Government of the Independent State of Croatia

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.

Croatian State Government Hrvatska državna vlada
Government of Independent State of Croatia
Flag of Ministers
Date formed	16 April 1941 (1941-04-16)
Date dissolved	8 May 1945 (1945-05-08)
People and organisations
Head of state	Tomislav II Ante Pavelić
Head of government	Ante Pavelić Nikola Mandić
Member party	Ustaše
Status in legislature	Totalitarian dictatorship

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 (1889–1959)	16 April 1941	2 September 1943	Died in Spain
2		Nikola Mandić (1869–1945)	2 September 1943	8 May 1945	[4]

Minister-Vice President

#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Term of Office		Notes
1		Osman Kulenović (1889–1947)	16 April 1941	7 November 1941	[4]
2		Džafer-beg Kulenović (1891–1956)	7 November 1941	8 May 1945	Died 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 1943	[4]
2		Andrija Artuković (1899–1988)	11 October 1943	8 May 1945	[5]

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

No.		Minister of the Croatian Home Guard	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Slavko Kvaternik (1878–1947)	10 April 1941	4 January 1943	1 year, 269 days	[4]
2		Ante Pavelić (1889–1959)	4 January 1943	2 September 1943	241 days	[6]
3		Miroslav Navratil (1893–1947)	2 September 1943	29 January 1944	149 days	[4]
4		Ante Vokić (1909–1945)	29 January 1944	30 August 1944	214 days	[7]
5		Nikola Steinfl (1889–1945)	30 August 1944	8 May 1945	251 days	[4]

Foreign Minister

Main article: Foreign Ministry of the Independent State of Croatia

#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Term of Office		Notes
1		Ante Pavelić (1889–1959)	16 April 1941	9 June 1941	Died in Spain
2		Mladen Lorković (1909–1945)	9 June 1941	23 April 1943	[7]
3		Mile Budak (1889–1945)	23 April 1943	5 November 1943	[4]
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	[7]
6		Mehmed Alajbegović (1889–1945)	5 May 1944	8 May 1945	[4]

Minister of Interior

#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Term of Office		Notes
1		Andrija Artuković (1899–1988)	16 April 1941	10 October 1942	[5]
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	[5]
4		Mladen Lorković (1909–1945)	11 October 1943	30 August 1944	[7]
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–????)	16 April 1941	10 October 1942	Extradited to Yugoslavia in 1945; fate unknown
2		Andrija Artuković (1899–1988)	10 October 1942	1 April 1943	[5]
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	[4]

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 Delivery

#	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 Delivery

#	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 portfolio
	Himlija Bešlagić (1899–1977)	Minister without portfolio
	Jozo Turina (????–????)	Minister without portfolio

References

Citations

1. Tomasevich 2001, p. 55.
2. Matković 2002, p. 97.
3. Matković 2002, p. 98.
4. Sentenced to death by communist authorities and executed after World War II
5. Emigrated to the United States; later died in Yugoslav custody
6. Died in Spain
7. Executed by the Ustaše for involvement in the Lorković-Vokić plot

General sources

• Matković, Hrvoje (2002). Povijest Nezavisne Države Hrvatske (in Croatian). Naklada Pavičić. ISBN 953-6308-39-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Tomasevich, Jozo (2001). War and Revolution in Yugoslavia: Occupation and Collaboration. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3615-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)