Who Is Slobodan Jovanović

Slobodan Jovanović (Novi Sad, 3 December 1869 – London, 12 December 1958) was a Serbian jurist, historian, sociologist, literary critic and statesman. He is regarded as one of the greatest Serbian intellectuals of the first half of the twentieth century and as Yugoslavia’s foremost authority on constitutional law.

For more than four decades he taught at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade. He served as Rector of the University of Belgrade, President of the Serbian Royal Academy and one of the editors of the journal “Srpski književni glasnik”. He was also considered a master of Serbian prose, as his clear and sharp style entered history under the name “Belgrade style”.

He entered politics in earnest only on the eve of the Second World War. After the military coup of 27 March 1941 he became deputy prime minister, and from January 1942 to June 1943 he headed the Yugoslav government-in-exile in London. For that reason the communist authorities sentenced him in absentia in 1946, and he died in exile.

Origins and Childhood

Slobodan Jovanović was born in Novi Sad, then part of Austria-Hungary. His father, Vladimir Jovanović (1833–1922), was a political émigré, economist and liberal ideologist, and one of the founders of the United Serbian Youth. His mother’s name was Jelena.

According to tradition, he was the first Serb to be given the name Slobodan. His father also gave his daughter a symbolic name, so Slobodan’s sister was called Pravda. Still, the claim about the “first Slobodan” remains a matter of debate and should not be taken as an established fact.

In his first years the family lived in a house on what is now Svetozara Miletića Street in Novi Sad. A memorial plaque was unveiled on that house in 2019, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The family later moved to Belgrade.

Early Formation in His Father’s Circle

From early childhood Slobodan was in touch with political life. His father Vladimir was a public figure with many connections in Serbia and across Europe. As a result, the future jurist became acquainted early on with the ideas, people and conflicts he would later describe in his historical works.

In childhood he also spent a good deal of time in Italy. Researchers note that these stays left a mark on his later interest in Italian political history. He also wrote that he took his first steps as a child in Pompeii.

Education

He studied law in Geneva, where he graduated in 1890. His European education gave him a broad view of law, politics and literature. For that reason he was later described as a man schooled at prestigious European universities.

Besides law, he developed a strong interest in history, philosophy and literature in his youth. That combination marked all of his work, since he regularly viewed legal problems through a historical and sociological framework.

Diplomatic Service

After his studies he entered the Serbian diplomatic service. Britannica states that this happened in 1890, while more recent scholarly literature follows his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1892 to 1897 (sources differ).

After a year of work he was appointed attaché at the legation in Constantinople. In 1894 he was promoted to secretary. At that time he was interested in the so-called Macedonian question and the struggle of rival propagandas in the Balkans.

In the journal “Red” he published a series of articles revealing how Austro-Hungarian propaganda placed texts in foreign newspapers, among them London’s The Times. Later, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgrade, he served as secretary of the committee dealing with Macedonian questions.

Professor at the Faculty of Law and University Career

In 1897 he was elected associate professor at the Faculty of Law of the Great School (Velika škola), for the subject of general and special constitutional law. He remained in that post for almost four decades. Sources differ on the exact year his teaching ended: 1939, 1940 and 1941 are all given. It is known that after his retirement in 1940 he was elected honorary professor.

He was Dean of the Faculty of Law and twice Rector of the University of Belgrade, in 1913–1914 and 1920–1921. In the meantime the Great School had grown into a university, so Jovanović was both witness to and participant in that transformation.

His lectures were valued for their clarity and precision. Students learned constitutional law from a man who was at once a jurist and a historian, and he explained constitutional institutions through the actual development of society.

Srpski književni glasnik and the Serbian Royal Academy

In 1901 Jovanović was among the founders and editors of the journal “Srpski književni glasnik” (Serbian Literary Gazette). The magazine appeared until 1941 and brought together the most important writers and critics of the day. Jovanović’s contemporaries included Jovan Skerlić, Bogdan Popović, Pavle Popović and Branko Lazarević.

In the Serbian Royal Academy he became a corresponding member in 1905 and a full member in 1908. From 1914 to 1925 he was secretary of the Academy of Social Sciences. He served as President of the Academy from 31 January 1928 to 31 January 1931.

He delivered his inaugural address on the topic “The Defenders of the Constitution and Their Government, 1838–1858”, published in 1912. That work shows his historiographical approach to the political institutions of nineteenth-century Serbia.

