What is former croatia president?

The first president of independent Croatia was Franjo Tuđman, who served from 1990 until his death in 1999. He was born on May 14, 1922, in Veliko Trgovišće, Croatia and received his education in Croatia, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Tuđman worked in the Yugoslav army and then moved into academia, becoming a historian and political scientist. In the 1970s, he began to advocate for Croatian independence, which led to his arrest and imprisonment by the Yugoslav authorities from 1972 to 1989.

After the fall of communism in Yugoslavia in 1990, Tuđman founded the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and became the country's first democratically elected president in May of that year. During his presidency, he oversaw the country's transition to a multi-party democracy and played a key role in the Croatian War of Independence against Yugoslavia.

Tuđman was re-elected as president in 1992 and 1997. However, his presidency was controversial due to his nationalist policies and authoritarian style of governance. He was criticized for suppressing opposition and limiting media freedom, as well as for neglecting human rights violations committed by Croat soldiers during the war.

Franjo Tuđman died on December 10, 1999, due to complications from cancer. Despite his controversial legacy, he is still remembered as a significant figure in Croatian history, particularly for his role in leading the country to independence.