Government of the Independent State of Croatia

Croatian State Government
Hrvatska državna vlada

Flag of Ministers

Government inauguration on 16 April 1941
Government overview
Formed 16 April 1941
Dissolved 8 May 1945
Type Government
Headquarters Zagreb, Independent State of Croatia
Ministers responsible Nikola Mandić, Prime Minister
Džafer-beg Kulenović, Deputy Prime Minister

The Croatian State Government (Croatian: Hrvatska državna vlada) was 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 by the Banal 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 which 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 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 government in exile. Džafer-beg Kulenović was named Minister President.[3]

Ministers

Minister-President

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Ante Pavelić
(1889–1956) 		16 April 1941 2 September 1943 Died in Spain.
2 Nikola Mandić
(1869–1945) 		2 September 1943 8 May 1945 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.

Minister-Vice President

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Osman Kulenović
(1889–1947) 		16 April 1941 7 November 1941After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.
2 Džafer-beg Kulenović
(1891–1956) 		7 November 1941 8 May 1945Died in Syria.

Deputy Leader of Ustaše

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Ljudevit Šolc
(1883–1943) 		16 April 1941 30 April 1943 Died in Croatia.
2 Lovro Sušić
(1891–1972) 		30 April 1943 8 May 1945 Died in Venezuela.

Government Secretary

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Mirko Puk
(1884–1945) 		11 October 1942 11 October 1943After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.
2 Andrija Artuković
(1899–1988) 		11 October 1943 8 May 1945Emigrated to the United States, later died in Yugoslav custody.

Minister-President of the Legislative Committee

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Milovan Žanić
(1882–1946) 		16 April 1941 8 May 1945 Died in a camp in Italy.

Minister of Armed Forces

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Slavko Kvaternik
(1878–1947) 		16 April 1941 4 January 1943 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.
2 Ante Pavelić
(1889–1959) 		4 January 1943 2 September 1943 Died in Spain.
3 Miroslav Navratil
(1893–1947) 		2 September 1943 29 January 1944 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.
4 Ante Vokić
(1909–1945) 		29 January 1944 30 August 1944 Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot.
5 Nikola Steinfl
(1889–1945) 		30 August 1944 8 May 1945 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.

Foreign Minister

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Ante Pavelić
(1889–1956) 		16 April 1941 9 June 1941 Died in Spain.
2 Mladen Lorković
(1909–1945) 		9 June 1941 23 April 1943 Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot.
3 Mile Budak
(1889–1945) 		23 April 1943 5 November 1943 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.
4 Stijepo Perić
(1896–1954) 		5 November 1943 28 April 1944 Died in Argentina.
5 Mladen Lorković
(1909–1945) 		28 April 1944 5 May 1944 Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot.
6 Mehmed Alajbegović
(1889–1945) 		5 May 1944 8 May 1945 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.

Minister of Interior

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Andrija Artuković
(1899–1988) 		16 April 1941 10 October 1942 Emigrated to the United States, later died in Yugoslav custody.
2 Ante Nikšić
(1892–1962) 		10 October 1942 29 April 1943 Died in Argentina.
3 Andrija Artuković
(1899–1988) 		29 April 1943 11 October 1943 Emigrated to the United States, later died in Yugoslav custody.
4 Mladen Lorković
(1909–1945) 		11 October 1943 30 August 1944 Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot.
5 Mato Frković
(1901–1987) 		30 August 1944 8 May 1945 Died in Argentina.

Minister of Justice and Religion

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office Notes
1 Mirko Puk
(1884–1945) 		16 April 1941 10 October 1942 Extradited to Yugoslavia in 1945, after that his faith is unknown. There is a possibility that he committed a suicide.
2 Andrija Artuković
(1899–1988) 		10 October 1942 1 April 1943 Emigrated to the United States, later died in Yugoslav custody.
3 Jozo Dumandžić
(1900–1977) 		1 April 1943 25 August 1943 Died in Argentina.
4 Pavao Canki
(1892–1945) 		25 August 1943 8 May 1945 After the war, he was sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed.

Minister of Education

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Mile Budak
(1889–1945) 		16 April 1941 2 November 1941
2 Stjepan Ratković
(1878–1968) 		2 November 1941 10 October 1942
3 Mile Starčević
(1904–1953) 		10 October 1942 11 October 1943
4 Julije Makanec
(1904–1945) 		11 October 1943 8 May 1945

Minister of Craftmanship and Trade

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Marijan Šimić
(1898–????) 		16 April 1941 15 October 1941
2 Dragutin Toth
(1890–1971) 		15 October 1941 10 October 1942
3 Josip Cabas
(1900–1980) 		10 October 1942 1 February 1944
4 Vjekoslav Vrančić
(1904–1990) 		1 February 1944 8 May 1945

Minister of People's Economy

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Lovro Sušić
(1891–1972) 		16 April 1941 30 June 1941
2 Josip Balen
(1890–1963) 		11 October 1942 11 October 1943

Minister of Rural Economy

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Jozo Dumandžić
(1900–1977) 		1 July 1941 10 October 1942
2 Stjepan Hefer
(1897–1973) 		11 October 1943 8 May 1945

Minister of State Treasury

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Vladimir Košak
(1908–1947) 		1 July 1941 1 April 1943
2 Ante Filipančić
(1887–1944) 		1 April 1943 10 October 1943
3 Dragutin Toth
(1890–1971) 		10 October 1943 8 May 1945

Minister of Traffic and Public Works

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Hilmija Bešlagić
(1899–1977) 		1 July 1941 11 October 1943
2 Ante Vokić
(1909–1945) 		11 October 1943 30 August 1944
3 Jozo Dumandžić
(1900–1977) 		30 August 1944 8 May 1945

Minister of Forestry and Mining

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Ivica Frković
(1894–1980) 		16 April 1941 10 October 1943
2 Josip Balen
(1890–1963) 		10 October 1943 8 May 1945

Minister of Dilivery

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Jozo Dumandžić
(1900–1977) 		16 April 1941 1 July 1941
2 Lovro Sušić
(1891–1972) 		1 July 1941 10 October 1942

Minister of Health

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Ivan Petrić
(1897–1968) 		16 April 1941 10 October 1942

Minister of Health and Dilivery

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Janko Tortić
(1897–1968) 		10 October 1942 8 May 1945

Minister of Welfare for Perished Lands

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Mehmed Alajbegović
(1906–1947) 		11 October 1943 5 May 1944
2 Meho Mehičić
(1904–1967) 		5 May 1944 8 May 1944

Minister for Liberated Areas

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term of Office
1 Edo Bulat
(1901–1984) 		11 October 1943 20 May 1944

Members of the Government in exile

Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Ministry
Džafer-beg Kulenović
(1891–1956) 		Minister President
Vjekoslav Vrančić
(1899–1988) 		Minister Vice President
Andrija Artuković
(1899–1988) 		Minister of Interior
Petar Pejačević
(1908–1987) 		Foreign Minister
Andrija Ilić
(????-????) 		Minister of Education
Rafael Boban
(1907-1951?) 		Minister of Armed Forces
Jozo Dumandžić
(1900–1977) 		Minister of Telecommunications and Post
Ivica Frković
(1894–1980) 		Minister of Forests and Mines
Stjepan Hefer
(1897–1973) 		Minister without portfilio
Himlija Bešlagić
(1899–1977) 		Minister without portfilio
Jozo Turina
(????-????) 		Minister without portfilio

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tomasevich 2001, p. 55.
  2. ↑ Matković 2002, p. 97.
  3. ↑ Matković 2002, p. 98.
Bibliography