The First World War and the Paris Peace Conference

During the Balkan Wars Jovanović worked in the War Press Bureau. When the First World War broke out he remained close to the centre of state power. Historians record that during the Austro-Hungarian bombardment of Belgrade in 1914 he decided which books should be saved first.

At that time he also came into contact with Dragutin Dimitrijević Apis. Jovanović later remained critical of Nikola Pašić, but Pašić nevertheless kept him in his circle.

In 1919 he took part in the Paris Peace Conference as an expert of the Yugoslav delegation. He chaired the international law committee of that delegation.

Scholarly and Literary Work

Jovanović’s body of work is enormous. He wrote on the general theory of the state, constitutional law, the history of political thought, sociology, the sociology of religion, literary criticism and theatre criticism. His collected works were published in the 1930s in seventeen volumes.

Historical Works on Nineteenth-Century Serbia

He wrote most about the political history of Serbia in the nineteenth century. He showed how state institutions, governments and political parties developed. His portraits of personalities stand out in particular, since he knew how to capture the character of a politician or ruler in a few sentences.

Literary Criticism and the “Belgrade Style”

His manner of writing, clear, concise and precise, was named the “Belgrade style”. His sentences are simple, yet full of irony and sharp observation. For that reason he is read even by people who do not work in law or history.

Well-Known Books

• “Iz naše istorije i književnosti” (“From Our History and Literature”, 1931)
• “Vođi Francuske revolucije” (“Leaders of the French Revolution”, 1920)
• “O totalitarizmu” (“On Totalitarianism”, 1952), written in exile
• “Moji savremenici” (“My Contemporaries”, posthumously, 1961–1962)
• “Uspomene” (“Memories”), memoir writings

The Serbian Cultural Club and Pre-War Politics

On the eve of the Second World War Jovanović was a founder and president of the Serbian Cultural Club. The club brought together intellectuals who advocated overcoming party differences, nurturing Serbian culture and building national unity.

Its members were in opposition to the regency and to the policy of Milan Stojadinović’s government. After the Cvetković–Maček Agreement of 1939 the club demanded that the Serbs, too, be recognised as a distinct unit alongside the Croatian banovina. Jovanović nevertheless remained in favour of preserving Yugoslavia.

The historian Dimitrije Đorđević judged that Jovanović was politically neutral in party terms. He never belonged to any party, although he advocated a bicameral parliamentary system.

The March Coup and the Government of Dušan Simović

After the military coup of 27 March 1941, General Dušan Simović formed a new government, and Jovanović joined it as deputy prime minister. It was the first time, at his age, that he took part in practical politics.

Germany and its allies attacked Yugoslavia at the start of April. In mid-April Jovanović left with King Peter II and the ministers for Jerusalem, and he reached London in July 1941. He remained deputy prime minister until 11 January 1942 (some sources give June 1942, but most studies give January).

Prime Minister of the Government-in-Exile

On 11 January 1942 Jovanović became prime minister of the Yugoslav government-in-exile in London. He held that office until 26 June 1943, when he was succeeded by Miloš Trifunović. He was also minister of war, and he brought General Draža Mihailović into his cabinet.

Other well-known politicians worked in the government as well, among them Milan Gavrilović as minister of justice. The government accepted the Atlantic Charter and the 1942 Declaration of the United Nations.

Conflicts with Croatian Representatives and Britain

There were deep divisions within the government, above all between Serbian and Croatian ministers. Jovanović was also dissatisfied with parts of British policy toward Yugoslavia and the Serbian people. He recorded his impressions in his memoirs.

The Allies increasingly backed the movement of Josip Broz Tito. After demands that cooperation with the Partisans be pursued, Jovanović resigned. The Šubašić–Tito agreement was signed later, and he withdrew from politics. He himself once remarked, with irony, that he had been the worst prime minister of the worst government in the world.

The 1946 Trial and the Verdict in Absentia

After the war the new authorities charged him in the same trial in which Draža Mihailović was tried. The verdict was pronounced on 15 July 1946. Jovanović was sentenced in absentia to twenty years of hard labour, together with confiscation of his entire property, loss of civil rights and deprivation of citizenship.

