Ministry of Defence (Yugoslavia)
Through the history of Yugoslavia, the defence ministry which was responsible for defence of the country was known under several different names. The Ministry of the Army and Navy[lower-alpha 1] was responsible for defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1941, the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence[lower-alpha 2] for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992 and the Ministry of Defence for Serbia and Montenegro (officially named the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia between 1992 and 2003) from 1992 to 2006.
Serbo-Croatian: Ministarstvo odbrane/Министарство одбране Slovene: Ministrstvo za obrambo Macedonian: Министерство за одбрана | |
The Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building (damaged in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia) | |
Ministry overview | |
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Formed | 1 December 1918 |
Dissolved | 4 June 2006 |
Jurisdiction | Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro |
Headquarters | Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building, Belgrade (1965–99) 44°48′20″N 20°27′40″E |
Ministers responsible |
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Parent department | Federal Executive Council (1953–92) |
List of ministers
† denotes people who died in office.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941)
- Minister of the Army
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) [lower-alpha 3] | General1 December 1918 | 20 December 1918 | 19 days | Independent | Royal Army |
- Minister of the Army and Navy
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) | General20 December 1918 | 30 March 1919 | 100 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
2 | Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | General30 March 1919 | 19 February 1920 | 326 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
3 | Branko Jovanović (1868–1921) | General19 February 1920 | 26 March 1921 † | 1 year, 35 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
– | Milorad Drašković (1873–1921) Acting Minister of the Interior | 27 March 1921 | 24 May 1921 | 58 days | DS | none | |
(2) | Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | General24 May 1921 | 20 July 1921 | 57 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
4 | Milivoje Zečević (1872–1946) | General20 July 1921 | 3 January 1922 | 167 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
5 | Miloš Vasić (1859–1935) | General5 January 1922 | 4 November 1922 | 303 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
6 | (when appointed) Army general (since 1923) Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | General4 November 1922 | 27 July 1924 | 1 year, 266 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
(2) | Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | Army general27 July 1924 | 6 November 1924 | 102 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
7 | Divisional general Dušan Trifunović (1880–1942) | 6 November 1924 | 24 December 1926 | 2 years, 48 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
(2) | Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | Army general24 December 1926 | 23 April 1931 † | 4 years, 120 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
8 | Dragomir Stojanović (1878–1943) | Army general24 April 1931 | 18 April 1934 | 2 years, 359 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
9 | Milan Milovanović (1874–1942) | Army general18 April 1934 | 22 October 1934 | 187 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
10 | Petar Živković (1879–1947) | Army general22 October 1934 | 7 March 1936 | 1 year, 137 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
11 | Ljubomir Marić (1878–1960) | Army general8 March 1936 | 25 August 1938 | 2 years, 170 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
12 | Milutin Nedić (1882–1945) | Army general25 August 1938 | 26 August 1939 | 1 year, 1 day | Independent | Royal Army | |
13 | Milan Nedić (1877–1946) [lower-alpha 4] | Army general26 August 1939 | 6 November 1940 | 1 year, 72 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
(6) | Petar Pešić (1871–1944) [lower-alpha 5] | Army general6 November 1940 | 27 March 1941 | 141 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
14 | Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | Army general27 March 1941 | 18 April 1941 | 22 days | Independent | Royal Army |
Yugoslav government-in-exile (1941–1945)
- Minister of the Army and Navy
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) [lower-alpha 6] | Army general18 April 1941 | 21 August 1941 | 125 days | Independent | Royal Army |
- Minister of the Army
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | Army general21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 143 days | Independent | Royal Army | |
2 | Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 7] | Brigadier general11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Independent | JVuO |
- Minister of the Air Force and Navy
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Air Force and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dušan Simović (1882–1962) | Army general21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 153 days | Independent | Royal Air Force | |
2 | Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 8] | Brigadier general11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Independent | JVuO |
- Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force
No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | (when appointed) Divisional general (since 19 January 1942) Army general (since 17 June 1942) Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 9] | Brigadier general14 January 1942 | 1 July 1944 | 2 years, 169 days | Independent | JVuO | |
– | Ivan Šubašić (1892–1955) Acting | 1 July 1944 | 11 September 1944 | 72 days | HSS | none | |
2 | Borisav Ristić (1883–1967) | Divisional general11 September 1944 | 26 January 1945 | 137 days | Independent | JVvO | |
– | Ivan Šubašić (1892–1955) Acting | 26 January 1945 | 7 March 1945 | 40 days | HSS | none |
National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945)
No. | Portrait | Commissioner for Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) | 29 November 1943 | 7 March 1945 | 1 year, 98 days | SKJ | NOV i POJ |
SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)
The Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian: Savezni sekretar za narodnu odbranu SFRJ, Cyrillic: Савезни секретар за народну одбрану СФРЈ) was that country's defence minister during its existence from 1945 to 1992. He was the head of the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence (Savezni sekretarijat za narodnu odbranu - SSNO) and it was the most effective military person, while the Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (which was the formational part of SSNO) was the most professional and staff body.
