| Mladen Lorković | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Foreign Minister of the Independent State of Croatia | |
| In office 9 June 1941 – 28 April 1943 |
|
| Leader | Ante Pavelić |
| Preceded by | Ante Pavelić |
| Succeeded by | Stijepo Perić |
| Minister for relations with German Army | |
| In office 28 April 1943 – 11 November 1943 |
|
| 3rd Minister of Interior of the Independent State of Croatia | |
| In office 11 November 1943 – 30 August 1944 |
|
| Preceded by | Andrija Artuković |
| Succeeded by | Mate Frković |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 March 1909 Zagreb, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 30 April 1945 (aged 36) Lepoglava, Croatia |
| Political party | Ustaše |
| Spouse(s) | Nada von Ghyczy |
| Relations | Ivan Lorković (father) Blaž Lorković (grandfather) Zdravko Lorković (brother) Šimun Debelić (brother-in-law) |
| Alma mater | University of Berlin |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Mladen Lorković (1 March 1909 – 30 April 1945) was a Croatian politician, lawyer and Ustasha leader.
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Lorković was born in Zagreb on 1 March 1909. As a high school student he was a supporter of Croatian Party of Rights, later joining the Croatian Youth Movement.[1] He studied law at the University of Zagreb. Because he was opposed to the regime of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia he was reportedly threatened with arrest.[1] After the king invoked the January 6th Dictatorship in 1929, Lorković moved to Austria and later to Germany.[1] He continued with his political activities, primarily opposing Yugoslavia and supporting the idea of an independent Croatian state.[1] He continued to study law at Innsbruck and Berlin, earning his doctorate. He later became a close associate of Ante Pavelić, and represented the Ustaša in Nazi Germany and, later for all European countries except for Italy. He continued to advocate the unification of all Croatian parties into one superparty to secede from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.[1]
He swore his Ustaše oath in 1934 and was arrested three years later. After that, he went to Hungary. In 1939 he returned to Yugoslavia. He was an associate editor of the Hrvatski narod (Croatian Folk) journal and the editor of the underground journal Hrvatska pošta (The Croatian Post).
In 1940, by court order of the Banate he was arrested and taken to prison at Lepoglava, and later to a camp near Krušić. In 1941 he escaped and began participating in preparations to declare the Independent State of Croatia in Zagreb. He was one of five people who signed a document dated 30 March 1941, asking the Third Reich for assistance in establishing the Croatian state.
After establishing of Independent State of Croatia Pavelić named Lorković as Foreign Minister of Croatia. On 28 April 1943 he was released of his duties as Foreign Minister. After that he was named state minister without Portfolio and he was in charge in activities with German Army. In 1943 he initiated an ultimately unsuccessful negotiation with the vice-president of Croatian Peasant Party, August Košutić, about a possible coalition. On 11 November 1943 he became Minister of the Interior of Croatia.
In May 1944 along with Ante Vokić, minister of Armed Forces, he attended secret meeting with the Croatian Peasant Party's August Košutić and Ivanko Farolifi. At the meeting they allegedly made plans to change sides, and for the Domobranstvo (regular Croatian Army) to attack Germany, to join the "Anglo-American Allies" who would presumably sponsor an independent Croatia. Lorković and Vokić informed head of state Ante Pavelić about their plans, and he supported them.
On 21 August 1944 Pavelić informed Siegfried Kasche, a German ambassador to Croatia, about their activities. On 30 August 1944 Pavelić revealed the conspiracy and conspirators. August Košutić escaped but the rest were jailed in Lepoglava.
On 30 April 1945, Lorković, Ante Vokić, and Croatian Peasant Party representatives Ivanko Farolifi and Ljudevit Tomašić were executed.
In August 1944 he married Countess Nada von Ghyczy.
Lorković published two books:
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