August Košutić | |
---|---|
Minister of Construction | |
In office 24 December 1926 – 1 February 1927 |
|
Monarch | Alexander I of Yugoslavia |
Prime Minister | Nikola Uzunović |
Personal details | |
Born |
Radoboj, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary |
5 August 1893
Died | 12 November 1964 Zagreb, Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia |
(aged 71)
Nationality | Croat |
Political party | Croatian Peasant Party |
Spouse(s) | Mira Košutić (née Radić) |
Relations | Stjepan Radić (father-in-law) |
Alma mater | Brno University of Technology |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Engineer |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Austria-Hungary |
Service/branch | Austro-Hungarian Army Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops |
Years of service | 1914–1918 |
Battles/wars |
August Košutić (5 August 1893 – 12 November 1964) was a Croatian politician and a prominent member of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS).
As a member of the HSS, Košutić traveled through Europe and United States to inform the world public about the Serb hegemonist policy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the "Croatian issue". Because of his activity he was often arrested by the Yugoslav authorities, and in 1924 he was a victim of an assassination attempt. Briefly between the 1926 and 1927 he was a Minister of Construction where he made a great effort combating the corruption.
During the World War II, in the Independent State of Croatia, he was most notable for his participation in the abortive Lorković-Vokić plot in 1944, a coup which had the goal of establishing a coalition government between the Ustaše and the HSS and align the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) with the Allies. After the war, he became politically inactive.
Košutić was born in Radoboj, near Krapina, in the Croatian region of Zagorje. His father Stjepan was HSS commissioner for Krapina region and he often met with Antun and Stjepan Radić, leaders of the HSS, so young August had a chance to listen to their conversations. After graduating from the elementary school, August entered the Zagreb gymnasium, where he was an excellent student. Because of that, he was entrusted with school library. Soon, August learned to write a stenography, so he was invited to work for the Sabor (Croatian parliament), where he started a close relationship with Stjepan Radić, who was also his godfather at his chrism, when Radić gave him all of his published works.