It was the part of the Federal Executive Council (Federal Government).
No. | Portrait | Federal Secretary of People's Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) [lower-alpha 10] | 7 March 1945 | 14 January 1953 | 7 years, 313 days | SKJ | Ground Forces | |
2 | Ivan Gošnjak (1909–1980) [lower-alpha 11] | General of the Army14 January 1953 | 18 May 1967 | 14 years, 124 days | SKJ | Ground Forces | |
3 | Nikola Ljubičić (1916–2005) [lower-alpha 12] | General of the Army18 May 1967 | 5 May 1982 | 14 years, 352 days | SKJ | Ground Forces | |
4 | (when appointed) Admiral of the Fleet (since 1983) Branko Mamula (1921–2021) [lower-alpha 13] | Admiral5 May 1982 | 15 May 1988 | 6 years, 10 days | SKJ | Navy | |
5 | Veljko Kadijević (1925–2014) | General of the Army15 May 1988 | 8 January 1992 | 3 years, 235 days | SKJ | Ground Forces | |
– | Blagoje Adžić (1932–2012) Acting | Colonel general8 January 1992 | 27 February 1992 | 50 days | Independent | Ground Forces | |
– | Života Panić (1933–2003) Acting | Colonel general27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | 83 days | Independent | Ground Forces |
Timeline
FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006)
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the secession of four out of six constituent republic in the SFR Yugoslavia the remaining two (Serbia and Montenegro) established a federation in 1992 called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavia). This lasted until 2003 when it was reconstituted as a state union called Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 both countries declared independence and parted ways.
No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Milan Panić (born 1929) | 14 July 1992 | 2 March 1993 | 231 days | Independent | none | |
2 | Pavle Bulatović (1948–2000) | 2 March 1993 | 7 February 2000 † | 6 years, 342 days | DPS SNP | none | |
3 | Dragoljub Ojdanić (1941–2020) [lower-alpha 14] | General of the Army15 February 2000 | 4 November 2000 | 263 days | Independent | Ground Forces | |
4 | Slobodan Krapović (born 1948) | 4 November 2000 | 29 January 2002 | 1 year, 86 days | SNP | none | |
5 | Velimir Radojević (born 1956) | 29 January 2002 | 17 March 2003 | 1 year, 47 days | SNP | none | |
6 | Boris Tadić (born 1958) [lower-alpha 15] | 17 March 2003 | 16 April 2004 | 1 year, 30 days | DS | none | |
7 | Prvoslav Davinić (born 1938) | 16 April 2004 | 21 October 2005 | 1 year, 188 days | G17+ | none | |
8 | Sanitation (Ret'd) Zoran Stanković (1954–2021) | Major general of the 21 October 2005 | 4 June 2006 | 226 days | Independent | Ground Forces (Ret'd) |
Standards
- Standard of the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
- Standard of the Minister of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1937–1944.
- Standard of the Minister of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1944–1945.
- Standard of the Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the SFR Yugoslavia 1956–1963.
- Standard of the Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the SFR Yugoslavia 1963–1993.
See also
Notes
- Serbo-Croatian: Ministarstvo vojske i mornarice / Министарство војске и морнарице
- Serbo-Croatian: Savezni sekretarijat za narodnu odbranu / Савезни секретаријат за народну одбрану, SSNO
- Previously served as Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia.
- Brother of Milutin Nedić. Later served as the Prime Minister of the Government of National Salvation from 1941 to 1944.
- Removed from office in the Yugoslav coup d'état.
- Ministry split into two, Ministry of the Army and Ministry of the Air Force and Navy.
- Ministry joined with Ministry of the Air Force and Navy.
- Ministry joined with Ministry of the Army.
- Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland from 10 June 1942.
Until 1 July 1944, on behalf of Mihailović and due to his absence, designated representatives (Slobodan Jovanović, Petar Živković and Božidar Purić) implemented decisions of the government. - Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1963. President of Yugoslavia from 1953 to 1980.
- Considered for promotion to rank General (YPA) in 1955.
- Afterwards served as the President of the Presidency of SR Serbia from 1982 to 1984, and as a member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for SR Serbia from 1984 to 1989.
- Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1979 to 1982.
- Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1998 to 2000.
- Afterwards served as the President of Serbia from 2004 to 2012.