Serbian Social Democratic leader who denounced the Serbian army's massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars
Born in Gostilje on Mount Zlatibor, he led the demonstrations against King Aleksandar Obrenović on 5 March 1903 and had to emigrate to Austria-Hungary; on 2 August 1903 he and Dragiša Lapčević became leaders of the new Serbian Social Democratic Party. He edited its Workers' Newspaper, served as party secretary and opposed Lapčević's opportunist positions. In January 1910 he organised the first Balkan Socialist Conference in Belgrade, aimed at a Balkan federation, and at the Copenhagen congress attacked the Austrian Social Democrats' stand on the annexation of Bosnia. Mobilised in 1912, he took part in the Serbian campaign in Albania and sent letters on war crimes against civilians to the Workers' Newspaper; back home he published Serbia and Albania. He was killed in the Battle of Kolubara in November 1914.
Also known as: Dimitrije Tucovic · Mita Tucović
Activities and affiliations
- 1903–1914 Political and party leadership
- 1903–1914 Ideology and propaganda
- 1910 Social movements and organizing
- 1912–1914 Military command
Career Timeline
- 1903Led the March demonstrations against King Aleksandar Obrenović; emigrated to Austria-Hungary
- 1903Co-founded the Serbian Social Democratic Party; editor of the Workers' Newspaper
- 1910Organised the first Balkan Socialist Conference (Belgrade)
- 1912–1913Mobilised in the Serbian army; reported war crimes in the Albanian campaign
- 1914Published Serbia and Albania; killed in the Battle of Kolubara
Related historical events
- 1912–1913The Balkan WarsLeader of the Serbian Social Democratic PartyOrganised the first Balkan Socialist Conference in 1910; mobilised in 1912, he reported the massacres of civilians in the Albanian campaign to the Workers' Newspaper and afterwards wrote Serbia and Albania.
- 1914–1918First World WarLeader of the Serbian Social Democratic PartyKilled as a Serbian soldier in the Battle of Kolubara in November 1914; Trotsky called his death the heaviest blow the war dealt to Serbian and Balkan social democracy.