Vladimir Bakarić (pronounced [ʋlǎdimiːr bǎkarit͡ɕ]; 8 March 1912 – 16 January 1983) was a Yugoslav and Croatian communist revolutionary and a politician.

Vladimir Bakarić
Vladimir Bakarić by 1966
Member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for SR Croatia
In office
15 May 1974 – 16 January 1983
Preceded byJakov Blažević
Đuro Kladarin
Milan Mišković
Succeeded byMika Špiljak
5th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament[a]
In office
December 1953 – December 1963
Prime MinisterJakov Blažević
Zvonko Brkić
Mika Špiljak
Preceded byZlatan Sremec
Succeeded byIvan Krajačić
President of the Executive Council of the People's Republic of Croatia
In office
14 April 1945 – 18 December 1953
PresidentVladimir Nazor
Karlo-Gašpar Mrazović
Vicko Krstulović
Zlatan Sremec
Preceded byPavle Gregorić
(as Minister for Croatia)
Succeeded byJakov Blažević
Secretary of the League of Communists of Croatia
In office
1948 – May 1969
PresidentVladimir Nazor
Karlo-Gašpar Mrazović
Vicko Krstulović
Zlatan Sremec
Himself
Ivan Krajačić
Jakov Blažević
Prime MinisterHimself
Jakov Blažević
Zvonko Brkić
Mika Špiljak
Savka Dabčević-Kučar
Preceded byAndrija Hebrang
Succeeded bySavka Dabčević-Kučar
Personal details
Born(1912-03-08)8 March 1912
Velika Gorica, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary
(now Croatia)
Died16 January 1983(1983-01-16) (aged 70)
Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalityCroatian
Political partyLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ)
^a The Speaker of the Parliament was the head of state of SR Croatia between 6 February 1953 and 8 May 1974.

Political career

edit

Bakarić helped to organise the partisan resistance in the Independent State of Croatia during World War II. From 1948 to 1969, he was the chairman of the League of Communists of Croatia and as such was a close collaborator of President Josip Broz Tito.[1] Even after stepping down from the top post in communist hierarchy in the Socialist Republic of Croatia, he retained much influence and was even considered to be the most influential politician in Croatia.

From 1964 to 1974, he was a member of the Council of the Federation, and since 1974 he has been a member of the Presidency of the SFRY, where he served as vice president from May 15, 1975, to May 15, 1976, and was re-elected to that position in May 1982.[1]

Together with Edvard Kardelj, he belonged to the more liberal wing of the Yugoslav political elite and was known for his statement on the need to "federate the federation" (federiranje federacije), a reference to the struggle between Yugoslav unitarists, who advocated giving more powers to the central government, and federalists, who wanted to shift power to the republics.[citation needed] However, Bakarić was usually extremely careful in his public pronouncements on policy and wary of radical statements.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "BAKARIĆ, Vladimir". Croatian Biographical Lexicon (in Croatian). Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography. 1983. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
December 1953 – December 1963
Succeeded by
Preceded byas Minister for Croatia President of the Executive Council of SR Croatia
14 April 1945 – December 1953
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia
1948 – 1969
Succeeded by