Lorković-Vokić coup
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Lorković-Vokić coup was a failed attempt plotted by Mladen Lorković and Ante Vokić to take over the power in Independent State of Croatia (abbrev. NDH) in August of 1944. Mladen Lorković, Foreign Minister in government of NDH realized that Axis powers are going to lose World War II and decided it is time NDH switched sides and declared war on Nazi Germany. He joined with Minister of War Ante Vokić and the pair plotted a coup d'etat. The plan was to mount Lorković as head of state, who would then proclaim NDH's shift to Allied forces, and Vokić was to ensure the coup had military backup. He conspired with the officers of Croatian Home Guard aligned to HSS and Vladko Maček or those who didn't support Ustaše regime. In fact, some sources suggest the coup was Maček's idea[1] and that he was planing to take over the power in NDH.
Fascist forces residing on territory of NDH were supposed to surrender to newly formed government and NDH would be prepared, together with Serbian Chetniks, to welcome allied invasion of Balkans and opening of the second front in Europe. There are some insinuations that British intelligence incited these, evidently reasonless, hopes.
It seems that Vokić was having some success and that coup could have possibly been carried out. But the word spread (Vokić's friend and co-conspirator Ante Štitić betrayed the group) and Ante Pavelić, the leader of NDH, found out about their plan. On August 30 of 1944, he summoned government session and revealed Lorković and Vokić's plan. In next few days lot of arrests were made. Lorković and Vokić ended up in Lepoglava prison and were executed in April of 1945 when NDH army was retreating from that area (they weren't executed earlier to prevent them becoming martyrs). The failure of Lorković-Vokić coup showed that Pavelić was fully dedicated to Hitler and that Independent State of Croatia was to share the destiny of Nazi Germany.
It is unclear whether the two tried to persuade Ante Pavelić to declare war on Axis powers prior to their coup attempt. Some sources say Lorković and Vokić discussed with Pavelić about this on several occasions and Pavelić agreed to leave the state, which he considered as an option until local Gestapo officers found out about the plan and ordered Pavelić to eliminate the conspiracy.
It is a matter of debate whether the success of the coup would change the course of World War II in Yugoslavia. Upholders of the coup state that if plan succeeded, Croatian state would be preserved at the end of the war and communists wouldn't be allowed to form a government. But, that scenario is highly unlikely:
- As there is no sign that Allies considered invading Balkans seriously. Tehran Conference conclusions stated that Operation Overlord would be launched to open second front in Europe. It would be much greater problem to cross the Alps than advance through northern France.
- Tehran Conference also recognised Partisans as Allied force in Yugoslavia and western governments recognised Yugoslavian government in exile (based in London and supporting Chetniks). Both sides were forced to sign Tito-Šubašić Agreement, and there was just no space for NDH to be included into post-war Yugoslavia, especially for being a Fascist puppet state.
[edit] References
- ^ Vladimir Dedijer et al.: "History of Yugoslavia"
