| Maarten Dolmatoff | |
|---|---|
| 19th President of Brunant | |
| In office
1928-1934 | |
| Preceded by | Johan Meier |
| Succeded by | Willem Darnant |
| Signature | |
Maarten Dolmatoff (1878-1940) was a former President and Prime Minister of Brunant. He was president in a turbulent period in Brunanter history, encompassing the Great Depression and the Crisis of 1933.
Biography
Maarten was born in 1878 to Ivan Dolmatoff, a Russian immigrant and Yvonne Meertgarten. He came from a poor background, but worked hard and went to school, ensuring greater chances of success. Dolmatoff was an intellectual and writer by 1910, openly criticizing the conservative governments that had been in power since 1888, influenced by the writings of Karel Muyskens. He would be present at protest, including anti-war ones. Because of this, the state kept watch on him.
In 1919 he founded the Communist Front, an alliance of various communist and socialists in support of Lenin and the Soviet Union. This created even more suspicion by the government. While the CF won a number of seats in the government in the 1920 elections, he was barred from proposing a candidacy for Prime minister (government feared the "red scare"). In 1923, the CF won the plurality of seats in congress and the Liberals reluctantly supported his candidacy as Prime Minister.
In 1927, when his term was over, he began a campaign to run for president. In 1928, he defeated White Party candidate Henry Bates by 1% to become president. In 1934 Presidential Elections he ran again, coming last in a very close 3-way race. During his tenure as president, he nationalized many industries and raised taxes for the rich, angering the conservatives. He also came to criticize Stalin and showed solidarity with Trotsky. In 1929 there was an assassination attempt on his life where he was injured but not killed.
Assassination
In the late 1930s Dolmatoff came to fear for his life, believing that die-hard conservatives or Stalinists would have him killed. So he moved to Lovia, living in the capital since 1936 with a low profile. But on May 2, 1940, an armed person entered his home and killed him while he was in the shower. A massive binational investigation took place, but no suspects were found.
Legacy
Dolmatoff has been widely considered to be "the father of Brunanter socialism". The award-winning 2000 film The Story of a Dreamer, directed by Tumas Deago, dramatises his life.