People's Radical Party
Encyclopedia
The People's Radical Party (Serbian
: Народна радикална странка, Narodna radikalna stranka) of Serbia
was a political party formed on January 8, 1881, which was active in the Kingdom of Serbia
and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1881, the party published its program in the paper Samouprava.
The founding of the party was related to the circle of Serbian youth followers of Svetozar Marković
and Nikola Pašić
. The leaders of this group formed a political programme in which they called for:
The first chief assembly of the People's Radical Party was in July 1882 in Kragujevac
. At this assembly, the Radical's program was formed, and for the president of the head committee Nikola Pašić was selected. At this point the party had its own publication which was critical of the ruling monarchy.
In September 1883, the Timok rebellion broke out when king Milan Obrenović
declared that peasants' arms should be confiscated by the army. The king charged the radicals that with their article Disarmament of the peoples' army in Samouprava, they had encouraged the peasants to refuse to give up their weapons.
The rebellion was set down in ten days. Most of the People's Radical Party's head committee were captured in the aftermath, apart from Pašić himself and a few others who escaped to Bulgaria
. The regime sentenced many of these Radicals to death, including those who were in absentia. However, after some time, an amnesty was given to certain Radicals who made an agreement to enter into his government in 1887.
The Radicals formed their own constitution in 1888 which carried on with their originally established programme. Parliamentary rule was introduced, rights were guaranteed as well as the freedom of citizens and local self-government.
From the People's Radical Party separated the Independent Radical Party led by Ljubomir Stojanović
which later became the Democratic Party.
After the Karađorđević's came to the throne, a single national assembly was introduced. Serbia became a parliamentary and constitutional monarchy. Pašić formed a government and began the Radicals' reforms of the nation.
The Radical government led Serbia through the First World War. An organisation known as the Yugoslav Committee
signed the Corfu Declaration
in 1917 with Pašić, which called for the formation of a South Slavic
state. After the war, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
was formed from lands previously part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the Croatian Parliament and others. However, the State did not last long as Prince Alexander
, citing the Corfu Declaration, declared the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. (The Croatian Parliament voted to incorporate itself into the People's Assembly of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and was represented by it henceforth. The representatives of the People's Assembly agreed to merge with the Kingdom of Serbia.)
While nominally a multi-ethnic state, the Kingdom's prime ministers from 1918 to 1928 were exclusively Serbian with the People's Radical Party holding the prime ministry for eight of those years. In the National Assembly, outdated electoral rules and Yugoslav police actions against opponents of the regime favoured the Radical Party. For example, in the 1923 elections the party received a quarter of the kingdom's vote, but due to census results dating from 1910, Serbia was assigned a greater representation and the Radical Party took just over a third of the Assembly's seats.
After Pašić's death in 1926, Aca Stanojević became the party's president. In 1929, King Alexander declared a dictatorship banning the People's Radical Party and others. One part of the party entered into Alexander's government, while Stanojević called for the end of the dictatorship and the return to parliamentary and local self-government.
The party was restored in the 1930s.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Народна радикална странка, Narodna radikalna stranka) of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
was a political party formed on January 8, 1881, which was active in the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1881, the party published its program in the paper Samouprava.
The founding of the party was related to the circle of Serbian youth followers of Svetozar Marković
Svetozar Markovic
Svetozar Marković was an influential Serbian political activist and literary critic. He developed an activistic anthropological philosophy with a definite program of social change.-Early life:...
and Nikola Pašić
Nikola Pašic
Nikola P. Pašić was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat, the most important Serbian political figure for almost 40 years, leader of the People's Radical Party who, among other posts, was twice a mayor of Belgrade...
. The leaders of this group formed a political programme in which they called for:
- a change in constitution
- free press and open politics
- judicial independence
- reform of the education system
- local self-government
The first chief assembly of the People's Radical Party was in July 1882 in Kragujevac
Kragujevac
Kragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
. At this assembly, the Radical's program was formed, and for the president of the head committee Nikola Pašić was selected. At this point the party had its own publication which was critical of the ruling monarchy.
In September 1883, the Timok rebellion broke out when king Milan Obrenović
Milan Obrenovic IV
Milan Obrenović was a Serbian monarch reigning as Prince Milan IV of Serbia from 1868 to 1882 and King Milan I of Serbia from 1882 to 1889.-Early years:...
declared that peasants' arms should be confiscated by the army. The king charged the radicals that with their article Disarmament of the peoples' army in Samouprava, they had encouraged the peasants to refuse to give up their weapons.
The rebellion was set down in ten days. Most of the People's Radical Party's head committee were captured in the aftermath, apart from Pašić himself and a few others who escaped to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The regime sentenced many of these Radicals to death, including those who were in absentia. However, after some time, an amnesty was given to certain Radicals who made an agreement to enter into his government in 1887.
The Radicals formed their own constitution in 1888 which carried on with their originally established programme. Parliamentary rule was introduced, rights were guaranteed as well as the freedom of citizens and local self-government.
From the People's Radical Party separated the Independent Radical Party led by Ljubomir Stojanović
Ljubomir Stojanović
Ljubomir Stojanović was Serbian statesman, politician, philologist and academic.-Biography:...
which later became the Democratic Party.
After the Karađorđević's came to the throne, a single national assembly was introduced. Serbia became a parliamentary and constitutional monarchy. Pašić formed a government and began the Radicals' reforms of the nation.
The Radical government led Serbia through the First World War. An organisation known as the Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee was a political interest group formed by South Slavs from Austria-Hungary during World War I aimed at joining the existing south Slavic nations in an independent state.Founding members included:* Frano Supilo* Ante Trumbić...
signed the Corfu Declaration
Corfu Declaration
The Corfu Declaration is the agreement that made the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia possible. In 1916, the Serbian Parliament in exile decided the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia at a meeting inside the Municipal Theatre of Corfu, Greece...
in 1917 with Pašić, which called for the formation of a South Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
state. After the war, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
was formed from lands previously part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the Croatian Parliament and others. However, the State did not last long as Prince Alexander
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
, citing the Corfu Declaration, declared the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. (The Croatian Parliament voted to incorporate itself into the People's Assembly of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and was represented by it henceforth. The representatives of the People's Assembly agreed to merge with the Kingdom of Serbia.)
While nominally a multi-ethnic state, the Kingdom's prime ministers from 1918 to 1928 were exclusively Serbian with the People's Radical Party holding the prime ministry for eight of those years. In the National Assembly, outdated electoral rules and Yugoslav police actions against opponents of the regime favoured the Radical Party. For example, in the 1923 elections the party received a quarter of the kingdom's vote, but due to census results dating from 1910, Serbia was assigned a greater representation and the Radical Party took just over a third of the Assembly's seats.
After Pašić's death in 1926, Aca Stanojević became the party's president. In 1929, King Alexander declared a dictatorship banning the People's Radical Party and others. One part of the party entered into Alexander's government, while Stanojević called for the end of the dictatorship and the return to parliamentary and local self-government.
The party was restored in the 1930s.