THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE'S COUNCILS IN YUGOSLAVIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700100359-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 359
• Publication Date: January 31, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/25 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700100359-1
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
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" CLASSIFICATIO~N-~tRTTESYYTci~NNIFFCT_ED ppNN
CENTRAL S~IGEruCEORIC~ACY
INFORMATION FROM
Yugoslavia
Political - Government organization
Economic -Organization
Baudbook and monthly periodical
,e ,~.~ rez National Liberation council was organized in Don,Ji Lapac.
in September 1941, and an extenal?re network ;,f national liberation counclls
watt organize3 1r. the uraibezated areas of Croatia, which mobilized the masses
of the people for armed atrsgg;.e against the er-up?tior,.
The network of nutienal liberation councils ?_ontinued to grow during 1942.
BY the middle of 1942, De.lmatia alone had 10 erez, 50 municipality, and ever
500 local (mesni} rational liberation councils. National liberation councils,
mostly village councils, were eetabilahed Sn most of Istria in the spring of
1942 and the Initiatory (Inicl,7aLlvni) National Iaberation Council was eatabllshed
Sn Fula. In gpzil 1y41 in Sloven l8, field (terenakih) councils of the National
theeestabllshmenthof the enatiooelmliberation ocuaclls,libezated srezes prior to
Supreme plenum of the Liberation Front of the Slovenisa PeoplOeSwaseIDeorganizedthe
into the Slovenian National Liberation Front, and issued a
the organization of the national liberation struggle and onn~eer of decrees on
In the spring of 1942, when the naLloral liberation battle flared uplinsSlovenlatY?
and liberated are~o were organized, the Executive Council of the Liberation Front
Sssued an order on 17 May that the Reid councils were to be in charge,
Zn Bosnia, the first national liberation counr_lls were established in i.lher_
ated terrltn.-y in 1o4i, the first: council being o:ganl2ed 1r, Skolac on 15 Sep-
tember.
In 1941, a number of national liberation ccurciis, mostly village and mu-
nicipality councils, were orgar.lzed in Montenegro. The National Tiberation
Council of Montenegro and Boka way elected by the Fa:ia Asaemblp in Ostrog in
February 1942. It issued a number of decieiona en the problem of organizing
the people's authority and the tasks facing the people an3 the organs of the
people's authority, such as assistance for the army, organization of the economy,
and the like.
In Mscedonia, the national lther;,tion struggle atazted in 1941 and the
first national liberation council was organized in Debar by the Macedonians
and Albanians. The council's activity consi=_ted of distributing propaganda
material, expaeding the ozganization, collecting assistance, and the like.
National liberation councils were organized in oiher
1942 in spite of the nationalist chauvinist eativitieP of sBojan~Balgaranov,ing
delegate of the Central Committee of the BRP (Bulgarian Revolutionary Party),
who tried to prevent the oi?ganizution of nations.l liberation eotincils and
proposed the organization of so-eal].ed national (nacionaini) councils.
STAT
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The first national liberation councils in the Vojvodina were organized
in the spring of 1942. In the stumner, arez national liberation councils were
organized in Rums, Mitrovica, and Pazovo and the Okrug National Liberation
Council was organized in Srem. Zn the same year, village national liberation
councils ~.zre organized in Silbaa, TuriJa, and other places Sn the Backe area.
in Kosovo Metohi~a Oblast, the organization of natioral liberation councils
started in 1441, Delegates frog all parts of the oblast met in December 1943
and organized the National Libezation Council of Kosovo-i~tohi~a.
A network of national liberation councils was organized in the Sandzak as
early as 1941, A arez national liberatior. council was organized in Nova Varos.
In the ftrat year of the uprising, the national llberation councils were
aL eady beginning to be the organs of the people's authority with'eolid roots
in many parts of the co?,u:try.
The First Central Rations on National Liberation Councils
In February 1942 in liberated Foca, the Supreme Coa~and isar.ed two docu-
ments entitled The Tasks and Organ?za+.SOn of National Liberation Councils, and
Explanations and Inatrvetione for National Lioeration Councils in Liberated Areas.
The counoll continued to develop along the principles outlined in these docu-
?eente ea followa~
1. National liberation councils are to exercise all the funetiona of the
people's authority except those belonging to the military organs.
~. T"ne councils are to take measures to activate and organize all the
people in the struggle against the occupation and sgai~st domestic traitors.
3? Stipulated measures are to be taken by the councils to supply the
National Liberation Army with foo3 and other necessities.
4, Stress is to be placed on cooperation vith the military organs in
pursuing spies, saboteurs, traitors, and the like; taking action against
thievery and looting; and set ;ling minor disputes among the citizenry, and
the like.
S. Special attention is to be given to providing for the wei.?are of
the citizenry and of refugees, administering the economy, and setting up
national liberation funds.
6. Stipulated proc.edurea are to be followed in the election oP national
liberation councils. Conferences of delegates from lower ranking national
llberation councils in areas concerned are to elect members of higher-ranking
councils.
