Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.32004/k.51.1-2.3
HRVATSKA SELJAČKA ZAŠTITA (CROATIAN PEASANT DEFENCE) ACTIVITIES IN THE SAMOBOR AREA DURING THE BANOVINA HRVATSKA PERIOD (1939 – 1941)
Danijel Vojak
orcid.org/0000-0003-2545-2225
; Institut društvenih znanosti
Sažetak
SUMMARY
In the 1930s, Hrvatska seljačka stranka, HSS (Croatian Peasant Party) lead by Vladko Maček, enforced itself as the political leader in the Croatian territories of Kraljevina Jugoslavija. One of its political anchorages („strongholds“) was certainly the Samobor district area where its political opponents were fully suppressed. HSS's political activity was through special organizations (such as Gospodarska sloga and Seljačka sloga), aimed at promoting economical and social (educational) development of the Croatian people. However, in order for the HSS leadership to be able to act more extensively in the political sense, Hrvatska seljačka zaštita (Croatian Peasant Defence) was established in the mid-1930s as a semi-military organization with the task to protect them, but also to protect the population from the violence of the state repressive authorities, especially Žandarmerija (military police). Hrvatska seljačka zaštita operated illegally before Banovina Hrvatska was constituted, and it was significantly supported and politically protected by the HSS leadership. However, after the state's establishment at the end of August, 1939, Hrvatska seljačka zaštita soon became a legal organization, and conducted an increasing number of police actions. This paper's research work was aimed at demonstrating the practice of Hrvatska seljačka zaštita (HSZ) in the Samobor area, but it has also shown how its activities were extended after Banovina Hrvatska was established through organizing Hrvatska građanska zaštita (Croatian Civil Defence) in Samobor, as well as Pomladak Zaštite (Hrvatska seljačka zaštita's Youth Organization). According to available data, the number of Samobor's Zaštitars (members of Hrvatska seljačka zaštita) varied between 1,000 and 2,000. Furthermore, the research has shown that the majority of Samobor's population was supporting Hrvatska seljačka zaštita's activities, either by actively taking part in its work, or by supporting it financially and helping it in other ways. Hrvatska seljačka zaštita was thus also financed by organizing public (entertainment) shows. Cases of Hrvatska seljačka zaštita's violence over political opponents were evidenced in the Samobor area, as well as in other Banovina Hrvatska areas, by which it was gradually turning into a violent and repressive organization. It was namely during the turning point days in April, 1941 that the Samobor area's Hrvatska seljačka zaštita helped overthrow the Yugoslavian authorities and helped in the arrival of the new Ustasha authorities, especially by disarming the Yugoslavian army and by maintaining peace and order in those crucial moments. Samobor's Hrvatska seljačka zaštita shared the fate of Hrvatska seljačka zaštita in NDH (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska), meaning that it was banned, and a part of its members publicly joined the Ustasha regime. Thus ended an organization that had acquired significant support from the Samobor population in a very short period of time.
Ključne riječi
Samobor; Banovina Hrvatska; Nezavisna Država Hrvatska; Hrvatska seljačka zaštita (Croatian Peasant Defence), Hrvatska građanska zaštita (Croatian Civil Defence); Hrvatska seljačka stranka (Croatian Peasant Party)
Hrčak ID:
204966
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.6.2018.
Posjeta: 1.616 *