User:Antidiskriminator/Drafts of articles/Božidar Zečević

Božidar Zečević was Serb philosopher from Nevesinje, Austria Hungary (modern-day Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Bosnian Crisis
When he was student in Vienna, Zečević was leader of one secret society. He was also a member of the Sokol.

Austro-Hungarian annexion of Bosnia and Herzegovina caused deep unsatisfaction among members of Young Bosnia. Zečević was president of the "Rad" Society (since Autumn 1908) whose members he invited to Vienna to attend the conference held at the beginning of 1909. The decision of the conference was that tactics recommended by Masaryk is fruitless so direct struggle against Austria-Hungary was necessary. The same conference resulted with the decision to establish a secret revolutionary society for preparation for this struggle with Zečević being one of its first members.

Zečević was instructed in Serbian capitol Belgrade by Milan Pribićević, general secretary of Narodna Odbrana, and Ljuba Jovanović Čupa to develop secret organisation into villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare population to fight against Austria-Hungary. The Austro-Hungarian secret service followed activities of Zečević and learned about his meetings in Belgrade. In Belgrade Zečević convinced people from Narodna Odbrana to organize education for guerilla struggle for young men from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prague and Zagreb.

To learn about methods of the secret activities Zečević travelled to Russia to join Russian revolutionaries. His travel to Russia was financed by secret organization from Bosnia and Herzegovina, while money was handed to him by Vasilj Grđić. Zečević stayed in Russia for about six months. In 1909 the first and the only student's house of Prosvjeta was opened in Mostar and Zečević was its first prefect. Zečević and Špiro Soldo were among the closest friends of Bogdan Žerajić.

World War I
When the World War I began Austro-Hungarian authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina arrested notable professors and students in Mostar, including Božidar Zečević. Zečević along many Serb intellectuals were put to mass trials (Veleizdajnički proces), many of them sentenced to death. Zečević belonged to a group sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was interned to Arad concentration camp.

Interwar period
On 30 January 1919 Zečević attended constitutional assembly of the National Democratic Party (Nacionalna Demokratska Stranka). Božović was a board member of the "Belgrade Gajret" in period 1933—40.