Lorkovic-Vokic coup
Encyclopedia
Lorković-Vokić coup was a failed attempt plotted by Mladen Lorković
and Ante Vokić
to take over the power in Independent State of Croatia
(abbrev. NDH) in August 1944. Mladen Lorković, Foreign Minister
in government of NDH realized that Axis powers
are going to lose World War II
and decided it is time NDH switched sides and declared war on Nazi Germany
. He joined with Minister of War Ante Vokić and the pair plotted a coup d'etat
. The plan was to mount Lorković as head of state, who would then proclaim NDH's shift to Allied forces
, and Vokić was to ensure the coup had military backup. He conspired with the officers of Croatian Home Guard
aligned to HSS
and Vladko Maček
or those who didn't support Ustaše
regime. In fact, some sources suggest the coup was Maček's idea and that he was planning to take over the power in NDH.
Fascist forces in the territory of NDH were supposed to surrender to the newly formed government and NDH would be prepared, together with Serbian
Chetniks
, to welcome an allied invasion of the Balkans
and opening of the second front in Europe
. There are some insinuations that British intelligence
incited these, evidently reasonless, hopes.
It seems that Vokić was having some success and that coup could have possibly been carried out. But the word spread (Vokić's friend and co-conspirator Ante Štitić betrayed the group) and Ante Pavelić
, the leader of NDH, found out about their plan. On August 30 of 1944, he summoned government session and revealed Lorković and Vokić's plan. In next few days lot of arrests were made. Lorković and Vokić ended up in Lepoglava prison and were executed in April 1945 when NDH army was retreating from that area (they weren't executed earlier to prevent them becoming martyr
s). The failure of the Lorković-Vokić coup showed that Pavelić was fully dedicated to Hitler and also German authorities convinced him that Germany will win war with new technologies, such as V2
rockets, but the Independent State of Croatia has shared the same destiny of Nazi Germany. Germany's Plenpotentiary General in the NDH Edmund Glaise-Horstenau
was removed from his post in September, 1944 in relation to the planned coup. The removal of Vokić from his position resulted in the establishment of the Croatian Armed Forces in the fall of 1944.
It is unclear whether the two tried to persuade Ante Pavelić to declare war on the Axis powers
prior to their coup attempt. Some sources say Lorković and Vokić discussed this with Pavelić on several occasions and Pavelić agreed to leave the state, which he considered as an option until local Gestapo
officers found out about the plan and ordered Pavelić to eliminate the conspiracy.
It is a matter of debate whether the success of the coup would have changed the course of World War II in Yugoslavia
. Upholders of the coup state that if plan succeeded, Croatian state would be preserved at the end of the war and communists wouldn't be allowed to form a government. But, that scenario is highly unlikely:
Mladen Lorković
Mladen Lorković was a Croatian politician, lawyer and Ustasha leader.-Early life:Lorković was born in Zagreb on 1 March 1909. As a high school student he was a supporter of Croatian Party of Rights, later joining the Croatian Youth Movement. He studied law at the University of Zagreb...
and Ante Vokić
Ante Vokić
Ante Vokić was a Croatian politician, Ustaše krilnik and putschist.-Youth:Vokić was born in Mostar on 23 August 1909. He finished gimnasium in Sarajevo and attended Faculty of Law at University of Zagreb. He ended his study in 1929 and started working in train service in Sarajevo...
to take over the power in Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
(abbrev. NDH) in August 1944. Mladen Lorković, Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
in government of NDH realized that Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
are going to lose World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and decided it is time NDH switched sides and declared war on Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. He joined with Minister of War Ante Vokić and the pair plotted a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. The plan was to mount Lorković as head of state, who would then proclaim NDH's shift to Allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, and Vokić was to ensure the coup had military backup. He conspired with the officers of Croatian Home Guard
Croatian Home Guard
Croatian Home Guard or also, known as the "Homeland Defenders," was the name used for the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia which existed during World War II.- Formation :...
aligned to HSS
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
and Vladko Maček
Vladko Macek
Vladko Maček was a Croatian politician active within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the first half of the 20th century. He led the Croatian Peasant Party following the assassination of Stjepan Radić, and all through World War II.- Early life :Maček was born to a Slovene-Czech family in the village...
or those who didn't support Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
regime. In fact, some sources suggest the coup was Maček's idea and that he was planning to take over the power in NDH.
Fascist forces in the territory of NDH were supposed to surrender to the newly formed government and NDH would be prepared, together with Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
, to welcome an allied invasion of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and opening of the second front in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. There are some insinuations that British intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
incited these, evidently reasonless, hopes.
It seems that Vokić was having some success and that coup could have possibly been carried out. But the word spread (Vokić's friend and co-conspirator Ante Štitić betrayed the group) and Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelic
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist leader, revolutionary, and politician. He ruled as Poglavnik or head, of the Independent State of Croatia , a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia...
