Poglavnik

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Poglavnik of the Independent State of Croatia
Poglavnik's Palace
AppointerUstaše
Formation10 April 1941
(de facto)
2 September 1943
(de jure)
Abolished8 May 1945
Dictionary of Fausto Veranzio (Faust Vrančić) named Dictionarium quinque linguarum, published in 1595, mentions word Poglavnik as "Dalmatinian" word (5th from top in 4th column)

Poglavnik (pronounced [pǒɡlaːʋniːk]) is a Serbo-Croatian word meaning "leader" or "guide".

As a political title, it is strongly associated with

Axis occupied Yugoslavia by the authorities of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
, between 1941 and 1945.

Etymology and usage

The word was first recorded in a 16th-century dictionary compiled by Fausto Veranzio[1] as a Serbo-Croatian term for the Latin word princeps.[1]

According to Vladimir Anić's Rječnik hrvatskoga jezika (Croatian Dictionary) and the Croatian Encyclopedic Dictionary the word comes from the adjective form poglavit, which can be loosely translated as 'first and foremost' or 'respectable, noble, honorable'. The adjective is in turn a compound of the Croatian prefix po- and the Proto-Slavic word stem glava 'head'.

Because it was used by the fascist regime, the title (which had originally meant "head" or "chief" but was rarely used before the 1930s) is never used today in its original sense as it became synonymous with Pavelić and took on negative connotations after World War II.[2]

Other etymologically closely related words used in modern Croatian are "poglavar" (translated as "head of state" or "chief", used for heads of state) and "poglavica" (translated as "chief", in the sense of tribal leader).

Political role and context

Ante Pavelić first began using the title of "Poglavnik" when it was prescribed as the official title for the supreme leader of the

armed struggle at the time when Croatia was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
.

Following the 1941

initialism NDH), the title continued to be used for Pavelić, and its meaning was taken to have evolved into "the supreme leader". The title is therefore usually compared and considered equivalent to other titles of ethno-political leadership used at the time such as Führer (used by Adolf Hitler, which was itself modeled after Benito Mussolini's title Duce). As a result, "Poglavnik" is sometimes translated as "Führer" in English-language sources.[3]

Legally, the exact role of the person carrying the title and its function were never officially stipulated in the constitution or in any other piece of legislation passed during NDH's existence. From May 1941 to October 1943 NDH attemped to be a kingdom and Ante Pavelić

Mussolini on 25 July 1943, Aimone abdicated on 31 July as king on the orders of Victor Emmanuel III
.

Following Italy's exit from World War II in September 1943, Pavelić took on the role equivalent to head of state, while Nikola Mandić was officially appointed Prime Minister of NDH. Thus, from September 1943 until the state's dissolution on 8 May 1945, the title can be taken to mean Head of State.

Regardless of the official role of the title, Pavelić had unlimited authority to pass decrees and appoint government ministers throughout the existence of NDH. Since the state ceased to exist in 1945, the title was never claimed by any successor. It continued to be used informally as a nickname for Pavelić during his post-war exile until his death in Madrid in 1959, and has become synonymous with him ever since.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.hrcak.srce.hr/file/95656 Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine (in Croatian)
  2. ^ "poglavnik". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  3. OCLC 664122357. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2011-05-23.
  4. ^ Hrvatski Narod (newspaper)16.05.1941. no. 93. p.1.,Public proclamation of theZakonska odredba o kruni Zvonimirovoj (Decrees on the crown of Zvonimir), tri članka donesena 15.05.1941.
  5. ^ Die Krone Zvonimirs, Monatshefte fur Auswartige Politik, Heft 6(1941)p.434.
  6. ^ Sainty, Guy Stair. "Royal House of Italy". European royal houses.
  7. ^ Hrvoje Matković, Designirani hrvatski kralj Tomislav II. vojvoda od Spoleta. Povijest hrvatskotalijanskih odnosa u prvoj polovici XX.st. (Designated Croatian king Tomislav II. Duke of Spoleto. History of Croatian-Italian relationships in first half of the 20th century), Zagreb 2007.
  8. ^ Avramov, Smilja (1995). Genocide in Yugoslavia. p. 238.
  9. ^ Lemkin, Raphael (2008). Independent State of Croatia. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. pp. 252–56.
  10. Victor Emmanuel and Benito Mussolini, in which he told them that the question of Dalmatia, 'a land that could never be Italianized', was an obstacle against any reconciliation with the Croats. Never, he declared, would he agree to be a king of a nation amputated from Italy." [1]
    .
  11. ^ Pavlowitch, Stevan K.; Hitler's new disorder: the Second World War in Yugoslavia; p.289; Columbia University Press, 2008 0-231-70050-4 [2]
  12. ISBN 027595238X
    . The duke agreed to accept the throne and became King Tomislav II of Croatia
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