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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 was responsible for defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1945, the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence 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.

List of ministers[]

† denotes people who died in office.

Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918)[]

Minister of the Army Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Mihailo Rašić
Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić
(1858–1932)
[lower-alpha 1]
1 December 191820 December 191819 daysRoyal Army

Ministers of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941)[]

Minister of the Army and Navy Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Mihailo Rašić
Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić
(1858–1932)
20 December 191830 March 1919100 daysRoyal Army
2
Stevan S
S. Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan S. Hadžić
(1868–1931)
30 March 191919 February 1920326 daysRoyal Army
3
Branko Jovanović
Jovanović, BrankoGeneral Branko Jovanović
(1868–1921)
19 February 192026 March 1921†1 year, 35 daysRoyal Army
Milorad Drašković
Drašković, MiloradMilorad Drašković (Acting)
(1873–1921)
27 March 192124 May 192158 daysCivilian
(Represented DS)
(2)
Stevan S
S. Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan S. Hadžić
(1868–1931)
24 May 192120 July 192157 daysRoyal Army
4
Milivoje Zečević
Zečević, MilivojeGeneral Milivoje Zečević
(1872–1946)
20 July 19213 January 1922167 daysRoyal Army
5M. Vasić, MilošGeneral Miloš M. Vasić
(1859–1935)
5 January 19224 November 1922303 daysRoyal Army
6
Petar Pešić
Pešić, PetarArmy General Petar Pešić
(1871–1944)
[lower-alpha 2]
4 November 192227 July 19241 year, 266 daysRoyal Army
(2)
Stevan S
S. Hadžić, StevanArmy General Stevan S. Hadžić
(1868–1931)
27 July 19246 November 1924102 daysRoyal Army
7
Dušan Trifunović
Trifunović, DušanDivisional General Dušan Trifunović
(1880–1942)
6 November 192424 December 19262 years, 48 daysRoyal Army
(2)
Stevan S
S. Hadžić, StevanArmy General Stevan S. Hadžić
(1868–1931)
24 December 192623 April 1931†4 years, 120 daysRoyal Army
8
Dragomir Stojanović
Stojanović, DragomirArmy General Dragomir Stojanović
(1878–1943)
24 April 193118 April 19342 years, 359 daysRoyal Army
9
Milan Ž
Ž. Milovanović, MilanArmy General Milan Ž. Milovanović
(1874–1942)
18 April 193422 October 1934187 daysRoyal Army
10
Petar Živković
Živković, PetarArmy General Petar Živković
(1879–1947)
22 October 19347 March 19361 year, 137 daysRoyal Army
11
Ljubomir Marić
Marić, LjubomirArmy General Ljubomir Marić
(1878–1960)
8 March 193625 August 19382 years, 170 daysRoyal Army
12
Milutin Nedić
Nedić, MilutinArmy General Milutin Nedić
(1882–1945)
25 August 193826 August 19391 dayRoyal Army
13
Milan Nedić
Nedić, MilanArmy General Milan Nedić
(1877–1946)
[lower-alpha 3]
26 August 19396 November 19401 year, 72 daysRoyal Army
(6)
Petar Pešić
Pešić, PetarArmy General Petar Pešić
(1871–1944)
6 November 194027 March 1941141 daysRoyal Army
14
Bogoljub Ilić
Ilić, BogoljubArmy General Bogoljub Ilić
(1881–1953)
27 March 194118 April 194122 daysRoyal Army

Minister of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941)[]

Minister of the Army and Navy Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Bogoljub Ilić
Ilić, BogoljubArmy General Bogoljub Ilić
(1881–1953)
[lower-alpha 4]
18 April 194121 August 1941125 daysRoyal Army

Ministers of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941–1942)[]

Minister of the Army Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Bogoljub Ilić
Ilić, BogoljubArmy General Bogoljub Ilić
(1881–1953)
21 August 194111 January 1942143 daysRoyal Army
2
Dragoljub Mihailović
Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier General Dragoljub Mihailović
(1893–1946)
[lower-alpha 5]
11 January 194214 January 19423 daysYugoslav Army in the Homeland

Ministers of the Air Force and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1941–1942)[]

Minister of the Air Force and Navy Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Dušan Simović
Simović, DušanArmy General Dušan Simović
(1882–1962)
21 August 194111 January 1942153 daysRoyal Air Force
2
Dragoljub Mihailović
Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier General Dragoljub Mihailović
(1893–1946)
[lower-alpha 6]
11 January 194214 January 19423 daysYugoslav Army in the Homeland

Ministers of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in exile (1942–1945)[]

Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Dragoljub Mihailović
Mihailović, DragoljubArmy General Dragoljub Mihailović
(1893–1946)
[lower-alpha 7]
14 January 19421 July 19442 years, 169 daysYugoslav Army in the Homeland
Ivan Šubašić
Šubašić, IvanIvan Šubašić (Acting)
(1892–1955)
[lower-alpha 8]
1 July 194411 September 194472 daysCivilian
(Represented HSS)
2
Borisav Ristić
Ristić, BorisavDivisional General Borisav Ristić
(1883–1967)
11 September 194426 January 1945137 daysYugoslav Army outside the Homeland
Ivan Šubašić
Šubašić, IvanIvan Šubašić (Acting)
(1892–1955)
[lower-alpha 9]
26 January 19457 March 194540 daysCivilian
(Represented HSS)

Commissioner for Defence of the National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945)[]

Minister of the Army Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Josip Broz Tito
Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito
(1892–1980)
29 November 19437 March 19451 year, 98 daysNational Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia

Federal Secretaries of People's Defence of the SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)[]

The Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian language: 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).

Federal Secretary of People's Defence Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Josip Broz Tito
Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito
(1892–1980)
[lower-alpha 10]
7 March 194514 January 19537 years, 313 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces
2
Ivan Gošnjak
Gošnjak, IvanGeneral of the Army Ivan Gošnjak
(1909–1980)
[lower-alpha 11]
14 January 195318 May 196714 years, 124 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces
3
Nikola Ljubičić
Ljubičić, NikolaGeneral of the Army Nikola Ljubičić
(1916–2005)
[lower-alpha 12]
18 May 19675 May 198214 years, 352 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces
4
Branko Mamula
Mamula, BrankoAdmiral of the Fleet Branko Mamula
(born 1921)
[lower-alpha 13]
5 May 198215 May 19886 years, 10 daysSeal of the Yugoslav Navy
Navy
5
Veljko Kadijević
Kadijević, VeljkoGeneral of the Army Veljko Kadijević
(1925–2014)
15 May 19888 January 19923 years, 235 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces
Blagoje Adžić
Adžić, BlagojeColonel General Blagoje Adžić (Acting)
(1932–2012)
8 January 199227 February 199250 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces
Života Panić
Panić, ŽivotaColonel General Života Panić (Acting)
(1933–2003)
27 February 199220 May 199283 daysKoV JNA
Ground Forces

Ministers of Defence 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.

Minister of Defence Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Milan Panić
Panić, MilanMilan Panić
(born 1929)
14 July 19922 March 1993231 daysCivilian
(Independent politician)
2
Pavle Bulatović
Bulatović, PavlePavle Bulatović
(1948–2000)
2 March 19937 February 2000†6 years, 342 daysCivilian
(Represented DPS until 1998, then SNP)
3
Dragoljub Ojdanić
Ojdanić, DragoljubGeneral of the Army Dragoljub Ojdanić
(born 1941)
[lower-alpha 14]
15 February 20004 November 2000263 daysGround Forces
4
Slobodan Krapović
Krapović, SlobodanSlobodan Krapović
(born 1948)
4 November 200029 January 20021 year, 86 daysCivilian
(Represented SNP)
5
Velimir Radojević
Radojević, VelimirVelimir Radojević
(born 1956)
29 January 200217 March 20031 year, 47 daysCivilian
(Represented SNP)
6
Boris Tadić
Tadić, BorisBoris Tadić
(born 1958)
[lower-alpha 15]
17 March 200316 April 20041 year, 30 daysCivilian
(Represented DS)
7
Prvoslav Davinić
Davinić, PrvoslavPrvoslav Davinić
(born 1938)
16 April 200421 October 20051 year, 188 daysCivilian
(Represented G17 Plus)
8
Zoran Stanković
Stanković, ZoranMajor General (Ret'dZoran Stanković
(born 1954)
21 October 20054 June 2006226 daysGround Forces
(Ret'd; nominated by G17 Plus)

Headquarters (1965–1999)[]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. Previously served as Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia
  2. General until 1923
  3. Brother of Milutin Nedić. Later served as the Prime Minister of the Government of National Salvation from 1941 to 1944
  4. Ministry split into two, Ministry of the Army and Ministry of the Air Force and Navy
  5. Ministry joined with Ministry of the Air Force and Navy
  6. Ministry joined with Ministry of the Army
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. Тemporary Minister until 7 March 1945
  10. Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1963. President of Yugoslavia from 1953 to 1980
  11. Considered for promotion to rank General (YPA) in 1955
  12. 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
  13. Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1979 to 1982. Admiral until 1983
  14. Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1998 to 2000
  15. Afterwards served as the President of Serbia from 2004 to 2012

External links[]



All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Ministry of Defence (Yugoslavia) and the edit history here.
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