Bogdan Žerajić ( sr-Cyrl, Богдан Жерајић; 1 February 1886 – 15 June 1910) was a
Hercegovinian Serb student of the
Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb.
In 1910, he attempted to assassinate General
Marijan Varešanin
Marijan Varešanin von Varesch (1 February 1847 – 22 April 1917) was a Croatian nobleman and general in the Habsburg monarchy imperial army service. He was the governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1909 to 1911.
Life
Varešanin was born in ...
, the
governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina fell under Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878, when the Congress of Berlin approved the occupation of the Bosnia Vilayet, which officially remained part of the Ottoman Empire. Three decades later, in 1908, Aus ...
, on the opening day of the Austro-Hungarian
Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Parlamentarna skupština Bosne i Hercegovine, Парламентарна скупштина Босне и Херцеговине, separator=" / ") is the bicameral legislative ...
since he believed it to be illegal and illegitimate. His attempt was his own initiative as an act of personal revolt against
Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Žerajić was the first in Bosnia and Herzegovina to pursue
tyrannicide
Tyrannicide is the killing or assassination of a tyrant or unjust ruler, purportedly for the common good,
and usually by one of the tyrant's subjects. Tyrannicide was legally permitted and encouraged in the Classical period. Often, the term tyra ...
as a method of political struggle. His act had great impact on the youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the official press in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
and
Belgrade generally referred to it as an act of a disturbed lunatic, which was also generally the view of the older generation of Sarajevo
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
.
Secret societies and tyrannicide
Žerajić and Špiro Soldo were leaders of the secret society "Freedom" ( sr, Слобода) established in 1905/1906.
Žerajić's friendship with
Vladimir Gaćinović
Vladimir Gaćinović ( sr-cyr, Владимир Владо Гаћиновић; 25 May 1890 – 11 August 1917) was a Bosnian Serb essayist and revolutionary in Austria-Hungary. He was one of the leaders and organizers of the secret cells of the r ...
and his attempted assassination of Varešanin also inspired the members of the revolutionary movement
Young Bosnia
Young Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Mlada Bosna, Млада Босна) was a separatist and revolutionary movement active in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary before World War I. Its members were predominantly ...
, including
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip ( sr-Cyrl, Гаврило Принцип, ; 25 July 189428 April 1918) was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Pr ...
. Gaćinović was the real ideologue of the revolutionary movement
Young Bosnia
Young Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Mlada Bosna, Млада Босна) was a separatist and revolutionary movement active in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary before World War I. Its members were predominantly ...
and advocated
tyrannicide
Tyrannicide is the killing or assassination of a tyrant or unjust ruler, purportedly for the common good,
and usually by one of the tyrant's subjects. Tyrannicide was legally permitted and encouraged in the Classical period. Often, the term tyra ...
as a method of political struggle.
Some authors, including
Vladimir Dedijer
Vladimir Dedijer ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир Дедијер; 4 February 1914 – 30 November 1990) was a Yugoslav partisan fighter during World War II who became known as a politician, human rights activist, and historian. In the early postwar ye ...
, emphasise that the basis for this method of political struggle is the cult of "Kosovo tyrannicide".
Žerajić was first to apply that method in the practice. When
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
visited
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
on 3 June 1910, Žerajić had the intention to attempt his assassination during his visit to Mostar but changed his mind for an unknown reason.
Attempted assassination of Varešanin
Žerajić decided to assassinate General
Marijan Varešanin
Marijan Varešanin von Varesch (1 February 1847 – 22 April 1917) was a Croatian nobleman and general in the Habsburg monarchy imperial army service. He was the governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1909 to 1911.
Life
Varešanin was born in ...
, the
governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina fell under Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878, when the Congress of Berlin approved the occupation of the Bosnia Vilayet, which officially remained part of the Ottoman Empire. Three decades later, in 1908, Aus ...
, after an article written by
Risto Radulović, who argued against dispiritedness in the public life of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In his article, Radulović explained that he did not see glorious moments of the nation or a single tragedy, which he believed to be was necessary to temper the struggle. When Žerajić read those words he yelled, "There will be a tragedy!"
On 15 June 1910, Žerajić attempted to assassinate Varešanin on the day of opening of the Austro-Hungarian
Diet of Bosnia
The Diet of Bosnia and Herzegovina (''Bosansko-hercegovački sabor'' or ''Sabor Bosne i Hercegovine'', german: Landtag, links=no von Bosnien und der Hercegovina), was a representative assembly with competence over the Austro-Hungarian Condominium ...
because he believed it was illegal and illegitimate. He shot at Varešanin five times and missed. With his last, sixth, bullet Žerajić killed himself. Before he died, he said that he expected
Serbdom
Serbian nationalism asserts that Serbs are a nation and promotes the cultural and political unity of Serbs. It is an ethnic nationalism, originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, und ...
to avenge his death.
His action brought Young Bosnia to the public attention.
Aftermath
Žerajić's assassination attempt had a significant influence on youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A new revolutionary circles were established in Sarajevo, Mostar, Tuzla and Banja Luka.
An evening before the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range whil ...
,
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip ( sr-Cyrl, Гаврило Принцип, ; 25 July 189428 April 1918) was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Pr ...
, Čabrinović and Ilić visited the grave of Žerajić for the last time. Žerajić's proclamation "He who wants to live, let him die. He who wants to die, let him live", was quoted by
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip ( sr-Cyrl, Гаврило Принцип, ; 25 July 189428 April 1918) was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Pr ...
in one of the songs he wrote ( sr, Ал право је рекао пре Жерајић, соко сиви: Ко хоће да живи, нек мре, Ко хоће да мре, нек живи).
The official press in Bosnia and Herzegovina and most of the newspapers from Serbia described Žerajićs attempt as the action of a disturbed maniac. The older generation of Serbs in Sarajevo had a similar position.
Citations
General sources
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zerajic, Bogdan
1886 births
1910 deaths
1910 suicides
Anarchist assassins
Bosnian anarchists
Burials at Holy Archangels Cemetery, Sarajevo
People from Nevesinje
Serb nationalist assassins
Serbian nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian nationalists
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Young Bosnia
Suicides by firearm in Bosnia and Herzegovina