Konstantin "Koča" Popović(Serbian Cyrillic:Константин "Коча" Поповић;14 March 1908 – 20 October 1992) was aSerbianandYugoslavpolitician andcommunistvolunteer in theSpanish Civil War,1937–1939 and Divisional Commander of theFirst Proletarian Divisionof theYugoslav Partisans.He is on occasion referred to as "the man who saved the Yugoslav Partisans", because it was he who anticipated the weakest point in the Axis lines on theZelengoraKalinovikaxis, and devised the plan for breaking through it during theBattle of Sutjeska,thus savingJosip Broz Tito,his headquarters and the rest of the resistance movement. After the war, he served as theChief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army,before moving to the position ofMinister of Foreign Affairsand spent the final years of his political career asVice President of Yugoslavia.

Koča Popović
Коча Поповић
Popović as commander of theFirst Proletarian DivisioninDrvar,1943
2ndVice President of Yugoslavia
In office
14 July 1966 – 30 June 1967
PresidentJosip Broz Tito
Preceded byAleksandar Ranković
Succeeded byOffice dissolved
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
15 January 1953 – 23 April 1965
Prime MinisterJosip Broz Tito
Petar Stambolić
Preceded byEdvard Kardelj
Succeeded byMarko Nikezić
Personal details
Born
Konstantin Popović

(1908-03-14)14 March 1908
Belgrade,Kingdom of Serbia
Died20 October 1992(1992-10-20)(aged 84)
Belgrade,Serbia,FR Yugoslavia
Political partyLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia
Spouse
VeronikaVjeraBakotić
(m.1933;div.1946)
Domestic partnerLeposavaLepaPerović(1946–1992; his death)
Alma materUniversity of Paris
ProfessionWriter
Soldier
Awards31 international and 15 Yugoslav decorations, including
Order of Freedom
Legion of Honour
Order of George I
Order of Merit of Italy
Order of St. Olav
Military service
AllegianceKingdom of Yugoslavia
Spanish Republic
Yugoslavia
Branch/serviceRoyal Yugoslav Army
International Brigades
Yugoslav Partisans
Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav Ground Forces emblemYugoslav Ground Forces
Years of service1926–1927
1937–1939
1941–1953
RankColonel General
CommandsFirst Proletarian Brigade
1st Division
1st Corps
2nd Army
Chief of the General Staff
Battles/warsSpanish Civil War,
World War II

Despite being a member of theCommunist Party of Yugoslavia,Popović was a supporter of free-market reforms[1]and was also a member of a group of Serbian liberals, a prominent political movement in the 1970s, which also includedMarko NikezićandLatinka Perović.He retired in 1972, amidst pressure against his group of liberals. He spent the rest of his life inDubrovnikand was very outspoken against theYugoslav Warsand the regimes ofFranjo TuđmanandSlobodan Milošević.

In his youth, Popović was one of the founding members of the SerbianSurrealistmovement. He co-wrote a book withMarko Ristić.Also, Popović was among the founders of the Yugoslav Sports Association Partizan andFK Partizan,the football section of the Yugoslav Sports Association Partizan.

Biography

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Popović came from a prosperous Belgrade family and spent theFirst World WarinSwitzerland.[2][1]He was also one of the thirteen signatories of the SerbianSurrealistmanifesto in 1930.

In 1929, Popović moved toParisto studyLawandPhilosophy.Here he mixed with theLeft Bankworld of poets, writers, artists and intellectuals.[3]He became an activeSurrealist,active in both the French and Serbian Surrealist groups.[2] In 1931Nacrt za jednu fenomenologiju iracionalnog(Outline for a Phenomenology of the Irrational) was published which he had co-written withMarko Ristić.[2]

Popović then became involved with the then illegalYugoslav Communist Party.In Paris there was a center run byCominternand headed byJosip Broz Tito,which was used to feed volunteers from the Balkans to theRepublicansin theSpanish Civil War.Popović was drafted through this center along with aselect groupof Party members. Popović fought with Spanish Republican forces and not theInternational Brigades,holding the rank of artillery captain. At the close of the Spanish Civil War Popović escaped through France and made his way back to Yugoslavia.[3]

World War II

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In 1940, as a reserve officer in theRoyal Yugoslav Army,Popović was mobilized and told by his Colonel to watch out for subversive activities within the regiment.

