Government of the Independent State of Croatia

Croatian State Government
Hrvatska državna vlada

Government of Independent State of Croatia
Flag of Ministers
Date formed16 April 1941 (1941-04-16)
Date dissolved8 May 1945 (1945-05-08)
People and organisations
Head of stateTomislav II
Ante Pavelić
Head of governmentAnte Pavelić
Nikola Mandić
Member partyUstaše
Status in legislatureTotalitarian dictatorship

The Croatian State Government (Croatian: Hrvatska državna vlada) was the government of the Independent State of Croatia from 16 April 1941 until 8 May 1945.

On 11 April 1941, after the proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia, Slavko Kvaternik, Deputy Leader of the Ustaše issued an order in which all state questions would be dealt with by the Ban Government Department (Odjel Banske vlasti). One day later, he formed an interim government called the Croatian State Leadership (Croatian: Hrvatsko državno vodstvo).[1] Kvaternik appointed the members of the Croatian State Leadership until Pavelić formed the government. The chairman of the interim government was Mile Budak,[1] other members were Mirko Puk (Deputy Leader), Andrija Artuković, Branko Benzon, Jozo Dumandžić, Mladen Lorković, Ismet Muftić, Marko Veršić, Đuro Vranešić and Milovan Žanić.

Ante Pavelić arrived in Zagreb on 15 April 1941. He formally established the government the following day by declaring the Provision for the Appointment of the Croatian State Government, which he signed as Poglavnik of the Independent State of Croatia. By this Provision, Pavelić inaugurated the official name of the state and his function in it.

According to this provision, the State Government was the supreme state body that performed state administration. The State Government was responsible to the Poglavnik, who appointed members of the government, and he or the president or vice president led government sessions. State affairs were managed by the Government's Presidency or certain ministries.

After the war, Pavelić established the Croatian State Committee with Lovro Sušić, Mate Frković, and Božidar Kavran as its leaders.[2] In 1951, Pavelić filled Croatian State Government since some of earlier government members were arrested and executed. His new government acted as the government in exile. Džafer-beg Kulenović was named Minister-President.[3]

Government composition

[edit]
Portfolio Minister Took office Left office
Minister-President27 June 19412 September 1943
2 September 19438 May 1945
Minister-Vice President16 April 19417 November 1941
7 November 19418 May 1945
Deputy Leader of Ustaše16 April 194130 April 1943
30 April 19438 May 1945
Government Secretary11 October 194211 October 1943
11 October 19438 May 1945
Minister-President of the Legislative Committee16 April 19418 May 1945
Minister of Armed Forces10 April 19414 January 1943
4 January 19432 September 1943
2 September 194329 January 1944
29 January 194430 August 1944
30 August 19448 May 1945
Foreign Minister16 April 19419 June 1941
9 June 194123 April 1943
23 April 19435 November 1943
5 November 194328 April 1944
28 April 19445 May 1944
5 May 19448 May 1945
Minister of Interior16 April 194110 October 1942
10 October 194229 April 1943
29 April 194311 October 1943
11 October 194330 August 1944
30 August 19448 May 1945
Minister of Justice and Religion16 April 194110 October 1942
10 October 19421 April 1943
1 April 194325 August 1943
25 August 19438 May 1945
Minister of Education16 April 19412 November 1941
2 November 194110 October 1942
10 October 194211 October 1943
11 October 19438 May 1945
Minister of Craftmanship and Trade16 April 194115 October 1941
15 October 194110 October 1942
10 October 19421 February 1944
1 February 19448 May 1945
Minister of People's Economy16 April 194130 June 1941
11 October 194211 October 1943
Minister of Rural Economy1 July 194110 October 1942
11 October 194211 October 1943
Minister of State Treasury1 July 19411 April 1943
1 April 194310 October 1943
10 October 19438 May 1945
Minister of Traffic and Public Works1 July 194111 October 1943
11 October 194330 August 1944
30 August 19448 May 1945
Minister of Forestry and Mining16 April 194110 October 1943
10 October 19438 May 1945
Minister of Delivery16 April 19411 July 1941
1 July 194110 October 1942
Minister of Health16 April 194110 October 1942
Minister of Health and Delivery10 October 19428 May 1945
Minister of Welfare for Perished Lands11 October 19435 May 1944
5 May 19448 May 1944
Minister for Liberated Areas11 October 194320 May 1944

Government in exile

[edit]

The government in exile was announced by Ante Pavelić on 10 April 1951. It dissolved following Pavelić's death on 28 December 1959.[4]

Portfolio Minister
Minister-President Džafer-beg Kulenović
Minister-Vice President Vjekoslav Vrančić
Minister of Interior Andrija Artuković
Foreign Minister Petar Pejačević
Minister of Education Andrija Ilić
Minister of Armed Forces Rafael Boban
Minister of Telecommunications and Post Jozo Dumandžić
Minister of Forests and Mines Ivica Frković
Minister without portfolio Stjepan Hefer
Hilmija Bešlagić
Jozo Turina

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed after World War II
  2. ^ a b c d e Emigrated to the United States; extradited to Yugoslavia and convicted of war crimes, later died in Yugoslav custody
  3. ^ a b c d e Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Tomasevich 2001, p. 55.
  2. ^ Matković 2002, p. 97.
  3. ^ Matković 2002, p. 98.
  4. ^ Adriano & Cingolani 2018, p. 390.

General sources

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  • Matković, Hrvoje (2002). Povijest Nezavisne Države Hrvatske (in Croatian). Naklada Pavičić. ISBN 953-6308-39-8.
  • Tomasevich, Jozo (2001). War and Revolution in Yugoslavia: Occupation and Collaboration. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3615-4.
  • Adriano, Pino; Cingolani, Giorgo (2018). Nationalism and Terror: Ante Pavelić and Ustasha Terrorism from Fascism to the Cold War. Central European University Press. ISBN 978-9633862063.