Mihailović was executed on 17 July 1946. Jovanović later wrote about Apis and the revision of the Salonika Trial. He observed that the communist court that convicted Mihailović was least entitled to annul the verdict passed on Apis.

Final Years in London

He remained in London until the end of his life, living modestly as a stateless person. He wrote and spoke with fellow émigrés, and records of that period were preserved by, among others, contributors to the London journal “Poruka”.

In exile he wrote “On Totalitarianism” (1952) and worked on his memoirs, which were published after his death. Britannica also lists him as president of the Yugoslav National Committee in exile.

Private Life and Death

Information about the family life of Slobodan Jovanović is not sufficiently reliable in the available sources, so it is not given here. It is known that his parents were Vladimir and Jelena, and his sister was Pravda.

He died in London on 12 December 1958, at the age of 89. The cause of death is not publicly known. He was originally buried at Kensal Green cemetery in London.

Rehabilitation and Return to Belgrade

The District Court in Belgrade rehabilitated him in 2007. The court found that fundamental human rights had been violated in the 1946 proceedings, including the right to a defence and the right to a two-instance process.

After 53 years his remains were brought from London. He was buried on 10 December 2011 in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery in Belgrade. The transfer was made possible through the mediation of Bishop Irinej and with the consent of the British authorities, and the President of Serbia attended the funeral.

Interesting Facts

• According to tradition, he was the first Serb named Slobodan, but that claim is disputed.
• His portrait was painted by Uroš Predić in 1931.
• He took part in the work of four governments: twice as prime minister and twice as deputy prime minister (according to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts).
• Although he was elected a full member of SANU in 1948, he was left off the membership lists for a long time, until 1972.
• His manner of writing is known as the “Belgrade style”.

Awards and Recognition

Jovanović was Dean of the Faculty of Law, Rector of the University of Belgrade and President of the Serbian Royal Academy. His works were published in collected editions, and the Academy dedicated to him the exhibition “The World and Times of Slobodan Jovanović” (5–27 November 2019).

A scholarly conference was held on the 150th anniversary of his birth, and a monograph was published. In Novi Sad a memorial plaque was unveiled on his birthplace.

Legacy and Influence

The works of Slobodan Jovanović are still used today in the study of Serbian history, law and political thought. His portraits of nineteenth-century politicians are still regarded as outstanding examples of historical prose.

As a jurist he influenced generations of students, and as a writer he shaped the style of Serbian essay writing. His biography also shows how far political choices in the twentieth century could determine the fate of a scholar.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Slobodan Jovanović?

Slobodan Jovanović was a Serbian jurist, historian, literary critic and statesman. He was a professor at the Faculty of Law, Rector of the University of Belgrade, President of the Serbian Royal Academy and prime minister of the Yugoslav government-in-exile.

When and where was Slobodan Jovanović born?

He was born on 3 December 1869 in Novi Sad, then in Austria-Hungary.

When and where did Slobodan Jovanović die?

He died on 12 December 1958 in London.

How old was he when he died?

He was 89 years old.

Was Slobodan Jovanović a prime minister?

Yes. He was prime minister of the Yugoslav government-in-exile from 11 January 1942 to 26 June 1943, and before that deputy prime minister in the government of Dušan Simović.

Why was he sentenced in 1946?

The Military Council of the Supreme Court of the FPRY sentenced him in absentia to 20 years of hard labour over his political activity in the government-in-exile. The verdict was annulled in 2007.

Where is Slobodan Jovanović buried?

He was first buried in London, at Kensal Green cemetery. Since 10 December 2011 he has rested in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

What is the “Belgrade style”?

It is the name for the clear, concise and sharp manner of writing that Jovanović developed. His sentences are precise and often ironic.

What are his best-known works?

Among the best known are “From Our History and Literature”, “Leaders of the French Revolution”, “On Totalitarianism” and the memoir “My Contemporaries”.

Did he belong to a political party?

No. He was politically neutral in party terms, but he founded and led the Serbian Cultural Club.

Conclusion

Slobodan Jovanović combined scholarship, literature and politics in a way that is rare in Serbian culture. As a professor, historian and writer he shaped legal and historical thought, and as a statesman he found himself in the most difficult moment of modern Yugoslav history. After the verdict in absentia he died in exile, but he was rehabilitated in 2007 and brought back to Belgrade in 2011. His work remains an important part of the Serbian cultural heritage.