Živko_Topalović

Živko Topalović

Živko Topalović

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Živko Topalović (21 March 1886 in Užice 11 February 1972 in Vienna) was a Yugoslav socialist politician. Topalović became a leading figure in the Socialist Party of Yugoslavia, founded in 1921.[1][2] During World War II he became a prominent member of Draža Mihailović's Chetniks.

Živko Topalović(left) talking with Draža Mihailović(right)

Interwar period

Topalović was leader of the 'centralist' faction in the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, which opposed the worker's revolution. During the party's congress in Vukovar, Topalović argued that the situation in Yugoslavia was not revolutionary and that the principles of the Second International should not be followed. Not a single centralist was elected in the party's leadership during the congress, so they left the party and founded their own.[3] Topalović represented Yugoslavia in the executive of the Labour and Socialist International between May 1923 and January 1929. He shared his seat with the Bulgarian socialist leader Yanko Sakazov until August 1925, then sharing it with Bolesław Drobner of the Independent Socialist Labour Party of Poland until June 1928 and from June 1928 to January 1929 with Joseph Kruk.[4] During 30s Topalović had good relations with at the time Belgrade police chief Milan Aćimović. He was jokingly nicknamed 'gazda(boss) Živko', as he enriched himself during interwar period. He was lawyer by profession.[3]

World War II

During the Second World War, Topalović became a close associate with the Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović. Topalović became the president of the Ba Congress held in village Ba and assembled by Mihailović.[5][6] During this congress Topalović proposed that Bosnia should be fourth federal unit, besides Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, but this was opposed by Dragiša Vasić and Stevan Moljević.[7] On the last day of the Ba Congress, Topalović presented his work against Yugoslav Partisans, which was made in reaction to the Second AVNOJ meeting. At the end he made a 'call' to the Partisans to put themselves under Mihalović's command, as 'communists should end civil war they began'.[8]

In the village of Trbušani near Čačak in the end of April 1944, Topalović alongside Miroslav Trifunović and Predrag Raković met with Milan Aćimović and representative of Hermann Neubacher, Nazi delegate for Southeastern Europe. During the meeting, a joint fight against the Partisans was discussed, as well as, arming Chetniks.[9] On 31 May 1944, Topalović left for Italy with his wife alongside Charles Armstrong, British officer on liaison mission to Chetniks. His mission was to help Chetniks through diplomacy, as it was clear that the allies were going to win the war, and the Chetnik position was desperate.[10] Topalović praised Chetniks and attacked Partisans in a report, advising allies to rely on Mihalović.[11] During September Topalović formed the board of Central National Committee in Italy.[12]

His books were banned by the Yugoslav government in 1947.[13]


References

  1. Banac, Ivo. The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1984. pp. 198-199.
  2. Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 283
  3. Pavlowitch, Stevan K. Serbia: The History Behind the Name. London: Hurst & Co, 2001. p. 152
  4. Pavlowitch, Stevan K. Hitler's New Disorder: The Second World War in Yugoslavia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. p. 289
  5. (Vesović & Nikolić 1996, p. 67):"Ж. Топаловић је чак предлагао да Босна буде четврта федерална јединица, али су се томе оштро противили Д. ... Мољевић је био и против стварања нове политичке организације - ЈДНЗ - инсистирао је на проширењу Централног нацио- налног комитета и да конгрес у селу Ба ..."
  6. Milovanović 1983b, p. 213-214.
  7. Randelić, Zdenko (2006). Hrvatska u Jugoslaviji 1945. – 1991: od zajedništva do razlaza. Zagreb: Školska knjiga. pp. 156–157. ISBN 953-0-60816-0. 978-953-0-60816-0.

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