State Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia (ZAVNOH) Zemaljsko antifašističko vijeće narodnog oslobođenja Hrvatske | |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 13 June 1943 |
| Disbanded | 25 July 1945 |
| Succeeded by | People's Sabor of Croatia |
| Leadership | |
President | |
| Seats | 112 (1943) 166 (1944) |
The State Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia (Zemaljsko antifašističko vijeće narodnog oslobođenja Hrvatske), commonly abbreviated ZAVNOH, was first convened on 13–14 June 1943 in Otočac and Plitvice as the chief political representative body in World War II Axis-occupied Croatia (part of Yugoslavia at the time). It was dominated by the Communist Party of Croatia, a nominally-independent political party active in the territory largely corresponding to present-day Croatia. Despite its nominal independence, the party was a de facto branch of the Josip Broz Tito-led Communist Party of Yugoslavia. ZAVNOH also included representatives or former members of peasant organisations, trade unions, the Croatian Peasant Party, and the Independent Democratic Party.
In addition to performing day-to-day regulatory and government tasks in the territory held by Yugoslav Partisans within Croatia under the leadership of Andrija Hebrang, ZAVNOH sought to broaden the appeal of partisan resistance to the Croatian population by presenting it as not entirely communist. It also tried to reconcile Croat and Serb equality with the promotion of Croatia's interests, sometimes marginalising the Serbs and triggering conflict with Tito. At its third session, in Topusko, ZAVNOH upheld the decisions on federal post-war Yugoslavia adopted by the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia. In 1945, ZAVNOH was renamed the People's Sabor of Croatia.
Its work, ideas and decisions contributed to the leadership programme of the League of Communists of Croatia, culminating in the 1971 Croatian Spring. ZAVNOH's decisions were then used to justify newly introduced policies seeking to reform the Yugoslav federation and promote Croatian interests. The 1990 Constitution of Croatia, adopted shortly before the declaration of Croatian independence, cites ZAVNOH in its preamble as a foundation of Croatian statehood.