Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Franjo Tuđman

Role / Field:

Croatian politician and historian; first President of Croatia (1990–1999).

Born:

1922-05-14

Died:

1999-12-10

Century / Era:

1922s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Franjo Tuđman (14 May 1922 – 10 December 1999) was a Croatian politician and historian who became the first president of Croatia, from 1990 until his death in 1999. He served following the country's independence from Yugoslavia. Tuđman also was the ninth and last president of the Presidency of SR Croatia from May to July 1990. Tuđman was born in Veliko Trgovišće.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In his youth, he fought during World War II as a member of the Yugoslav Partisans. After the war, he took a post in the Ministry of Defence, later attaining the rank of major general in 1960, and he was the youngest general ever of the Yugoslav People's Army. After his military career, he dedicated himself to the study of geopolitics. In 1963, he became a professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Political Sciences. He received a doctorate in history in 1965 and worked as a historian until coming into conflict with the regime.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Tuđman participated in the Croatian Spring movement that called for reforms in the country, and was imprisoned for his activities in 1972. He lived relatively anonymously in the following years until the end of communism, whereupon he began his political career by founding the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ...

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• 1922 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1922
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• 1999 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1999
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Frequently Asked Questions about Franjo Tuđman