The National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia ( sh, Nacionalni komitet oslobođenja Jugoslavije, sl, Nacionalni komite osvoboditve Jugoslavije, NKOJ), also known as the Yugoslav Committee of National Liberation, was the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
provisional executive body of the
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, also known as Democratic Federative Yugoslavia (DF Yugoslavia or DFY), was a provisional state established during World War II on 29 November 1943 through the Second Session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the Nation ...
, established on 29 November 1943 by the
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
, a
resistance movement
A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...
and military arm of the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
, led by
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
; in opposition to the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
-based
Yugoslav government-in-exile
The Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Exile ( sh, Vlada Kraljevine Jugoslavije u egzilu / Влада Краљевине Југославије у егзилу) was an official government of Yugoslavia, headed by King Peter II. It evacu ...
, headed by King
Peter II.
History
The Committee was elected by Tito's
(AVNOJ), the provisional legislative body, during its second
session (29–30 November 1943), in
Jajce
Jajce (Јајце) is a town and municipality located in the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 7,172 inhabitants, with ...
. The Committee consisted of the President, three Vice-Presidents and the required number of Trustees, and for his work fit the AVNOJ and the Presidency of AVNOJ, which is appointed by its members.
During the same session, on 30 November 1943, the AVNOJ also appointed
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
as Prime Minister.
The Committee pursued the liberation in hard conditions of life, supplying the armies with many difficulties and facing the consequences of war and death on devastated battlefields, with a poor economy, and problematic foreign affairs related to the international recognition of communist Yugoslavia.
The Committee seat was in Drvar until May 1944, in Vis from May to October 1944, and then in Belgrade.
On 7 March 1945, following an agreement with the Yugoslav government-in-exile (
Tito–Šubašić Agreements
The Tito–Šubašić Agreements ( sh, sporazumi Tito-Šubašić) are the result of a series of negotiations conducted by the leader of the Yugoslav Partisans, Josip Broz Tito, and the prime minister of the Yugoslav government-in-exile, Ivan ...
), the Committee was lifted and a new
Yugoslav provisional government was formed, with Tito still as Prime Minister.
Cabinet
The following list is based on the work ''Tito and His People'' by
Howard Fast
Howard Melvin Fast (November 11, 1914 – March 12, 2003) was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E.V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson.
Biography Early life
Fast was born in New York City. His mother, ...
.
Presidency
Commissioners
*
Josip Smodlaka
Josip Smodlaka (; 9 November 1869 – 31 May 1956) was an Austrian, Yugoslav and Croatian politician who served two brief terms as Mayor of Split
The Mayor of the City of Split ( hr, Gradonačelnik Grada Splita), colloquially the ''Potešta ...
, for Foreign Affairs
*
Vlada Zečević
Vladimir "Vlada" Zečević ( Serbian- Cyrillic: Владимир Влада Зечевић; 21 March 1903 ( OS), in Loznica – 26 October 1970, in Belgrade) was a Serbian Orthodox priest and later a member of the League of Communists of Yugos ...
, for Internal Affairs
*
Ivan Milutinović
Ivan Milutinović (nickname Milutin; sr-cyr, Иван Милутиновић; 27 September 1901 – 23 October 1944) was a Yugoslav Partisan general and an eminent military commander who participated in World War II.
Before the war
In October ...
, for Agriculture
*
Dušan Sernec, for Finance
*
Sreten Žujović
Sreten Žujović ( sr-cyr, Сретен Жујовић; 24 June 1899 – 11 June 1976) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and veteran of World War I and long-time communist.
Biography
He was born into a wealthy family, and was a Serb by nation ...
, for Transport
*
Milivoje Jambrišak, for Public Health (until 10 December 1943)
*
Zlatan Sremec
Zlatan ( sr-Cyrl, Златан) is a male given name of Slavic origin meaning ''Golden''. The name is common amongst all South Slavic countries, namely in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia. The name is found i ...
, for Public Health (since 10 December 1943)
*
Todor Vujasinović, for Economic Reconstruction
*
Anton Kržišnik, for Social Affairs (''Social Welfare'')
*
Frane Frol
Frane Frol (9 March 1899 – 5 June 1989) was a lawyer and Croatian and Yugoslavian politician. He was a member of the Croatian Peasant Party (''Hrvatska seljačka stranka'', HSS) and the group that split from the party known as the Croatian Repu ...
, for Justice
*
Mile Peruničić, for Supplies
*
Rade Pribićević, for Public Works (''Buildings'')
*
Sulejman Filipović, for Forests and Mines (''Forestry'')
*
Andrija Hebrang, for Trade and Industry (since 31 October 1944)
; Others
*
Edvard Kocbek
Edvard Kocbek () (27 September 1904 – 3 November 1981) was a Slovenian poet, writer, essayist, translator, member of Christian Socialists in the Liberation Front of the Slovene Nation and Slovene Partisans. He is considered one of the best au ...
, for Slovenia, and for Education
*
Emanuel Čučkov, for Agriculture
*
Nikola Petrović, for Trade and Supply
As the war didn't allow all members to be in session, the Presidency appointed the following Deputy Commissioners:
*
Vladimir Bakarić
Vladimir Bakarić (; 8 March 1912 – 16 January 1983) was a Yugoslav and Croatian communist revolutionary and a politician.
Bakarić helped to organise the partisan resistance in the Independent State of Croatia during World War II. From 1948 ...
, for Foreign Affairs
* Ivan Milutinović (Agriculture), for Finance/Economy
* Sreten Žujović (Transport), for Buildings
* Todor Vujasinović (Economic Reconstruction), for Food
* Edward Kocbek (Slovenia/Education), for Social Affairs
References
Bibliography
*
* {{cite book
, editor-first= Moša
, editor-last= Pijade
, editor-link= Moša Pijade
, title= Прво и друго заседање Антифашистичког већа народног ослобођења Југославије (26 и 27 новембра 1942, 29 и 30 новембра 1943) по стенографским белешкама и другим изворима
, language= Serbian
, trans-title= The First and the Second Sessions of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (26–27 November 1942, 29–30 November 1943) According to Shorthand Records and Other Sources
, location= Belgrade
, publisher= Presidium of the National Assembly of the Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia
, year= 1953
, oclc= 632104149
Yugoslav Partisans
Yugoslav Resistance
Yugoslavia in World War II
Vis (island)
History of Jajce