Nikola Ljubičić

Nikola Ljubičić
Никола Љубичић
President of the Presidency of Serbia
In office
5 May 1982 – 5 May 1984
Preceded by Dobrivoje Vidić
Succeeded by Dušan Čkrebić
3rd Federal Secretary of People's Defence
In office
18 May 1967 – 5 May 1982
Preceded by Ivan Gošnjak
Succeeded by Branko Mamula
Personal details
Born 4 April 1916
Karan near Užice, Kingdom of Serbia
Died 13 April 2005 (aged 89)
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Nationality Serb
Political party SKJ
League of Communists - Movement for Yugoslavia
Spouse(s) Vera Ljubičić
Awards Order of National Hero of Yugoslavia
Military service
Allegiance Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Service/branch Yugoslav People's Army
Years of service 1941–1982
Rank General of the Army
Commands Yugoslav People's Army
Battles/wars World War II

Nikola Ljubičić (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Љубичић; born in the village of Karan near Užice on 4 April 1916; died in Belgrade on 13 April 2005) was the President of the Presidency of Serbia (1982–1984), a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1984–1989), and the Minister of Defence of Yugoslavia (1967–1982). He received numerous medals both from Yugoslavia and abroad, including the Order of the National Hero of Yugoslavia.

He fought in World War II alongside Josip Broz Tito for the Yugoslav partisan movement and was proclaimed a Yugoslav national hero on the 27 November 1953 for his actions in the war.

Nikola Ljubičić joined the Partisans at the start of the war in Yugoslavia in 1941. He served with distinction, courage and heroism in the face of death. During the war he was put in charge of numerous units, moving through the ranks of the Partisan army. 41 years after his first steps upon the battlefields of Yugoslavia, he retired from the Yugoslav People's Army as a General of the Army with four stars degree, and Minister of Defence.

In 1982 Nikola Ljubičić took up the position of President of the Presidency of Serbia. He remained in this position until 1984. From 1984 to 1989 he was a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

He died on 13 April 2005, and was buried with full military honours in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens of the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

There are a number of publications on his work such as the Total National Defence - Strategy for Peace (published in 1977 in numerous languages, including English, Arabic, Russian and Serbo-Croatian), and his own memoirs of World War II in the book "U Titovoj koloni" ("Marching with Tito"; published in 2006).

Military offices
Preceded by
Ivan Gošnjak		 Federal secretary of people's defence
18 May 1967 – 5 May 1982 		Succeeded by
Branko Mamula
Political offices
Preceded by
Dobrivoje Vidić		 President of Serbian Presidency
5 May 1982 – 5 May 1984 		Succeeded by
Dušan Čkrebić