Detailed information wen presented in the documents mentioned on the
organization of village, municipality, and arez councils, and on the pro-
cedures for electing the various types of councils. The documents pointed
out that the National Liberation Front wys the most important strong con-
nection between the front and the rear areas, and that the National Liberation
A_^my was to be supp),led Through donations, requisitions, and confiscation of
enemy property. The documents discussed the people's' enemies and pointed
out that all buildings and property pertaining to railroads, mince, roads,
factories, and shops working for the army were to be under military adminis-
tration.
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These documents contained the basic principles for the organization of
the people's authority, auch as the election of councils, their responeibliity
an3tthepri ht'opheir unified authority, their autono~y, equal rights for women,
B persona over .8 to vote.
The Development oP the National Liberation Counc:ile From Tem or
Permanent Urgaas ~ary_Into
7n mid-.1942, after the Supreme Comman6 and moat of the National Liberation
At'~Y had arrived in Boeaneka Kra~ina and had coordinated the uprising in Bosnia,
Like, Kordua, and Dalmatia, the liberated territory stretched from Glina to
Podgora. The people's authority was firmly organized in this area. The Tcmpo_
rary Administrative ~oPlenso8uhhe Supreme Command directed the organization
and the xork of the horny until the AVNOJ (Anti-Fascist National
Liberation Council of Yugoslavia) was established. In addition, there were
three areas which were not directly connected with this central liberated
territory; namely, Zvmberak, and the Papua and Krndi,7a array in Slavonia. These
areas included 34 arezes, each of which had a national liberation council. Each
arez center was a srez and. command headquarters. In September 1942, the Supreme
Command iaeued the Decree on Electtona of National Liberation Councils and the
Deoree on Organizing Rear_'1r'ea Military Authorities. These decrees were published
in a brochure with Veselia Maslesa's article entitled "0 narodnooslobidalackih
odborlma" (on People's Liberation Councils), To accompany the brochure, Tlto
wrote a letter which represented a turning point in the organization and develop-
ment of the people's authority.
Tito's letter emphasized the following point;;
1? The nations]. liberation councils and the military rear-area aut.-~oritiee
are to remain organs of the people's authority.
2. The character c: the national liberation councils is to be changed,
but they are to continue to serve ae transitional organs oP the people's
authority.
3? The transitional character of the national liberation councils is to
be only ancther phase in their developmea*. toward a higher phase.
4. The former forms of authority are finished, for the national liberation
councils are the seed from which the future government is to be developed.
The Aa_ t_ i~Fasclst National Liberation Council of Y oslavia
The people's uprising in 1942, the liberation of lar e
part of Yugoslavia, the organization of the National Liberation ~ the central
transformation of national liberation councils from to ~' and the
organs of authority created the neceaeary setts mporary ~tO Permanent
AVNOJ. ng for the organization of the
Since it had become impossible for the Supreme Command to continue direct- ,
ing political, administrative, and economic activities throughout auch a large
area, the Founding Assembly of the National Liberation Front was convened and
the AVNOJ wsa elected as the highest political organ.
The resolution oa the establishment of the AVNOJ emphasized the following
points regarding the past work of national liberation councils.
At the beginning of the armed uprising, the national liberation councils
sPr~g up in all parts of Yugoslavia, including both liberated and unllberated
territories ea the organs of front and rear-area unity.
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As they developed, the national liberation c:o?~:ncils became organs cf the
new democratic authority and established themselves sa the exp-easion cf the
united will of the people to throw off the Fasc~.at yoke.
There was not a single village in the liberated area which did not have
a national liberation council under the direction of municipality and srez
national liberation councils. Numerous national liberation councils worked
under cover under the hardest conditions to unite and mobilize the people is
the battle against the enemy.
Thy Development of the Peo la's Authority Between the First and Second
Sessions of the A{R10J and the Establishment of the Revublic Anti-Fascist
Councils --
T'ne bast^_ political problem confronting the Exervtive Council of the
AVNOJ wan the further development of the people's authority o:' its organs,
the national liberation councils. Among the first measures was the notifi-
cation of elections for organs of the people's authority in a part of the
liberated territory. The basic economic problems vere related to trade,
Feeding the citizenry, offic!.al personnel, rents, and the like.
In January 1943 a conference of the representatives of srez and command
national liberation councils xas held, It was attended by 60 delegates repre-
sentating 30 srez, and 12 command national liberation councils. The conference
discussed the orpa~ization and strengthening of the people 'e authority, economic
problems, and the line of demarcation between the authority of national li'be--
ation councils and rear-area military organs.
The establishment of provincial (zemal~skib) organs of the national 1'_'oer-
ation movement began during .1943, es follows:
1. The founding meeting of the ZAVNOE (the Anti-Fasr.ist Pational Liber-
ation Council. of Croatia) was held on 14 June 1943,
2. Th"- _?oun3tng meeting of the Anti-Fascisc National Liberation Council
of Bonnie-Herzegovina was held on 26 November 1943. The Anti-Fascist National
Liberation Council of Montenegro and Boka vas established at Kolas in in mid-
Novcmber 1943,
3. The Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council of the Sandzak was
organized in November 1943,
4. On 3 October 1943 at Kocevl1e, the Natiorai Liberation Council of
Slovenia was organized as the highest o:?gan of state authority in Slovenia.