After the surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army to theGerman Armyin April 1941, Popović organized theKosmajdetachment during the uprising in Serbia. On the formation of theFirst Proletarian Brigade,Popović became its commander, and subsequently commanded the First Proletarian Division.[3]

During his time leading the Partisans he encounteredWilliam Deakin,leader of the British military mission to Tito's headquarters, who wrote of Popović:

At the head of the First Proletarian Division was General Koča Popović. He had been present at our first encounter with Tito and his Staff on the morning of our arrival, but his identity was not disclosed. Taut and deliberately controlled by a sensitive and disciplined mind and power of will, Popovic was an intellectual soldier of outstanding talents, which were perhaps alien to his inner nature. [...] He was bilingual in caustic polished French, and his mental defences were impenetrable. His sarcasm was rapier-like, respectful of counter-thrusts, but he was never off his guard. [...] Popovic was a lone wolf and a solitary man, with rare unguarded moments. He had a touch of military genius and hatred of war. He was wary of friendship and defended with a devilish skill total integrity of mind and heart. [...] I was frequently in his company and grew to accept his contrived and polished sallies. Daring with cold deliberation and secret by nature, he was the idol of his troops, but few men knew him.[3]

Post-war

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Alongside dozens of other WW2 and Spanish Civil War veterans, Popović was among the founding fathers of thePartizan Belgradefootball club in October 1945.[4]

After the establishment of a communist regime inYugoslaviain 1945, he served as theChief of the Yugoslavian General Stafffrom 1945 until 1953. In this function he also conducted negotiations with the representatives of Western powers associated with the modernisation of the JNA during the conflict with theSoviet Union(i.e.,Informbiro).

Popović pictured withJosip Broz Tito

Consequently, Popović became theMinister of Foreign Affairsof Yugoslavia in 1953 and held this office until 1965. As Foreign Minister, he was the head of the Yugoslav delegation to theUN General Assemblysessions on several occasions.

From 1965 until 1972, Popović acted as a member of theFederal Executive Counciland theVice President of Yugoslaviafrom 1966 until 1967. In 1985, he andPeko Dapčevićwere considered for promotion in rankGeneral of the Army,but they both rejected the proposition.

Popović died inBelgradein 1992 at the age of 84.

Honours

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Yugoslavian decorations[5][6]
Order of Freedom
Order of the People's Hero
Order of the People's Liberation
Order of the War Banner
Order of the Yugoslav Flag
Order of the Partisan Star
Order of the Republic
Order of Merits for the People
Order of Brotherhood and Unity
Order of Labour
Order of Military Merits
Order of Bravery
Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941
Order of the Yugoslav Crown
International and foreign awards
Order of the Falcon,(Iceland)
Order of the White Rose of Finland,(Finland)
Order of the Union of Burma,(Myanmar)
Order of the Leader,(Afghanistan)
Order of Menelik II,(Ethiopia)
Order of the Partisan Star (Albania)
Order of May,(Argentina)
Order of the Southern Cross,(Brazil)
Order of People's Freedom,(Bulgaria)
Order of George I,(Kingdom of Greece)
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic(Italy)
Royal Order of Cambodia,(Cambodia)
Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary,(Hungary)
Order of the Aztec Eagle,(Mexico)
Order of St. Olav,(Norway)
Order of Suvorov,(Soviet Union)
Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945",(Soviet Union)
Order of the Two Niles,(Sudan)
Order of the Republic,(Tunisia)
Order of Orange-Nassau,(Netherlands)
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal,(United Kingdom)
Legion of Honour,(France)
Legion of Honour,(France)
Order of the White Lion,(Czechoslovakia)
Czechoslovak Military Order for Liberty,(Czechoslovakia)
Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945,(Czechoslovakia)
Order of Merit,(Chile)
Order of Liberty,(Spanish Republican government in exile)

See also

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References

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  1. ^Jump up to: abČkrebić, Dušan (2012).Koča Popović, duboka ljudska tajna.Službeni glasnik.
  2. ^Jump up to: abc"Konstantin Koča Popović".Nadrealizam.Retrieved23 February2014.
  3. ^Jump up to: abcdDeakin, F.W.D. (1971).The Embattled Mountain.Oxford University Press. pp.103.ISBN0-19-215175-4.
  4. ^cbnostalgija (9 May 2019)."Osnivači Partizana".Crno-bela Nostalgija(in Serbian).Retrieved3 August2019.
  5. ^Acović, Dragomir (2012).Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima.Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik.
  6. ^Гачић, Драган (2015). "Одликовања из легата историјског архива Београда". Историјски архив Београда.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
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Political offices
Preceded by Vice President of Yugoslavia
1966–1967
Succeeded by
Office dissolved
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
1953–1965
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded byas Chief of the General Staff of thePeople's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia Chief of the General Staffof theYugoslav Army
(Since 1951 Yugoslav People's Army)

15 September 1945 – 27 January 1953
Succeeded by