WORLD WAR II
WORLD WAR II

Author(s): Nikica Barić
Subject(s): History of Church(es), Economic history, Military history, Political history, Government/Political systems, Political behavior, Politics and religion, Comparative politics, Nationalism Studies, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), History of Communism, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Hrvatski institut za povijest
Keywords: Ustasha movement; Independent State of Croatia; NDH; Partisan movement; Communist party of Yugoslavia/Croatia; HSS; Catholic Church;
Summary/Abstract: When Hitler decided to invade Yugoslavia and destroy it as a state, his representatives contacted the largest Croatian political party – the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS). The Germans wanted the party’s leader, Vladko Maček, to head the new, independent Croatia after the break-up of Yugoslavia. But Maček rejected the proposal. Then the Ger-mans turned to the Ustasha organization in Croatia and its leader Slavko Kvaternik declared the independent Croatia on April 10, 1941, the same day when the German army entered Zagreb. The Kingdom of Italy had previously supported the Ustasha organization, but after the assassination of the Yugoslav King Alexander Karađorđević in Marseille in 1934, organized by the Ustashas, the Italians restricted the activities of the Ustasha organization in their territory. In the circumstances of preparations for the attack on Yugoslavia, the Italians organized the passage of several hundred Ustashas led by Ante Pavelić to Croatia.

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