5? Mscedonie established an initiatory body to organize the Anti-Fascist
National Liberation Council of Macedonia.
The first seas ion of the ZAVNOH provided s strong incentive for the de-
velopment of national liberation councils. This session issued a manual on
the work of national liberatior. councils based on the Supreme Command's decree
of September 1942. The manual was issued to achieve better organization and
work division in the councils. The following special duty sections were set
up: administrative, economic, commerce, health, social, propaganda, and
education.
Boxever, prior to the first session of t;he ZAVNOH, a number of srez, okrug,
and Oblast national liberation eotncils had been organized, including ok:rug
national liberation councils in Lika, Korduu, Bs^iia, Gorski Koter, tht Croatian
Primor~e, and Zamberak; and Oblast nationc'_ liberation councils in Hercegovina,
eastern Bosnia, and Bosanska Kra,jira.
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ResTA: _?'En
These high-level eouncila played ?. very important role in the develo
men~o
P
the people's author?t
o
~
p-
y, because liberated areas xere often the size
the resistancelsad theaorganstof the~peonle~s author itci~ xere the leaders of
and complete liberation, the national liberation councils farted organizing
the*_r administrative apparatus as followa~
1. Executive councils were act up 1n cash national liberation co~,racil
to act ae the executive and administrative organ.
2, Divisions and ser.tioas were set up in the executive councils to
act in an administrative capacity.
Such administrative machinery was well developed in the Slovenian National
Liberation CotL-rr_il, in the ZAVitOH, and in Bcania - $ercegovina.
The Second Seeaion of the AVNOJ and the Ensuing -evelopment of National
Liberatlo_`o~p~;iie '- __
The serond cession of the A'JNOJ was Geld on 29 November 1943? The po-
litical and military successes of the national liberation struggle, the suc-
cessful offensive cP the Red
movement throughout the world' the strengthening of the Anti-Fascist
favorable conditions, so that~itnwashe coliapee of Fascist T':61y created
tutional eignifir_ance, Possible to adopt decisions of consti-
now became the legal body iauvhichsstateoauthcrityawasncompletely vested~OJ
and national liberation eouncila were constituted organs of str:te authority.
The councils nax enter-ed a new phase of develo~nt charar_.terized by the
`following
1? National liberation coi.ncrls xere organized on the principle of
Soviet democra^_y; they were to be the only local organs representing the
new revolutionary state authority.
2. Frovlncia~ councils of the National Liberation Front were formed in
individual areas, except in Slovenia, where the Executive Council of the
Liberation Front had been in existence ein:e 1941. Village, municipality,
srez, okrug, and oblaat cou~ci]a of the Feople's Liberation Front were also
organized,
3? The development of cocaci~s wan directed towa:3 strengthening okrug
and oblaat councils.
4. Administrative machinery began to develop in the national liberation
councils, xith administrative, economic, education, propaganda, social, health,
ofdCros~tiecareetypicalbofnthisvphascdof ~Ye~'h 1y44 directives of the ZAVNO$
for the nrtlonal liberatiea councils to be trea~tcdtQe orgauedofestatesauthority;
for the plen?,rm and the executive councils to he separate; and for the executive
council io have sections for individual administrative se~tora.
Aaministrative machinery was not yet fully developed in srez national
liberation councils, but the okrug national liberation eouncila had created
stronger an3 better ramified administrative machinery.
developton tare basisdofetheoAVNOJ~sedecisions~oslavia?s fe2>ration began +?o
eouncila became the highest state organs, as ?ol oweProvinciel anti-Fascist
1. The National Liberat?on Council of Slovenia met in February i9L4 an3
issued a new decree on elections to national licerAticn co~rnc:ls,
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ri~szFt rcTFD
a? Thy ~ti/NON imld its third meeting is May 1944, constituted itself
the highest ;;c~gan of slat? authority ir. Croatia, a:d issued the Decree et the
Organization and F:,r.^tior, of the National Liberation Councils and Assemblies
in Croatia.
3? ThcLAV,{CBi$ (Anti-Fasc.l5t National :,iberatien Council of Poenia -
Hercegovina) held it; second meeting on 1 July 19.4 and constituted itself
the highest organ of state authority in Bosnia $ercegovina, and issued a
decree on the organization and function cf national liberation councils and
assemblies ir. Bosnia - Hercegovina,
4? The CASNO (Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council of Montenegro)
held its first meeting 3n Kolaein in July 1944,
5. The ASNOM, (Antd-Fascist National Liberation Council of
held its first meeting in quguet .1944, and constituted itself the or
state authorii in Maoedonis)
Y Macedonis. Its 1_reeidi:.im ruled on the or gan of
function of national liberation councils, on the basic of which directives
were issued on their work. ganization and
6. The Principal (Vel!ke) Antl-Fasr.ist National Liberation Assembly of
Serbia, which h