Political Thought of Stjepan Radić

Stjepan Radić rođen je u velikoj obitelji u malenom selu Trebarjevo Desno. Odrastao je u siromaštvu. Od malih nogu nije bio zadovoljan statusom Hrvatske u okvirima Austro - Ugarske. Smatrao je da svojim obrazovanjem može učiniti promjene u hrvatskoj politici. Odlučio je upisati gimnaziju u Zagrebi, iako su se njegovi roditelji protivili toj odluci, što je bila ključna odluka u njegovu životu. Tijekom srednje škole često je putovao. U srednjoj školi je prvi puta uhićen, nakon čega su se njegovi prosvjedi nastavili. Godine 1891. upisao je pravo na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu, nakon dolaska u sukobe s mađarskim vlastima i stalnim govorima protiv Khuena Hedervarya morao je napustiti sveučilište. Međutim, nakon sudjelovanja u spaljivanju mađarske trobojnice 1895. zabranjeno mu je studiranje u cijeloj Austro - Ugarskoj. Nakon odslužene zatvorske kazne otišao je studirati u Pariz, gdje je studij i završio s odličnim uspjehom. Zatim je nastavio pisati za češke novine Radikalny listi o seljaštvu te piše nekoliko brošura koje govore o seljaštvu kao najjačoj stranci u Hrvatskoj. Godine 1904. Stjepan Radić osnovao je Hrvatsku pučku seljačku stranku, a 1905. izabran je za predsjednika stranke. U početnom djelovanju stranke suprotstavljao se Hrvatsko-srpskoj koaliciji, koja je sklopila sporazum s Radićevim najvećim neprijateljima, Mađarima. Prvi veći uspjeh stranka je doživjela na izborima 1910. kada je Radić odnio pobjedu u Ludbregu i približila se vodećoj Hrvatsko - srpskoj koaliciji. U vrijeme Prvog svjetskog rata Radić je podržavao Jugoslavenski klub, bio je član Narodnog vijeća te se zalagao za osnivanje Države SHS. Međutim, nakon rata i za vrijeme okupacije talijanske i srpske vojske, Radić je upozoravao članove vijeća da iznesu zahtjeve i da pričekaju s pregovorima prije ujedinjenja s Kraljevinom Srbijom i Crnom Gorom. Predlagao je konfederalno-federalni koncept ujedinjenja, ali se to nije dogodilo. Nakon stvaranja Kraljevine SHS s dinastijom Karađorđevića na čelu, Radić se godinama borio protiv Pašića i njegova terora u Hrvatskoj. Promijenio je ime stranke u Hrvatska republikanska seljačka stranka 1920. kako bi još više naglasio želju i potrebu za slobodom, demokracijom i stvaranjem republike. HRSS je bila sve popularnija i postala vodeća stranka u Hrvatskoj. Uspio je organizirati stranke u Hrvatski blok, kako bi se lakše zajedno borili protiv unitarizma i centralizma. Stjepan Radić pokušao je u nekoliko navrata sklopiti sporazum s Pašićem, međutim zbog potpune razlike u stavovima i provođenju politike to nije bilo moguće. Pokušao je potražiti pomoć u inozemstvu. Putovao je u London, Berlin, Beč i naposljetku Moskvu, gdje je učlanio HRSS u Seljačku internacionalu. Pomoć inozemnih vlasti nažalost nije dobio, jer ih nije zanimala promjena stanja u Kraljevini SHS. Kada se vratio u Zagreb, Radić je zajedno s ostalim vrhom HRSS-a uhićen te je Obznanom zabranjen rad stranke. Stjepan Radić je 1925. pušten na slobodu kada je njegov sinovac Pavle Radić u Skupštini objavio priznanje Vidovdanskog ustava i monarhije, a ime stranke promijenjeno u Hrvatska seljačka stranka. Sve do 1927. HSS je bila dio vlade, dok nije prešla u opoziciju i sklopila koaliciju sa Samostalnom demokratskom strankom Svetozara Pribičevića. S obzirom na sve veću političku moć Stjepana Radića, velikosrpski političari su ga odlučili smaknuti s političke scene. U dogovoru s kraljem Aleksandrom Karađorđevićem odlučili su izvršiti atentat. Puniša Račić je 20. lipnja 1928. u Skupštini pucao na hrvatske zastupnike. Stjepan Radić je u pucnjavi ranjen, a 28. kolovoza 1928. preminuo je od posljedica ranjavanja.Stjepan Radić was born in a big family from a small village called Trebarjevo Desno. He grew up in poverty. Since early age, he was not content with the position that Croatia had within Austro – Hungarian. He believed that with enough education he could make a difference in the Croatian politics. He decided to go to gymnasium in Zagreb, although his parents did not support that decision. And it turned out that was the most important decision in his life. During high school he traveled a lot. In fact, the first time he was arrested he was still in high school. After that, his protests continued. In 1981. he went to law school in Zagreb. After many conflicts with the Hungarian authorities and constant talks against Khuen Hedervary he was forced to leave the University. However, after participating in the burning of the Hungarian tricolour in 1895. he was forbidden to study anywhere in the Austro – Hungarian. After serving his prison sentence he went to Paris, where he continued to study and finished his study with great success. He then countinued to write for the Chech newspapers Radikalny list about peasantry. He also wrote a couple of brochures that talked about peasantry as the strongest party in Croatia. In 1904. Stjepan Radić founded the Croatian Peasant Party, and in 1905. he was chosen to act as president of the said party. In the beginning he opposed thee Croatian – Serbian coalition, which had made an agreement with Stjepan's worst enemies, the Hungarians. The party had it's first major success in 1910., when Radić won in Lundberg, and with that, got closer to the leading Croatian – Serbian coalition. During WWI Radić supported the Yugoslav club, he was a member of the National Council and he advocated the establishment of the SHS. However, after the war and during the time of the Italian and Serbian occupation, Radić warned the members of the Council to present the requirements and to hold off the negotiations before unification with the Kingdom of Serbia and Montenegro. He suggested a confederal – federal concept of unification, but that never happened. After the creation of the Kingdom SHS with the Karađorđević dynasty in charge, Radić fought against Pašić and his terror over Croatia for years. He changed the name of the party to the Croatina Republican Peasant Party in 1920. so that he could stress out even more the will and the need for freedom, democracy and the creation of a republic. CRPP was becoming more popular and it became a leading party in Croatia. He managed to organize the parties into a Croatian bloc, so that they could fight against unitarianism and centralism together. Stjepan Radić tried a couple of times to make a treaty with Pašić, but because of the complete difference between opinions and politics that was simply not possible. He tried to find help abroad. He traveled to London, Berlin, Vienna and eventually Moscow where he joined the CRPP with the Peasant International. The help of the abroad authorities he unfortunately did not receive, because they were not interested in the change inside the Kingdom SHS. When he returned to Zagreb, Radić, with the rest of the leading council of the CRPP, was arrested. The party was forbidden to act or otherwise work. Stjepan Radić was released in 1925. when his nephew Pavle Radić announced in the Parliament the recognition of the Vidovdanian constitution and monarchy, and the name of the party was changed to The Croatian Peasant Party. Up until 1927. the CPP was a part of the government, when it moved to the opposition and made a coalition with the Indepentent Democratic Party led bi Svetozar Pribičević. Considering the growing political power of Stjepan Radić, the Serbian politicians decided to assasinate him in agreement with King Aleksandar Karađorđević. On June 20th, 1928. Puniša Račić opened fire inside the Parliament on the Croatian representatives. Stjepan Radić was wounded, and on August 28th, 1928. he passed away