Vladimir Vauhnik (24 June 1896 – 31 May 1955) was a Yugoslav military officer of

Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes, an ethno-linguistic group mainly living in Slovenia * Sl ...

extraction. Vauhnik is most notable for his counterintelligence activities before and during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

that could have changed the course of the war.

Early life

Vauhnik was born on 24 June 1896 in

Svetinje Svetinje () is a small village in the Municipality of Ormož in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on a small rise in the Slovene Hills east of the railway from Ormož to Hodoš and the village of Ivanjkovci, northeast of the village of Mihalovci. The ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(modern-day

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

) into a patriotic Slovenian family and was drawn to the military even as a young boy. He graduated from College Preparatory High School No. 1 in Maribor, became a cadet, and later enrolled in the Theresian Military Academy near

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. His parents were teachers. After World War I, he returned to newly established Yugoslavia and participated in the Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia. He was decorated by Yugoslav authorities for his bravery in this conflict and promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Prelude to World War II

Vauhnik was probably the first in the world who presented information that the

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

would invade Poland and Yugoslavia and later Soviet Union, based on the covert and legal methods he used. Based on the orders of

Milan Nedić Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the ...

, who was Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Vauhnik visited German supreme command twice, to secure Yugoslav interest in the port of

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During World War II

Before the outbreak of the World War II Vauhnik had the rank of colonel as a military attaché in

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, where he closely cooperated with

Ivo Andrić Ivo Andrić ( sr-Cyrl, Иво Андрић, ; born Ivan Andrić; 9 October 1892 – 13 March 1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1961. His writ ...

. According to his own testimony, by 14 March 1941 Vauhnik had "irrefutable proof and even fairly detailed plans" about the initiation of preparations for attacks on

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by German forces. He emphasized that government of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

was informed about those plans. After

Axis invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Fü ...

, Vauhnik was captured in

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and transported to Berlin at the beginning of May 1941 where he was interrogated in

Reich Security Main Office The Reich Security Main Office ( , RSHA) was an organization under Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacity as ''Chef der Deutschen Polizei'' (Chief of German Police) and , the head of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). The organization's stat ...

. He was released as German citizen because he was born in part of Yugoslavia which was annexed by Germany at that time. After his release Vauhnik went to

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

. In 1942, Vauhnik forged a plan to transport

King Peter II of Yugoslavia Peter II Karađorđević (; 6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970) was the last King of Yugoslavia, reigning from October 1934 until he was deposed in November 1945. He was the last reigning member of the Karađorđević dynasty. The eldes ...

to Axis occupied Yugoslavia to mobilize

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

and

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under his command. His plan was based on the fact that German forces were entingled on Eastern Front while Italians could be convinced not to interfere. Vauhnik was a coworker of Ivan Prezelj, commander of Slovenian

Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

( Blue Guard). Vauhnik was initiator for establishment of the Military Council of all Slovene liberal political movements (). Vauhnik was at that time on the position of acting commander of the Headquarter of the

in Slovenia. According to some sources, Vauhnik travelled to Switzerland in June 1944 to offer to put

Slovene Home Guard The Slovene Home Guard (, SD; ) was a Slovenes#World War II and aftermath, Slovene anti-Slovene Partisans, Partisan militia that was founded and supported by the Germans and fought alongside them against the Partisans. It operated during part of ...

forces (), some soldiers of the Independent State of Croatia, and some Chetnik units under British command. His offer was rejected by the British representatives.

After World War II

After World War II Vauhnik went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he lived quietly without joining any Yugoslav émigré groups. Vauhnik died on 31 May 1955, aged 58, in Buenos Aires.

Bibliography

Works by/about Vauhnik include: * * *

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vauhnik, Vladimir People from the Municipality of Ormož École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni Chetnik personnel of World War II 1896 births 1955 deaths Slovenian Chetnik personnel of World War II Slovenian emigrants to Argentina Yugoslav emigrants to Argentina