to the ongoing bickering between the Serbian and the Croatian representatives within the kingdom, King Alexander of Yugoslavia
for the first time since the creation of the state, pulled rank and banned all political parties, and removed the individual nationalities Serb and Croat from the bigger picture. He renamed the land Yugoslavia, and abrogated the constitution to establish a royal dictatorship. Trumbić was by now in retirement in Zagreb. King Alexander's division of Croatia-Slavonia and Dalmatia into banovinas countered all previous reforms Trumbić had sought. In a September, 1932 interview with The Manchester Guardian Trumbić wondered whether Croatia should separate from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and pursue a union with Austria. In November, 1932 Trumbić edited the Zagreb Points
, a series of demands put forth by the Peasant-Democratic coalition to counter Serbian hegemony.
With the arrest of Croatian Peasant Party leader Vladko Maček
in April, 1933 Trumbić and Josip Predavec
became the caretaker heads of the party. With Predavec's assassination on July 14, Trumbić was essentially the head of the party in Maček's absence.
Trumbić later regretted the end of Austria-Hungary, as the South Slav state he had helped to create proved incapable of his intended reforms.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
politician in the early 20th century. He was one of the key politicians in the creation of a Yugoslav state.
Trumbić was born in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
in the Austro-Hungarian
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...
crownland of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and studied law at 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...
, 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...
and Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
(with doctorate in 1890). He practiced as a lawyer, and then, from 1905 as the city mayor of Split. Trumbić was in favor of moderate reforms in Austro-Hungarian Slavic provinces, which included the unification of Dalmatia with Croatia-Slavonia.
After the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the invasion of Serbia by Austria-Hungary, Trumbić became the prominent Yugoslav nationalist leader during World War I, and lead the Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee was a political interest group formed by South Slavs from Austria-Hungary during World War I aimed at joining the existing south Slavic nations in an independent state.Founding members included:* Frano Supilo* Ante Trumbić...
that lobbied the Allies to support the creation of an independent Yugoslavia. Trumbić negotiated with Serbian Prime Minister 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...
to have Serbia support the creation of a Yugoslav state, which was delivered at the Corfu Declaration
Corfu Declaration
The Corfu Declaration is the agreement that made the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia possible. In 1916, the Serbian Parliament in exile decided the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia at a meeting inside the Municipal Theatre of Corfu, Greece...
on 20 July 1917 that advocated the creation of a united state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that would be led by the Serbian House of Karađorđević.
In 1918 he became foreign minister in the first government of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
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...
. At the Versailles conference after World War I, Trumbić had to represent Yugoslav concerns in the face of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
territorial ambitions in Dalmatia (temporarily settled in 1920, but raised again with Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
).
In spite of his support for a united Yugoslavia, Trumbić opposed the 1921 constitution
Vidovdan Constitution
The Vidovdan Constitution was the first constitution of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It was approved by the Constitutional Assembly on June 28, 1921 despite the opposition boycotting the vote. The Constitution is named after the feast of St. Vitus , a Serbian holiday. The Constitution...
over his belief that it was too centralized and allowed Serb hegemony over Yugoslavia. Trumbić was one of 35 representatives to vote against the constitution amid a wide boycott of the National Assembly by opposition parties. Trumbić grew steadily disillusioned with the Yugoslav government over time which he saw as Serb-dominated. He was elected for the last time in the 1927 elections on the list of the Croatian Bloc along with 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...
, both representing Zagreb.
In 1929, hoping to bring an end to the ongoing bickering between the Serbian and the Croatian representatives within the kingdom, King Alexander of Yugoslavia
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:...
for the first time since the creation of the state, pulled rank and banned all political parties, and removed the individual nationalities Serb and Croat from the bigger picture. He renamed the land Yugoslavia, and abrogated the constitution to establish a royal dictatorship. Trumbić was by now in retirement in Zagreb. King Alexander's division of Croatia-Slavonia and Dalmatia into banovinas countered all previous reforms Trumbić had sought. In a September, 1932 interview with The Manchester Guardian Trumbić wondered whether Croatia should separate from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and pursue a union with Austria. In November, 1932 Trumbić edited the Zagreb Points
Zagreb Points
The Zagreb Points was the name of a resolution released on November 7, 1932, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which condemned Serb hegemony in that country and called for a return to political life as it was in 1918....
, a series of demands put forth by the Peasant-Democratic coalition to counter Serbian hegemony.
With the arrest of Croatian Peasant Party leader Vladko Maček
Vladko Macek
Vladko Maček was a Croatian politician active within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the first half of the 20th century. He led the Croatian Peasant Party following the assassination of Stjepan Radić, and all through World War II.- Early life :Maček was born to a Slovene-Czech family in the village...
in April, 1933 Trumbić and Josip Predavec
Josip Predavec
Josip Predavec was a Croatian politician, vice-president of the Croatian Peasant Party, who was killed in an assassination attempt in 1933....
became the caretaker heads of the party. With Predavec's assassination on July 14, Trumbić was essentially the head of the party in Maček's absence.
Trumbić later regretted the end of Austria-Hungary, as the South Slav state he had helped to create proved incapable of his intended reforms.