Independent State of Croatia

During World War II, in April 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded. The forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy set up the Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Dr?ava Hrvatska, NDH), encompassing most of Croatia.

Aftermath

The Jasenovac complex of five concentration camps was the place of murder of up to a hundred thousand people (some estimate that this camp was the third largest camp of WWII). Overall Usta?a death count is estimated at around 400,000 people, but all written records were destroyed to cover it up. By the end of the war the Croatian Serbs were reduced to 14% of the population due to killing or conversion (but also partially by emigration to Vojvodina in 1946/47), while the Croatian Jews were all but eliminated (only one fifth of them survived the war).

Related Topics:
Jasenovac complex of five concentration camps - Usta?a - Vojvodina

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In May 1945, a large group composed of anti-communists, Usta?a followers and of civilians was on a retreat from the partisan forces, heading west towards Italy and Austria. Ante Paveli? detached from the group and fled to Austria, Italy and finally Argentina. The rest of the group negotiated passage with the British forces on the Austrian-Slovenian border. After they refused to accept them (cf. Operation Keelhaul), Partisans are said to have executed up to 50,000 people in the Bleiburg massacre, named after the village of Bleiburg near that border near which some were executed, though many weren't killed there but on a "death march" back into Yugoslavia.

Related Topics:
Anti-communist - Argentina - Operation Keelhaul - Bleiburg massacre - Bleiburg

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The second Yugoslavia came into being later that year.

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