OTTO VON HABSBURG AND THE SOUTH SLAVS

Otto von Habsburg je bil človek, ki je nedvomno zaznamoval 20. stoletje. Rojen je bil kot prestolonaslednik Avstro-Ogrske zadnjemu cesarju in kralju Karlu in njegovi ženi Ziti. Družbene in politične spremembe po 1. svetovni vojni so iz nekdanje monarhije pregnale njegovo družino. Očeta je Otto izgubil že pri svojih desetih letih, vendar ga je mama Zita vzgajala kot bodočega vladarja. Vzpon nacionalsocializma je preprečil Ottove ambicije, saj je njegov politični cilj postala borba proti nacizmu. S svojim delovanjem je uspel rešiti več tisoč življenj, obenem pa se je tudi sam zopet znašel na begu pred nacisti. V času 2. svetovne vojne se je ustalil v ZDA in od tam politično deloval za osvoboditev Avstrije in Madžarske. V veliko pomoč pri njegovem udejstvovanju mu je bil tudi predsednik Roosevelt. V dobrih odnosih je bil tudi z britanskim premierjem Churchillom, ki je podpiral njegov, kasneje neuspeli koncept ustanovitve Podonavske federacije. Po vojni v Avstriji še vedno ni bil zaželjen, zato je veliko potoval in postal iskan predavatelj, pisatelj in publicist. Njegova želja in življenjsko poslanstvo je ostala politika. V 70. letih je postal predsednik Mednarodne panevropske unije in si prizadeval za padec komunizma ter združitev Evrope. Leta 1979 je postal evropski parlamentarec, kjer je aktivno uresničeval svoje panevropske cilje in z njimi seznanjal tudi ostale parlamentarce. Kljub temu da je bil nesojeni cesar, se je v evropskem parlamentu udejstvoval za narode nekdanje monarhije. Znotraj parlamenta je pripomogel k osamosvojitvi in demokratizaciji Slovenije, Hrvaške ter Bosne in Hercegovine. Aktivno se je zavzemal tudi za mednarodno priznanje in integracijo teh držav v evropske institucije.Otto von Habsburg was a man, who undoubtedly marked 20th century. He was born as a Crown Prince to the last Emperor and King Charles I and his wife Zita. Social and political changes exiled his family from former Monarchy after the First World War. Otto lost his father when he was ten, however his mother Zita continued raising him as a future monarch. The raise of National Socialism prevented Otto’s ambitions, since his political goal became the battle against Nazism. His activism saved thousands of lives while at the same time he himself ended up running from Nazis. During the Second World War he settled down in the USA and from there fought for the liberation of Austria and Hungary through his political actions. The president Roosevelt was also very helpful in this regard. Furthermore, the British Prime Minister Churchill was also fond of him and was supporting his later unsuccessful concept of the establishment of Danube Federation. After the war he still could not go to Austria, therefore he travelled a lot and became an excellent lecturer, writer and publicist. Policy remained his wish and life mission. In the 70’s he became the president of Pan-European Union and his goals were the fall of Communism and the unification of Europe. In 1979 he became the European parliamentarian, where he was active in realising his Pan-European goals and successful in sharing the idea with other parliamentarians. Although he was the uncrowned Emperor, he took an active part in European Parliament for nations of former Monarchy. Within parliament he contributed to independence and democratisation of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He encouraged the integration and international recognition of these countries in the European institutions