Dobroslav Paraga
A controversial Croatian nationalist who helped resurrect a historic far-right party in the turbulent aftermath of Yugoslavia's collapse.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Croatian politician·Birthday: December 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dobroslav Paraga reclaimed the historic Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) name in 1990, becoming the face of revived hardline nationalism. As a law student under Yugoslavia's communist rule, his nationalist activism led to imprisonment. His rhetoric focused on Croatian sovereignty and historical grievances. During the Homeland War, he was associated with the HSP's paramilitary wing. His uncompromising stance caused a party split in 1993, prompting him to form the even more hardline Croatian Party of Rights 1861. Paraga championed maximalist ideals but remained on the margins of Croatia's mainstream political evolution.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dobroslav was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dobroslav Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dobroslav's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Re-established and served as the first president of the modern Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) in 1991.
- Founded the splinter party Croatian Party of Rights 1861 in 1993 after a internal party split.
- Was a prominent dissident and political prisoner during the era of communist Yugoslavia.
Did You Know?
He was tried and acquitted of treason charges by the Yugoslav authorities in the 1980s.
Paraga’s party advocated for a Croatia encompassing territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He ran for President of Croatia in 1992, receiving a small percentage of the vote.
“The Croatian people have the right to their own sovereign state.”
