The Main Ustaša Headquarters () was the ruling body of the Ustaša party in the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

, convened under the ''

poglavnik () is a Serbo-Croatian word meaning 'leader' or 'guide'. As a political title, it is strongly associated with Ante Pavelić, head of the fascist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and served as dictator of the Independent State of Croa ...

'',

Ante Pavelić Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and was dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a fasc ...

Establishment

The Ustaše emigrants lived in many different countries, but since 1929, the most important and most numerous group was group of Ustaše emigrants in Italy, led by Ante Pavelić. The Main Ustaša Headquarters evolved from ''Croatian Emigrant Office'' () established by Pavelić in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, Italy and managed by Stanko Hranilović who also used alias Stanko Đurić and was one of the closest associates of Pavelić at that time. The group of Ustaše in Italy consisted of about 500 emigrants. The Main Ustaša Headquarters was first situated in

Bovegno Bovegno (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It borders the communes of Artogne, Berzo Inferiore, Bienno, Collio, Esine, Gianico, Irma, Marmentino and Pezzaze. It is located in the valley named Val Trompia. ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Organization

The Main Ustaša Headquarters consisted of ''

'', ''Doglavničko vijeće'', ''Pobočnički zbor'' and ''commissioners''. It is assumed that before the World War II only

Mile Budak Mile Budak (30 August 1889 – 7 June 1945) was a Croatian politician and writer best known as one of the chief ideologists of the Croatian fascist Ustaša movement, which ruled the Independent State of Croatia during World War II in Yugoslavia ...

was appointed as ''doglavnik'' (in 1934) and Marko Došen as president of the ''Doglavničko vijeće.'' The Council of the deputy chiefs of state (''Doglavničko vijeće''), a body of the Main Ustaša Headquarters, was made up of no more than twelve ''doglavniks'' (deputy leaders) at any one time and no more than 7 ''poglavni pobočniks'' (adjutants). In May 1941 Pavelić signed the law which defined Main Ustaša Headquarters as supreme body of Ustaše organization.

Doglavničko vijeće

In March 1941, the members of ''Doglavničko vijeće'' were: * Andrija Betlehem *

Marko Došen Marko Došen (7 July 1859 – 7 September 1944) was a writer, who later became a Croatian Ustaše politician. Biography Born in Mušaluk (now part of Gospić), Došen finished elementary school in Lika and one grade of gymnasium in Bjelovar. He ...

Slavko Kvaternik Slavko Kvaternik (25 August 1878 – 7 June 1947) was a Croatian military general and politician who was one of the founders of the ultranationalist Ustaše movement. Kvaternik was military commander and Minister of the Armed Forces ('' Domobrans ...

*Luka Lešić *Stjepan Matijević *

Ademaga Mešić Ademaga Mešić or Adem Aga Mešić (25 March 1868 – 1 July 1945) was a Bosnian politician and military officer who served in the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian ''Schutzkorps'', and later a member of the Ustaše government of the Independent ...

Pobočnički zbor

Besides ''doglavniks'' and their council, the Main Ustaša Headquarters had members who were adjutants (''doglavni pobočnici'') who constituted their own council (''Pobočnički zbor'') whose members were: * Blaž Lorković * Ivan Oršanić * Ivan Javor * Mijo Bzik *

Alija Šuljak Alija Šuljak (1901–1992) was a prominent Bosnian Muslim Croat who was a professor, politician and military officer of Ustaše during World War II, best known as one of the main perpetrators of the genocide of Serbs in Eastern Herzegovina. ...

* Mira Vrličak-Dugački * Vjekoslav Blaškov *

Hakija Hadžić Hakija Hadžić (1883–1953) was a Bosnian Muslim politician. He belonged to the group of Muslim politicians from Bosnia, who nationally identified as a Croat and approached the Ustasha movement. Hadžić belonged to a group of Muslim politicians ...

Commissioners

Besides Poglavnik, his deputies and adjutants, the leadership of the Ustaše organization had also commissioners who were appointed by poglavnik. It is important to differentiate commissioners of the Main Ustaša Headquarters from commissioners temporarily appointed as temporary authorities to establish Croatian control of certain regions. The commissioners of the Main Ustaša Headquarters included: *

Zdenko Blažeković Zdenko Blažeković (23 September 1915 – 12 January 1947) was a Croatian fascist official and footballer who held several posts in the World War II Ustaše regime in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). He was the student commissar at the ...

, a commissioner for physical education and sport * Božo Cerovski, a commissioner for internal affairs and security * Eugen Dido Kvaternik *

Vjekoslav Luburić Vjekoslav Luburić (6 March 1914 – 20 April 1969) was a Independent State of Croatia, Croatian Ustaše official who headed the system of concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) during much of World War II. Luburić al ...

* Vilko Pećnikar * Branko Rukavina * Frane Miletić * Ante Štitić * Vlado Singer * Vlado Herceg * Vlado Jonić * Franjo Laslo * Aleksandar Seitz * Danijel Crljen, a commissioner for education and propaganda * Šime Cvitanović * Mira Vrličak Dugački * Dragan Dujmović * Tomiša Grgić * Marijan Šimić * Nikola Jurišić * Mato Jagodić * Ivan Pregrad

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Main Ustasa Headquarters Independent State of Croatia 1941 establishments in Croatia March 1941 in Europe Zagreb in World War II