Prime Minister Ante Pavelic President Anton Korosec Nationality Croat Name Slavko Kvaternik Political party Ustase Children Dido Kvaternik | Preceded by Office established Preceded by Office established Profession Military Spouse Olga Frank Succeeded by Ante Pavelic | |
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Battles and wars World War I, Italian Campaign | ||
Slavko Kvaternik i odnos prema Srbima u NDH
Slavko Kvaternik : proglašenje Nezavisne Države Hrvatske.
Slavko Kvaternik (25 August 1878 – 7 June 1947) was one of the founders of the Ustasa movement, and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust in Independent State of Croatia. Kvaternik was Croatian military commander and Minister of Domobranstvo (Armed Forces). On 10 April 1941 he declared the creation of the Independent State of Croatia.
Contents
- Slavko Kvaternik i odnos prema Srbima u NDH
- Slavko Kvaternik proglaenje Nezavisne Drave Hrvatske
- Early life
- World War II
- Crimes
- Death
- Family
- Awards and decorations
- References
Kvaternik was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and was involved in World War I. After collapse of the Austria-Hungary he joined the National Council of State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and became Chief of the General Staff of the unrecognized State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. As such, he defended the region of Medimurje against Hungarians. He later transferred to the Royal Yugoslav Army and remained there until 1921.
In 1929, he was one of the founders of the Ustasa-Croatian Revolutionary Movement in Italy. After Germany invaded Yugoslavia in March 1941, he declared the creation of the Independent State of Croatia on 10 April 1941 with the support of the Axis. In the newly created state, he became the Minister of the Armed Forces and in 1943 he retired.
Early life
Kvaternik was born in Moravice (then known as Komorske Moravice) in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia of Austria-Hungary on 25 August 1878, the son of Ljudevit, a postman, and his wife, Marija (nee Frank), who was of German descent and Catholic by religion. Her father, Josip Frank, was a Catholic convert from Judaism. During World War I, Kvaternik served as an adjutant of field marshal Svetozar Boroevic and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class. In 1918 he joined the newly formed National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, becoming the Chief of General Staff. At the end of the year, Kvaternik commanded Croatian troops during the successful campaign in Medimurje against the Hungarian army.
World War II
After the German invasion of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the Ustase formed their government with Ante Pavelic as leader. Four days later Kvaternik proclaimed the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and formed the first Ustasha government. At the same time, at Kvaternik's request, Vladko Macek (the leader of the Croatian Peasant Party, who had refused to cooperate with the Germans when they requested he lead the new nation) told the people to cooperate with the new regime.
Kvaternik's position at this time was commander-in-chief of the Croatian Armed Forces. This carried the title of vojskovoda (marshal). The Croatian Home Guard was established on 11 April. He stayed at this position until his retirement on 4 January 1943.
He was awarded the 1st Class Cross of the Military Order of the Iron Trefoil during his service to the NDH. This award gave him the title of vitez (knight), which is sometimes included in his name.
Crimes
Mass murders of Jews, Serbs and Roma and anti-fascist Croats. Creation and operation of Ustasha concentration camps which were established on the model of Nazi concentration camps, among which stands out the Jasenovac.
Death
After the Second World War's end, Kvaternik was captured by US army, tried and sentenced to death for his crimes during NDH regime, by Yugoslav officials. He was executed in Zagreb on 7 June 1947.
Family
His wife was Olga Frank, daughter of Josip Frank, a Croatian nationalist politician of Jewish descent, who converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism. Their son, Dido, was a general in the NDH army and a member of the Ustasha.