Vladimir Velebit
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2022) |
Vladimir "Vlatko" Velebit,
Among his notable post-
Early life and education
Born in Zadar, Austria-Hungary to Serbian father Ljubomir Velebit and Slovenian-Croatian mother Olga Šeme, Vladimir's family had a long military tradition. His father Ljubomir was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, fighting on the Russian front during World War I and later becoming brigadier-general in the Royal Yugoslav Army, while Vladimir's paternal grandfather Dušan Velebit was a general in the Austrian Army who married Elisabeth Marno von Eichenhorst, daughter of another Austrian general Adolf Marno von Eichenhorst. Even Vladimir's great grandfather Ilija Velebit was an officer in the Austrian army.
His male ancestors were Serbs originating from the village of
Velebit began his formal education in
He started studies at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Law and then went to Paris for specialization, before returning to Zagreb to graduate in 1931. He earned his PhD two years later in 1933 from the same university.
Legal career and communist activities on the side
After passing the lawyer's and judge's exams, Velebit began working as legal assistant at the District Court in
By 1937 Velebit had enough of being a judge, and moved to Zagreb where he established a law practice. Already deeply involved with the communists, in parallel with his legal practice he became a courier for the underground movement. Due to the nature of his job and a considerable network of professional connections, he was perfectly suitable for carrying messages to foreign countries. On one of those trips to
World War II
Following
During March 1942 Velebit left Zagreb and joined the
In June 1943, Velebit became the point of contact for foreign military missions in their dealings with the Partisans. Following the death of
Post-war diplomatic career
Right after the end of World War II Velebit continued his diplomatic activity.
In the
In March 1948, after Soviet accusation that he was a British spy, Velebit was forced into resigning his post at the Yugoslav Foreign Affairs Ministry and got moved to the Tourist and Service Industry Committee. During the 1948 Cominform resolution and the fallout of subsequent Tito–Stalin split, Velebit was on more than one occasion cited by the Soviets as a spy who works for the British.
In 1951, Velebit became Yugoslav ambassador to Italy, while a year later he got the same job in the United Kingdom. During March 1953, he prepared Tito's first official state visit to a Western country. Tito thus became the first communist leader to visit the UK.
In 1960, on invitation from the
In the early 1990s during the Yugoslav breakup and the beginning stages of the Yugoslav Wars, Velebit moved from London to Zagreb due to nationalist threats. Once back he divided his time between Zagreb and Mali Lošinj.
In 1992, Velebit was a contributor for the Radio Television of Serbia documentary series entitled Yugoslavia in War 1941–1945.
During retirement he wrote two books 1983's Sećanja (Memories) and 2002's Tajne i zamke Drugog svetskog rata (World War II's Secrets and Traps).
He died on 29 August 2004 at the Rebro clinical center in Zagreb. He was buried at the city's Mirogoj Cemetery on 3 September 2004.
Vladimir Velebit is mentioned in the 2009 book A Rat Hole to be Watched by American historian Coleman Armstrong Mehta as the point of contact between
Personal
Velebit married Vera Becić, a woman of Croatian ethnicity, the daughter of Croatian painter Vladimir Becić. They had two sons: Vladimir Jr. and Dušan.
See also
References
- ^ Tito prodao Amerikancima tajne ruskog aviona; Blic, 21 November 2010
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
