Avdo Humo

Avdo Humo
2nd President of the Executive Council of the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office December 1953 – 1956
Preceded by	Đuro Pucar
Succeeded by	Osman Karabegović
Personal details
Born	1 February 1914 Mostar, Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austro-Hungarian Empire
Died	24 January 1983 (aged 68) Opatija, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Citizenship	Yugoslav
Political party	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
Spouse(s)	Olga Ninčić
Relations	Hamza Humo (uncle) Momčilo Ninčić (father-in-law)
Profession	Politician, writer
Awards	Partisan Memorial
Military service
Nickname(s)	Kulturni
Allegiance	Yugoslavia
Service/branch	Yugoslav Partisans
Years of service	1941–45

Avdo Humo (1 February 1914 – 24 January 1983) was a Yugoslav and Bosnian communist politician, writer and an Order of the People's Hero recipient.

Humo held highest positions in the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1972, Humo and Osman Karabegović came into conflict with the leadership of the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, accusing it for the establishment of "undemocratic relations" and the introduction of a "strong-arm led regime". This led to Humo and Karabegović being stripped of their posts.^[1]

Biography

Humo was born in Mostar on 1 February 1914. He joined the revolutionary movement while he attended high school in gymnasium in Mostar. Because he was expelled from the gymnasium in Mostar, he continued his education in Bihać. Subsequently, he enrolled the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology, where he obtained a degree in world and Yugoslav literature. At the University, he was one of the organizers and participants in actions of the socialist-oriented students. He became a member of SKOJ in 1934 and a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1935. He organized students of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the "Petar Kočić" youth society and the "Neretva" section where members of Communist Party were also active.

Humo was one of the most prominent party members before World War II in Yugoslavia. In 1940 he became a member of the Regional Committee of Communist Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was also one of the resistance organizers in Herzegovina against Axis forces. Because he was educated and well read, Humo was nicknamed "Kulturni" by his comrades.^[2] Listening to command he moved to Sarajevo and continued his activity there. As the party's Vice-President he participated in the First and Second Assembly of ZAVNOBiH. He was also a member of the AVNOJ.

Humo was a founding member of the famous Bosnian newspaper Oslobođenje. He served on various party and state positions, including as the President of the Executive Council of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina (de facto Prime Minister). He was proclaimed People's Hero of Yugoslavia on 27 November 1953. In 1972, he was dismissed along with Osman Karabegović from their posts for alleged Muslim "exclusivism" and "nationalism."^[3][4]

Avdo Humo died on 24 January 1983 in Opatija, Yugoslavia

Personal life

Humo married Olga Ninčić,^[5] daughter of Momčilo Ninčić,^[5] a prominent politician of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and former President of the Assembly of the League of Nations. His wife was a secretary of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito through the war.^[5] Bosnian writer Hamza Humo was his uncle.

References

Notes

1. Bilandžić, Dušan (1985). Historija Socijalističke Federativne Republike Jugoslavije: glavni procesi 1918-1985. p. 435.
2. Donia, Robert J. (2006). Sarajevo: a biography. University of Michigan Press. p. 192. ISBN 0-472-11557-X.
3. Ramet, Sabrina P. (2006). The three Yugoslavias. Indiana University Press. p. 291. ISBN 0-8047-0857-6.
4. Velikonja, Mitja (2003). Religious Separation and Political Intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Eastern European Studies. 20. College Station: Texas A&M University Press. p. 226. ISBN 1-58544-226-7.
5. Tomasevich, Jozo (1975). The Chetniks. Stanford University Press. p. 275. ISBN 0-253-34656-8.

Books

• Isaković, Alija (1994). Antologija zla (in Bosnian). Ljiljan.
• Pinson, Mark (1996). The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina: Their Historic Development from the Middle Ages to the Dissolution of Yugoslavia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard CMES. ISBN 9780932885128.
• Velikonja, Mitja (2003). Religious Separation and Political Intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 9781603447249.