August Košutić (5 August 1893 – 12 November 1964) was a Croatian politician and šutića prominent member of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS).
As a member of the HSS, Košutić traveled through Europe and United States to inform the world public about the Serb hegemonist policy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the "Croatian issue". Because of his activity he was often arrested by the Yugoslav authorities, and in 1924 he was a victim of an assassination attempt. Briefly between the 1926 and 1927 he was a Minister of Construction where he made a great effort combating the corruption.
During the World War II, in the Independent State of Croatia, he was most notable for his participation in the abortive Lorković-Vokić plot in 1944, a coup which had the goal of establishing a coalition government between the Ustaše and the HSS and align the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) with the Allies. After the war, he became politically inactive.
Early life
Košutić was born in Radoboj, near Krapina, in the Croatian region of Zagorje. His sister Sida later became a prominent writer. His father Stjepan was HSS commissioner for Krapina region and he often met with Antun and Stjepan Radić, leaders of the HSS, so young August had a chance to listen to their conversations. After graduating from the elementary school, August entered the Zagreb gymnasium, where he was an excellent student. Because of that, he was entrusted with school library. Soon, August learned to write a stenography, so he was invited to work for the Sabor (Croatian parliament), where he started a close relationship with Stjepan Radić, who was also his godfather at his chrism, when Radić gave him all of his published works.
Young Košutić spent a lot of time in Radić's home to help him with writing and redaction of his articles, brochures and books. Košutić entered the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, but because of World War I, he stopped his study as he was invited to join the army. At the beginning of war he was an artillery officer, but later joined the air force school and he saw the end of the war as an air force officer. After the war, attended a technical school in Brno in Czechoslovakia, where he graduated and become an engineer, but where he also worked as an assistant. Soon, he returned to Croatia to work within the HSS, and in 1921 he married Radić's daughter Mira.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Activity within the HSS
When the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was created, its Prime Minister became Nikola Pašić, who enforced centralism and hegemonist rule, often accompanied by terror. Radić and Košutić travel aboard to inform the world public about the violent policy of Belgrade. Even though Košutić had immunity as member of parliament, authorities took his passport and forbade him to travel aboard, so he crossed the border illegally; in 1923 he was with Radić in London, later he went from Vienna to Zagreb where he was sent by Radić to inform the Croatian public about the image which was created about Croatia in the world. From Vienna, Košutić accompanied Radić on his way to Moscow to meet Georgy Chicherin, the Soviet foreign minister who wanted to meet Radić. Košutić continued to travel aboard, and as such, he bothered the Serbian authorities. In 1924, while he was holding a speech, in order to assassinate him, Jovo Gnjatović, a Serb, stuck him with a gunstock in his head. Košutić soon recovered, even though the doctors claimed he wouldn't; when he returned to Zagreb he was arrested.
Member of government
In 1926, Košutić was named undersecretary in the Ministry of Traffic and on 24 December 1926, Košutić was named Minister of Construction in the government of Nikola Uzunović, but after the stood down with the Radical Party, the HSS left the coalition on 1 February 1927. As a Minister of Construction, Košutić fought the corruption, which was highly present in this ministry, and illegal trading of properties. His ministry made a heavy blow to the corruption.
Activity before the implementation of a dictatorship
In 1927, after the HSS left the government, the new election was announced. For the HSS' political campaign, Košutić traveled to Macedonia, where the HSS had a lot of supporters, but he was arrested by police and transferred to Belgrade. Nevertheless, he continued to travel in Montenegro, Herzegovina, and South Croatia. In June 1928, Puniša Račić executed an assassination, killing few prominent members of the HSS and mortally wounding its leader, Stjepan Radić in the parliament. As a close associate of Radić, Košutić was one of his possible successors as president of the HSS after Radić died from wounds which he suffered during an assassination attempt in 1928.