Odjeci Brijunskog plenuma u Zadru: Državna bezbjednost pod lupom javnosti
The Echoes of the Brijuni Plenum in Zadar: State Security under Public Scrutiny

Summary/Abstract: This paper analyzes the repercussions of the Brijuni Plenum on political developments in Zadar, focusing on the reactions of local party structures, the media, and the public. The 1966 Brijuni Plenum marked a turning point in Yugoslav politics, leading to the deposition of Aleksandar Ranković and making way for limited political liberalization. While historiographical research has acknowledged the long-term effects of this event, less is known about how its decisions were perceived at the local level. Therefore, this study aims to examine specific political processes in Zadar, shedding light on the role of local party organizations in implementing prescribed reforms and their capacity to control political dynamics. uka Knez: Odjeci Brijunskog plenuma u Zadru: Državna bezbjednost pod lupom javnosti The research is based on archival materials from the Municipal Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia (OK SKH) in Zadar, media sources (with a particular emphasis on Narodni list) and relevant literature. Special attention is given to the Commission for Investigating and Determining the Operations of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs, which conducted an inquiry into the activities of the Zadar detachment of the UDBA. The analysis reveals that local party structures in Zadar struggled to manage the responses to the Brijuni Plenum. Although they formally endorsed the Plenum’s conclusions, they failed to control the public debate, which increasingly evolved into criticism of the intelligence apparatus and, indirectly, of the political regime itself. In this process, members of OK SKH Zadar found themselves in a paradoxical situation: while attempting to implement the directives of the party leadership and strengthen their own political position, they inadvertently allowed for the deepening of discussions that could ultimately challenge the stability of the system. Despite efforts by OK SKH Zadar to steer public discourse within permissible boundaries, discussions developed beyond their control, reflecting a broader problem of the erosion of party authority in the postBrijuni reform process. This confirms the thesis that, while the loss of control over liberalization processes was not immediate, it was gradual and irreversible, culminating in the events of the Croatian Spring in the early 1970s. Within the context of historiographical interpretations, this study highlights the importance of examining local responses to key political decisions made by the Yugoslav leadership. By analyzing developments in Zadar, it provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which the party sought to manage reform processes, as well as the factors that contributed to the gradual erosion of its political power. This study thus contributes to a broader comprehension of the Brijuni Plenum, not only as an initial point of liberalization but also as the beginning of a long-term process of destabilizing the party’s monopoly over political and social change in Yugoslavia.

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