POSSIBILITY OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION AND COEXISTENCE THROUGH THE CROAT PEASANT PARTY 

University of Tokyo,

Takuya Momma

PRESUPPOSITION

It is considered generally in the historical academic research about the Kingdom of Yugoslavia that main political problem is the conflict between Serbs and Croats.

In the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 24 cabinets were brought among 10 years, however almost all of them accomplish their term. In result, the Serbian king started dictatorship from 1928. Consequently, in the general historical narration, between the two world wars ethnic problem between Serbs and Croats in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia is considered to be rose highly.

PROBLEM IN THE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

In the Croatian historiography, Croatian nationalism have been aroused by the mass mobilization through the Croat Peasant Party and it’s leader, Stjepan Radić.

Historians supposed the binary opposition between Serbs and Croats, that is, Croat Peasant Party and Serbian parties. However, there were power relationships even among Serbian parties, major two parties are National Radical Party and Democratic Party.

Historians often easily accepted the presupposition Croatian nationalists claimed as the scope of Croatian national territory.

CROATIAN NATIONALISM

Croatian historical territory concluded the Serbian population in this era.

If Stjepan Radić really acquire these territory, must take account of the coexistence with Serbs. But, when he mentioned about Serbs publicly, always he expressed hostility in order to get popularity from the peasants who were annoyed by Serbian administration.

His publicly announcement influenced firmly Croatian Nationalism, which had a mutually complementary relationship with Serbian hegemony.

Then they claimed the Croatian historical right as a basis of their nationalism.

SERBIAN PARTIES AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH CROAT PEASANT PARTY 1

National Radical party was originally Government party in the Serbian kingdom from 1903, and also controlled the parliament in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as majority.

Vidovdan constitution permitted the authority for the Serbian king to control the parliament.

The state security law(obznana), allowed gendarmerie suppressed Croat Peasant Party opposition frequently.

SERBIAN PARTIES AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH CROAT PEASANT PARTY 2

Democratic party took a important roll to make a relationship with Croat Peasant Party. One of the leaders of this party is Svetozar Pribićević, who founded later Independent Democratic Party

He represented the Serbs living in Slavonia, former Habsburg area, which crroatian nationalists claimed.

At the begining of era in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, he served for the government as a Minister of Internal affairs.

He used authorized power to suppress the movement of the autonomy of former Habsburg area. He aimed to protect Serbs in Croatian historical area.

 

SERBIAN PARTIES AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH CROAT PEASANT PARTY 3

Srrbian parties often became discord because of their different attitudes for the activity of Croat Peasant Party, Radić.

He at a first time entered the government in 1924 because Radical Party planned to neutralize the antagonism between Serbs and Croats. However this strategy became unsuccessful due to the hostility of Svetozar Pribićević for Radic.

Politically Ethinic problem in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was seen to be unsolved, But, in 1927, Radic and his long-run adversary Svetozar Pribićević took a politicaly partnership, formed Peasant-Democratic Coalition.

STATISTICS OF NATIONAL ELECTION 1

Croat Peasant Party

1923 1925 1927

Votes 473,333 545,466 367,570

Persentage 21.8 22.3 15.8

Seats 70 67 61

STATISTICS OF NATIONAL ELECTION 2IN CROATIA-SLAVONIA AND DALMATIA

Croat Peasant Party

1923 1925 1927

Votes 395,534 442,547 284,106

Persentage (Cr., D.) 65.9, 26.4 60.9, 51.4 46.7, 37.7

Seats 59 54 53

REASON OF COALITION IN 1927

Pay attention for that Radić formed this coalition in order to improve the economic condition among inhabitants living in Prečani, Slavonia area, where croatian nation coexisted with serbs.

Peasants living in former Habsburg area were suffered from unequall taxation system under districts since the beginning of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Frustration among peasants living rose from the

taxation difference with the Belgrad area.

CONCLUSION The formation of Peasant-Democratic coalition is highly

estimated. It is because Radić stated to protect people living in prečani.

He abandoned temporarily his nationalism, which demanded historical right for Croatian land.

When he made partnership with Svetozar Privićević, it was sure that he was separate from past ideal policy, changed for the realism in order to ensure the stability of small district rather than the croatian historical area.

However, Radić got used to blame publicly Serbian hegemony in order to acquire popurality from Croatian nation.

He managed the Croat Peasant Party by himself, then, Serbian hostility concentrated severely on him.