, the leader of NDH, found out about their plan. On August 30 of 1944, he summoned government session and revealed Lorković and Vokić's plan. In next few days lot of arrests were made. Lorković and Vokić ended up in Lepoglava prison and were executed in April 1945 when NDH army was retreating from that area (they weren't executed earlier to prevent them becoming martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s). The failure of the Lorković-Vokić coup showed that Pavelić was fully dedicated to Hitler and also German authorities convinced him that Germany will win war with new technologies, such as V2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
rockets, but the Independent State of Croatia has shared the same destiny of Nazi Germany. Germany's Plenpotentiary General in the NDH Edmund Glaise-Horstenau
Edmund Glaise-Horstenau
Edmund Glaise-Horstenau was an Austrian officer in the Bundesheer, last Vice-Chancellor of Austria before the 1938 Anschluss, and general in the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War.- Life :Born in Braunau am Inn the son of an officer, Glaise-Horstenau attended the Theresian Military...
was removed from his post in September, 1944 in relation to the planned coup. The removal of Vokić from his position resulted in the establishment of the Croatian Armed Forces in the fall of 1944.
It is unclear whether the two tried to persuade Ante Pavelić to declare war on the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
prior to their coup attempt. Some sources say Lorković and Vokić discussed this with Pavelić on several occasions and Pavelić agreed to leave the state, which he considered as an option until local Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officers found out about the plan and ordered Pavelić to eliminate the conspiracy.
It is a matter of debate whether the success of the coup would have changed the course of World War II in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Upholders of the coup state that if plan succeeded, Croatian state would be preserved at the end of the war and communists wouldn't be allowed to form a government. But, that scenario is highly unlikely:
- As there is no sign that Allies considered invading Balkans seriously. Tehran ConferenceTehran ConferenceThe Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943, most of which was held at the Soviet Embassy in Tehran, Iran. It was the first World War II conference amongst the Big Three in which Stalin was present...
conclusions stated that Operation OverlordOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
would be launched to open second front in Europe. It would be much greater problem to cross the AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
than advance through northern FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - Tehran Conference also recognised PartisansPartisans (Yugoslavia)The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
as Allied force in YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and western governments recognised Yugoslavian government in exile (based in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and supporting ChetniksChetniksChetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
). Both sides were forced to sign Tito-Šubašić AgreementTito-Šubašic AgreementThe Treaty of Vis , also known as the Tito-Šubašić Agreement, was an attempt by the Western Powers to merge the royal Yugoslav government in exile with the Communist-led Partisans who were fighting the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia in the Second World War and were de facto rulers on the liberated...
, and there was just no space for NDH to be included into post-war Yugoslavia, especially as it had been a Fascist puppet state.
Conspirators
- Mladen LorkovićMladen LorkovićMladen Lorković was a Croatian politician, lawyer and Ustasha leader.-Early life:Lorković was born in Zagreb on 1 March 1909. As a high school student he was a supporter of Croatian Party of Rights, later joining the Croatian Youth Movement. He studied law at the University of Zagreb...
- Minister of Internal Affairs - Ante VokićAnte VokićAnte Vokić was a Croatian politician, Ustaše krilnik and putschist.-Youth:Vokić was born in Mostar on 23 August 1909. He finished gimnasium in Sarajevo and attended Faculty of Law at University of Zagreb. He ended his study in 1929 and started working in train service in Sarajevo...
- Minister of Armed Forces - Franjo ŠimićFranjo ŠimicFranjo Šimić was a Croatian colonel, and later general, in the Croatian Home Guard. Prior to World War II he served as Maria of Romania's adjutant.Šimić retook Šuica and Tomislavgrad in August 1942...
- Croatian Home GuardCroatian Home GuardCroatian Home Guard or also, known as the "Homeland Defenders," was the name used for the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia which existed during World War II.- Formation :...
general and alleged member of the action. He was supposed to greet the English and American forces after their arrival on the Dalmatian coast. - Ivan BabićIvan Babic (soldier)Ivan Babić was a Croatian soldier and lieutenant-colonel in the Croatian Home Guard and later an emigrant dissident writer against Communist Yugoslavia....
- Croatian Home Guard lieutenant-colonel who relayed information about the coup to the Allies in Italy. He later defected from the Home Guard and went to the West. - Petar Blašković - Croatian Home Guard infantry general.
- Ivan Mrak - Former commander of the Croatian Air Force LegionCroatian Air Force LegionThe Croatian Air Force Legion , or HZL, also known as the Croatian Legion, was a military unit of the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia which fought alongside the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1943 and then back on Croatian soil...
. - Ivanko Farolfi - member of Croatian Peasant PartyCroatian Peasant PartyThe Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
- Ljudevit Tomašić - member of Croatian Peasant PartyCroatian Peasant PartyThe Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
- August Košutić - member of Croatian Peasant PartyCroatian Peasant PartyThe Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...