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.

Establishment of NDH

Following the attack of the Axis powers on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1941, and the quick defeat of the Yugoslav army (Jugoslovenska vojska), the whole country was occupied by the Axis forces. Hitler and Mussolini installed the Croatian Usta?e extremist movement into power, forming the so-called Independent State of Croatia.

Related Topics:
Axis powers - Kingdom of Yugoslavia - 1941 - Hitler - Mussolini - Usta?e

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The establishment of NDH was proclaimed on April 10, 1941 by Slavko Kvaternik, deputy leader of the Usta?e. The leader of the state was Ante Paveli?. On paper, it was a kingdom under one Tomislav II of the House of Savoy, but he had no real power and never even set foot on the territory of the NDH.

Related Topics:
April 10 - 1941 - Slavko Kvaternik - Usta?e - Ante Paveli? - Tomislav II - House of Savoy

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The name of the new state was an obvious and successful attempt at capitalizing on the Croat people's desire for independence, which had been unfulfilled since 1102. Vladko Ma?ek the head of the Croatian Peasant Party, the strongest elected party in Croatia at the time, refused an offer from the Germans to head the government but called on people to obey and cooperate with the new government the same day Kvaternik made the proclamation. Ante Paveli? arrived on April 20th to become the poglavnik (correlated with führer). The Roman Catholic Church's official stance was also openly positive in this period.

Related Topics:
Croat people - 1102 - Vladko Ma?ek - Croatian Peasant Party - Führer - Roman Catholic Church

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According to Vladko Ma?ek, the establishment of the state was greeted with approval by the middle classes and the intelligentsia who had become disillusioned with Yugoslavia, but the peasantry had met it with suspicion. The concession of an autonomous Banovina had been too recent (1939) to offset the friction that had marked the last two decades under the militarist regime of the Serbian king.

Related Topics:
Intelligentsia - Yugoslavia - Militarist

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The state included most of today's Croatia, but with Istria, Kvarner and northern Dalmatia allocated to Italy, and with Me?imurje and southern Baranja annexed by Hungary. On the other hand, it spread to all of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina. It roughly included the areas of former Austro-Hungarian Empire where Croatian and Serbian were spoken (see image).

Related Topics:
Istria - Kvarner - Dalmatia - Italy - Me?imurje - Baranja - Hungary - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Austro-Hungarian Empire - See image

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