Ministry of Defense (Yugoslavia)
Through the history of Yugoslavia, the defense ministry which was responsible for defense of the country was known under several different names. The Ministry of the Army and Navy was responsible for defense of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1945, the Federal Secretariat of People's Defense for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992 and the Ministry of Defense for Serbia and Montenegro (officially named the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia between 1992 and 2003) from 1992 to 2006.
List of ministers
Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Mihailo Rašić | 1858–1932 | General | 1 December 1918 | 20 December 1918 | Previously served as Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia. | |
Ministers of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Mihailo Rašić | 1858–1932 | General | 20 December 1918 | 30 March 1919 | ||
2 | Stevan S. Hadžić | 1868–1931 | General | 30 March 1919 | 19 February 1920 | 1st Term | |
3 | Branko Jovanović | 1868–1921 | General | 19 February 1920 | 26 March 1921 | Died in office | |
Milorad Drašković | 1873–1921 | No military rank | 27 March 1921 | 24 May 1921 | Acting Minister of Defense | ||
4 | Stevan S. Hadžić | 1868–1931 | General | 24 May 1921 | 20 July 1921 | 2nd Term | |
5 | Milivoje Zečević | 1872–1946 | General | 20 July 1921 | 3 January 1922 | ||
6 | Miloš M. Vasić | 1859–1935 | General | 5 January 1922 | 4 November 1922 | ||
7 | Petar Pešić | 1871–1944 | Army General | 4 November 1922 | 27 July 1924 | 1st Term. General until 1923 | |
8 | Stevan S. Hadžić | 1868–1931 | Army General | 27 July 1924 | 6 November 1924 | 3rd Term | |
9 | Dušan Trifunović | 1880–1942 | Divisional General | 6 November 1924 | 24 December 1926 | ||
10 | Stevan S. Hadžić | 1868–1931 | Army General | 24 December 1926 | 23 April 1931 | 4th Term. Died in office | |
11 | Dragomir Stojanović | 1878–1943 | Army General | 24 April 1931 | 18 April 1934 | ||
12 | Milan Ž. Milovanović | 1874–1942 | Army General | 18 April 1934 | 22 October 1934 | ||
13 | Petar Živković | 1879–1947 | Army General | 22 October 1934 | 7 March 1936 | ||
14 | Ljubomir Marić | 1878–1960 | Army General | 8 March 1936 | 25 August 1938 | ||
15 | Milutin Nedić | 1882–1945 | Army General | 25 August 1938 | 26 August 1939 | ||
16 | Milan Nedić | 1877–1946 | Army General | 26 August 1939 | 6 November 1940 | Brother of Milutin Nedić. Later served as the Prime Minister of the Government of National Salvation | |
17 | Petar Pešić | 1871–1944 | Army General | 6 November 1940 | 27 March 1941 | 2nd Term | |
18 | Bogoljub Ilić | 1881–1953 | Army General | 27 March 1941 | 18 April 1941 | ||
Ministers of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Bogoljub Ilić | 1881–1953 | Army General | 18 April 1941 | 21 August 1941 | Ministry split into two, Ministry of the Army and Ministry of the Air Force and Navy | |
Ministers of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941–1942)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Bogoljub Ilić | 1881–1953 | Army General | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | ||
2 | Dragoljub Mihailović | 1893–1946 | Brigadier General | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | Ministry joined with Ministry of the Air Force and Navy | |
Ministers of the Air Force and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941–1942)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Dušan Simović | 1882–1962 | Army General | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | ||
2 | Dragoljub Mihailović | 1893–1946 | Brigadier General | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | Ministry joined with Ministry of the Army | |
Ministers of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1942–1945)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Dragoljub Mihailović | 1893–1946 | Army General | 14 January 1942 | 1 July 1944 | Brigadier General until 19 January 1942 and Divisional General until 17 June 1942. 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. Dismissed, post vacant until 11 September 1944. | |
Ivan Šubašić | 1892–1955 | No military rank | 1 July 1944 | 11 September 1944 | From 1 July 1944 to 11 September 1944, after the dismissal of Army General Dragoljub Mihailović, post of Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force was vacant. Ivan Šubašić was appointed temporary Minister during that period. | ||
2 | Borisav Ristić | 1883–1967 | Divisional General | 11 September 1944 | 26 January 1945 | Resigned on 26 January 1945. | |
Ivan Šubašić | 1892–1955 | No military rank | 26 January 1945 | 7 March 1945 | Тemporary Minister until 7 March 1945. | ||
Commissioner for Defense of the National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Josip Broz Tito | 1892–1980 | Marshal of Yugoslavia | 29 November 1943 | 7 March 1945 | Commissioner for Defense of the National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia | |
Federal Secretaries of People's Defense of the SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)
The Federal Secretary of People's Defense 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 defense minister during its existence from 1945 to 1992. He was the head of the Federal Secretariat of People's Defense (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).
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Josip Broz Tito | 1892–1980 | Marshal of Yugoslavia | 7 March 1945 | 14 January 1953 | Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1963. President of Yugoslavia from 1953 to 1980 | |
2 | Ivan Gošnjak | 1909–1980 | General of the Army | 14 January 1953 | 18 May 1967 | Considered for promotion to rank General (YPA) in 1955 | |
3 | Nikola Ljubičić | 1916–2005 | General of the Army | 18 May 1967 | 5 May 1982 | Afterwards served as the President of the Presidency of Serbia from 1982 to 1984, and as a member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for SR Serbia from 1984 to 1989 | |
4 | Branko Mamula | 1921– | Admiral of the Fleet | 5 May 1982 | 15 May 1988 | Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1979 to 1982. Admiral until 1983 | |
5 | Veljko Kadijević | 1925–2014 | General of the Army | 15 May 1988 | 8 January 1992 | Last Federal Secretary | |
Blagoje Adžić | 1932–2012 | Colonel General | 8 January 1992 | 27 February 1992 | Acting Federal Secretary | ||
Života Panić | 1933–2003 | Colonel General | 27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | Acting Federal Secretary | ||
Ministers of Defense of the 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.
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Milan Panić | 1929– | No military rank | 14 July 1992 | 2 March 1993 | ||
2 | Pavle Bulatović | 1948–2000 | No military rank | 2 March 1993 | 7 February 2000 | Assassinated | |
3 | Dragoljub Ojdanić | 1941– | General of the Army | 15 February 2000 | 4 November 2000 | Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1998 to 2000 | |
4 | Slobodan Krapović | 1948– | No military rank | 4 November 2000 | 29 January 2002 | ||
5 | Velimir Radojević | 1956– | No military rank | 29 January 2002 | 17 March 2003 | ||
6 | Boris Tadić | 1958– | No military rank | 17 March 2003 | 16 April 2004 | Afterwards served as the President of Serbia from 2004 to 2012 | |
7 | Prvoslav Davinić | 1938– | No military rank | 16 April 2004 | 21 October 2005 | ||
8 | Zoran Stanković | 1954– | Major General (Ret.) | 21 October 2005 | 4 June 2006 | ||
Headquarters (1965–1999)
See also
- Ministry of Defence (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Ministry of Defence (Croatia)
- Ministry of Defence (Montenegro)
- Ministry of Defence (Serbia)
- Ministry of Defence (Slovenia)
External links
- List of ministers at Rulers.org
- Governments of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats & Slovenes (Yugoslavia) 1918-1945