2007/04/16 by Sabrina P. Ramet · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Ancient history #Balkan and Eastern European Studies #Balkans: History, Politics, Society #Croatian #Eastern European Communism and Reforms #Economic history #History #Law #Lawlessness #Peasant #Philosophy #Political science #Politics
paper · doi:10.1017/s0960777307003803
openalex publication_date 2007/04/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract In the years 1936–41, the Croatian Peasant Party, led by Vladko Maček, operated two militias – the Croatian Peasant Defence (HSZ) in the villages and the Croatian Civil Defence in the cities. The HSZ was intended to protect Croatian peasants from attacks by Serb Chetniks as well as by communists, and was thus itself a symptom of the lawlessness prevailing in the interwar Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The HSZ also formed part of Maček's efforts to compete with the fascistic Ustaša movement, an armed organization behind the so-called ‘Velebit uprising’ of 1932.