Rodoljub Čolaković

Rodoljub "Roćko" Čolaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Родољуб Чолаковић; 7 June 1900 – 30 March 1983) was a Yugoslav Partisan and politician who served as the 1st Prime Minister of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina and as the Minister for SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Provisional Government of DF Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito. He was a major general in the Yugoslav People's Army and in the National Liberation Army during World War II.

Rodoljub "Roćko" Čolaković
Čolaković in 1966
1st Prime Minister of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office
27 April 1945  September 1948
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byĐuro Pucar
Minister for SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Provisional Government of DF Yugoslavia
In office
7 March 1945  11 November 1945
Prime MinisterJosip Broz Tito
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born
Rodoljub Čolaković

(1900-06-07)7 June 1900
Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary
Died30 March 1983(1983-03-30) (aged 82)
Belgrade, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
CitizenshipYugoslav
Political partySKJ (1919–1983)
Spouse(s)Milica Zorić-Čolaković
OccupationSoldier, politician
Awards10 Yugoslav and 2 international decorations, including
Order of the People's Hero
Order of the Hero of Socialist Labour
Order of National Liberation
Partisan 1941 Commemorative Medal
Order of Polonia Restituta
Order of Kutuzov
(full list below)
Military service
Allegiance Yugoslavia (1941–1945)
Branch/serviceYugoslav People's Army
National Liberation Army
Years of service1941–1945
RankMajor general
Battles/warsSpanish Civil War
World War II

Born in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary on 7 June 1900, Čolaković joined the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in April 1919 as a student. Later, he joined Crvena Pravda ("Red Justice"), a left-wing terrorist organisation which assassinated Yugoslav interior minister Milorad Drašković on 21 July 1921. For his role in the assassination, Čolaković was sentenced to 12 years in prison. While serving his sentence, he made friends with many notable Yugoslav communists, including Moša Pijade with whom he translated Das Kapital and other seminal Marxist texts into Serbo-Croatian.

After his release, Čolaković emigrated to the Soviet Union and later took part in the Spanish Civil War on the Republican side. He later came back to Yugoslavia, participating in World War II. Čolaković died on 30 March 1983 at the age of 82 in Belgrade.

Awards and decorations

Domestic awards

After World War II, Čolaković was awarded many high profile Yugoslav orders, the biggest one of them being the Order of the People's Hero, which he was awarded on 27 November 1953.

1st Row Order of the People's Hero
2nd Row Order of the Hero of Socialist Labour Order of National Liberation Order of the Yugoslav Flag with Sash
3rd Row Order of People's Merit Order of Brotherhood and Unity with Golden Wreath
4th Row Order of Courage Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941
Note: All Yugoslav decorations are now defunct.

Foreign awards

Čolaković was also awarded two foreign orders; the Polish Order of Polonia Restituta and the Soviet Order of Kutuzov.

Award or decoration Country Place Note
Order of Polonia Restituta  Poland Warsaw One of Poland's highest orders.
Order of Kutuzov  Soviet Union Moscow Soviet military order.
Political offices
Preceded by
Office established
Prime Minister of PR Bosnia and Herzegovina
1945–1948
Succeeded by
Đuro Pucar
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