Petar Živkovic
Encyclopedia
Petar Živković was a Serbia
n soldier and political figure in Yugoslavia
. He was Prime Minister
of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
from January 7, 1929 until April 4, 1932.
, Principality of Serbia (present-day Bor District
, Serbia
). A soldier at the Serbian court, Živković helped to overthrow
the House of Obrenović
, with the assassination of King Aleksandar Obrenović
. He later became a member of the White Hand
, which opposed the Serbian nationalism of the Black Hand
. In 1921, Alexander I of Yugoslavia
appointed Živković commander of the Palace Guards; in 1929 he was appointed prime minister. He held the office as a member of the Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy
, or JRSD, which was soon the only legal party in Yugoslavia, due to Živković's electoral "reforms." He resigned as prime minister in 1932, and shortly thereafter founded the Yugoslav National Party, becoming its president in 1936.
Meanwhile, Alexander I had been assassinated, in 1934; his cousin Pavle Karađorđević
took office as regent for the 11-year-old Peter II
. Upon Pavle's 1941 signing of the Tripartite Pact
, Živković left Yugoslavia, ahead of the Nazi
invasion (see Balkans Campaign). He became part of the Yugoslav government in exile.
In 1946 he was tried in absentia in Yugoslavia and sentenced to death. He remained in exile in France, dying in Paris
in 1947, aged 68.
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...
n soldier and political figure in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. He was Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of 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...
from January 7, 1929 until April 4, 1932.
Life
Živković was born in NegotinNegotin
Negotin is a town and municipality in the Bor District of north-eastern Central Serbia. It is situated near the borders between Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is the judicial center of the Bor District. The population of the town is 16,716 while municipality has 36,879.-Name:The etymology of the...
, Principality of Serbia (present-day Bor District
Bor District
Bor District is a district of Serbia with seat in Bor. It has a population of 123,848 .-History:...
, 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...
). A soldier at the Serbian court, Živković helped to overthrow
May Overthrow
The May Overthrow was a 1903 coup d'état in which the Serbian King Alexander Obrenović and his wife, Queen Draga, were assassinated inside the Royal Palace in Belgrade on the night between 28 and 29 May 1903 by the Julian calendar...
the House of Obrenović
House of Obrenovic
The House of Obrenović was a Serbian dynasty that ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. They came to power through the leadership of their progenitor Miloš Obrenović in the Second Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of the Principality of...
, with the assassination of 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,...
. He later became a member of the White Hand
Bela Ruka
White Hand or Bela Ruka , was a secret, unofficial military organization in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes ....
, which opposed the Serbian nationalism of the Black Hand
Black Hand
Unification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
. In 1921, Alexander I 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:...
appointed Živković commander of the Palace Guards; in 1929 he was appointed prime minister. He held the office as a member of the Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy
Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy
The Yugoslav National Party was a political party in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1932 and 1941...
, or JRSD, which was soon the only legal party in Yugoslavia, due to Živković's electoral "reforms." He resigned as prime minister in 1932, and shortly thereafter founded the Yugoslav National Party, becoming its president in 1936.
Meanwhile, Alexander I had been assassinated, in 1934; his cousin Pavle Karađorđević
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, also known as Paul Karađorđević , was Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the minority of King Peter II. Peter was the eldest son of his first cousin Alexander I...
took office as regent for the 11-year-old Peter II
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
. Upon Pavle's 1941 signing of the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
, Živković left Yugoslavia, ahead of the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
invasion (see Balkans Campaign). He became part of the Yugoslav government in exile.
In 1946 he was tried in absentia in Yugoslavia and sentenced to death. He remained in exile in France, dying in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1947, aged 68.
External links
- "Zivkovic, Petar." Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia BritannicaThe Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
Premium Service.