Second Session of The AVNOJ
In its second AVNOJ conference in the Bosnian town of Jajce, from November 21 to November 29, 1943, Tito declared AVNOJ to be the superior executive authority. The decisions and the resolutions of the second AVNOJ conference were:
- to create a federal Yugoslavia, based on the right of self-determination of nations, in which the southern Slavic peoples (Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins, and Macedonians) who would live in six constituent republics with equal rights;
- to stress that even during the War of National Liberation there had been established anti-fascist councils of the national liberation of Yugoslav lands for Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sandžak, Macedonia, and Montenegro and the Bay of Kotor as the organisations of the people's administration of the land;
- to elect the National Committee of the Liberation of Yugoslavia (Nacionalni komitet oslobođenja Jugoslavije, NKOJ), based in Jajce, to act as the temporary government;
- to name Tito, Marshal of Yugoslavia and Prime Minister;
- to revoke the Yugoslavian government-in-exile; and
- to deny King Petar II Karađorđević’s return to the country, until a popular referendum had been held on the status of the monarchy.
Note: the AVNOJ denied all rights to people of German ancestry in the Provisions of the AVNOJ in Jajce, 1943
On 21 November 1943, the AVNOJ decided on the following provisions ‘On the Deprivation of Civil Rights’, In the years to come, this formed the legal basis for the treatment of the Danube Swabians, whom they called Germans in Yugoslavia, including the creation of many labor and Concentration camps:
- All persons of German nationality living in Yugoslavia automatically lose their Yugoslavian citizenship as well as all civil rights.
- The entire movable and immovable possessions of all persons of German nationality are confiscated by the state and henceforth its property.
- Persons of German nationality are neither allowed to claim or exercise any rights, nor to use courts or other institutions for their personal or legal protection.
No existing text of these resolutions remains available to historians. See also w:de:AVNOJ-Beschlüsse
Stalin, the Soviet leader, was enraged when he found out that he was not being informed of the November meeting, and reportedly barred Tito from declaring AVNOJ as a provisional government. The Western Allies, however, were not alarmed, because they knew that the Partisans were the only Yugoslav resistance group actively fighting the Germans.
In December 1943, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decided to support the Partisans. The United Kingdom joined a month later, and stopped supplying the Chetniks. The first Soviet mission arrived at Partisan headquarters, shortly thereafter. The United States kept a military mission with Mihajlović to encourage continued Chetnik aid for downed American fliers.
In May 1944, German airborne forces attacked Tito's headquarters in Drvar, nearly capturing him. Tito fled to Italy, and established a new headquarters on the Adriatic island of Vis. After throwing its full support to the Partisans, Britain worked to reconcile Tito and Petar. At Britain's urging, Petar agreed to remain outside Yugoslavia, and in September, summoned all Yugoslavs to back the Partisans.
Read more about this topic: Anti-Fascist Council Of The People's Liberation Of Yugoslavia
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