Josip Manolic Croatian statesman and politician Date of Birth: 22.03.1920 Country: Croatia

1. Early Life and Political Beginnings
2. Career in the Yugoslav Security Forces
3. Education and Career in the Yugoslav Government
4. Croatian Spring and Dissent
5. Role in the Croatian War of Independence
6. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Josip Manolić was born into a Croatian family in 1920. He first became involved in politics in 1937, serving as a youth and union leader. During World War II (1941-1945), Manolić rose to become the organizational secretary of the Croatian Regional Committee of the Union of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia.

Career in the Yugoslav Security Forces

In 1944, Manolić was appointed commander of an operation to liberate Bjelovar and surrounding areas by the secret service OZN, established by the Yugoslav National Liberation Army. After the war, he was appointed head of the department for the execution of criminal punishments in the Secretariat of Internal Affairs in 1946. In 1948, he became the head of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Croatia.

Education and Career in the Yugoslav Government

While serving in the security forces, Manolić also pursued his education, graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb in 1960. In the same year, he became the head of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs of Yugoslavia. In 1965, Manolić was elected to the Socialist Republic of Croatia parliament, where he served in various leadership roles.

Croatian Spring and Dissent

After the Croatian Spring movement of 1970, Manolić became a dissident and met Franjo Tuđman. In 1989, he led the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia at its 20th Congress and played a role in organizing the first multi-party parliamentary elections in 1990.

Role in the Croatian War of Independence

Manolić was one of the founders of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in 1989. In 1990, he became Deputy Chairman of the Presidency of the Republic of Croatia, making him the second most powerful figure in the newly independent Croatia after Franjo Tuđman. From 1990 to 1991, Manolić served as Prime Minister. From 1991 onwards, he headed the Administration for the Protection of the Constitutional Order, which coordinated all intelligence agencies.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1993-1994, Manolić served as Speaker of the House of Counties in the Croatian parliament. He left the HDZ in 1994 due to disagreements over the party's policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1995, he co-founded the Independent Croatian Democrats party, which he later became president of. Manolić retired from active politics but remained the honorary chairman of the Independent Croatian Democrats. He passed away on April 15, 2024.