The Montenegrin Federalist Party (, , CFS), sometimes known simply as the Montenegrin Party, was a Montenegrin political party in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which stood for preservation of Montenegrin autonomy and a decentralized federalised Yugoslavia. It pursued the ideology of the Greens who lost the Christmas Uprising, but in a peaceful and democratic manner. Its best known leader was Sekula Drljević.
Ideology
Montenegrin Federalist Party initially gathered Montenegrin nationalists, Greens, supporters of the dethroned Petrović-Njegoš dynasty and opponents of the loss of Montenegrin statehood. However, soon upon its formation, the party split in two factions. The first faction gathered royalists, mostly older conservative politicians who served for King Nicholas I and wanted the restoration of independence of Montenegrin Monarchy.
The second faction, led by Mihailo Ivanović and Savo Vuletić, accepted the unification of South Slavs, but were opposed to the centralisation, and advocated federalism. This federalist faction included the group led by Sekula Drljević, which later split into third fraction and became gradually more extreme, which finally led to its cooperation with Ustashe.
The most important Montenegrin Federalist party stronghold was in Katunska nahija, a mountainous region of Old Montenegro including Cetinje, Njeguši, Ćeklići, Bjelice, Cuce, Ozrinići, Rudine, Grahovo, Pješivci, Zagarač and Komani. This region had the largest proportion of Montenegrin separatists and opponents of the annexation of Montenegro into Yugoslavia, and was subject to repression by the royal government. The party also had notable support in Crmnica and Riječka nahija.
History
Early years (1923-1929) After the abolition of divisional historical entities in 1922, when most of Montenegro became a part of the Zeta Oblast, Sekula Drljević and other prominent supporters of the dethroned Montenegrin king-in-exile Nicholas I gathered and organized a political party to pursue their goals of a distinct Montenegrin autonomy for its preservation within the Yugoslav monarchy, centering on federalization of the state. The party sought a peaceful way to resolve the Montenegrin national question, contrary to more radical Greens which used guerrilla tactics following the Christmas Uprising.
Montenegrin Federalist Party gradually voiced its support of the self-styled Montenegrin Army in Exile, and its members filled the party ranks after the Greens officially disbanded in 1926. Montenegrin Federalist Party ran in elections in 1923 with a campaign of promoting Montenegrin interests within the new state. Federalists came second in the election, with only 228 votes less than the People's Radical Party. In the next election held in 1925 Montenegrin Federalist Party came first. The party was officially established at the congress held on 4 October 1925, when the party programme was also adopted. During its early years, Montenegrin Federalists cooperated with the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, with common goals of federalisation and obtaining autonomy for Montenegro. The two parties ran in coalition in 1926 local elections. In 1927, Montenegrin Federalist Party agreed a coalition with the Croatian Peasant Party. Afterwards, the party joined the Croatian Peasant Party and the Independent Democratic Party in the Peasant-Democratic Coalition and became a minor coalition member.
Dictatorship and radicalisation (1929-1939) In 1929, King Alexander established a dictatorship, officially changing the name of the country to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. All political parties were banned, and Montenegrin federalists cooperated with communists, and even plotted an armed insurgence against the regime.