Istorija 20. Veka (Aug 2019)
Miroslav Krleža i pravaštvo. Prilog istoriji ideja i ideologija
Abstract
The article examines the ideological convictions of writer and politician Miroslav Krleža (1893-1981). Since Krleža’s left-wing engagement both in and out of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia has been well researched, this article focuses on the right side of the spectrum of his political beliefs. Much evidence has been identified and presented in order to prove that, apart from the ideas of social justice, Marxism and Leninism, the famous writer had very strong ethnic sentiments. His political activity had always included a concern and struggle for Croatian national interests. Krleža found his guiding light for the solution of the “Croatian question” primarily in the ideology of Ante Starčević’s (1823-1896) Party of Rights, which had confronted the creation of the Yugoslav state and nation. Krleža was fascinated by Starčević’s personality and he cherished his cult, cautiously and consistently, as long as he lived. In the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Krleža was a sympathizer of the right-wing Croatian Peasant Party. That was the reason for his conflict with the Communist Party, whose member he was. At the same time, during the 1930s, Krleža was criticized for his anti-clerical views by Catholic circles, which claimed to have exclusive rights to Croatian nationalism. With both his formal and informal influence in the field of culture, during his entire life, Krleža spread and affirmed the ideas of the Party of Rights. He always tried to leave ideological signs to new generations in his texts, especially in his essays, interviews, and speeches. In socialist Yugoslavia, Krleža had chosen more discreet methods of affirm Croatian nationalism. He used his very strong social influence and privileged position as arbitrator in the field of culture, which he gained as a close friend of party and state leader Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980). Krleža’s Communist Party membership was primarily a matter of his political tactics and opportunism. This was shown vet clearly during the 1960s, when he was active in the circles of Croatian nationalist politicians and intellectuals. At that time he started his cooperation with historian and general, Franjo Tuđman, with whom he shared common views on the ideology of the Party of Rights, and who later became the first president of independent Croatia.
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