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 | General Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) [lower-alpha 1] | 1 December 1918 | 20 December 1918 | 19 days | Royal Army |
[]
| № | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) | 20 December 1918 | 30 March 1919 | 100 days | Royal Army | |
| 2 | General Stevan S. Hadžić (1868–1931) | 30 March 1919 | 19 February 1920 | 326 days | Royal Army | |
| 3 | General Branko Jovanović (1868–1921) | 19 February 1920 | 26 March 1921† | 1 year, 35 days | Royal Army | |
| – | Milorad Drašković (Acting) (1873–1921) | 27 March 1921 | 24 May 1921 | 58 days | Civilian (Represented DS) | |
| (2) | General Stevan S. Hadžić (1868–1931) | 24 May 1921 | 20 July 1921 | 57 days | Royal Army | |
| 4 | General Milivoje Zečević (1872–1946) | 20 July 1921 | 3 January 1922 | 167 days | Royal Army | |
| 5 | General Miloš M. Vasić (1859–1935) | 5 January 1922 | 4 November 1922 | 303 days | Royal Army | |
| 6 | Army General Petar Pešić (1871–1944) [lower-alpha 2] | 4 November 1922 | 27 July 1924 | 1 year, 266 days | Royal Army | |
| (2) | Army General Stevan S. Hadžić (1868–1931) | 27 July 1924 | 6 November 1924 | 102 days | Royal Army | |
| 7 | Divisional General Dušan Trifunović (1880–1942) | 6 November 1924 | 24 December 1926 | 2 years, 48 days | Royal Army | |
| (2) | Army General Stevan S. Hadžić (1868–1931) | 24 December 1926 | 23 April 1931† | 4 years, 120 days | Royal Army | |
| 8 | Army General Dragomir Stojanović (1878–1943) | 24 April 1931 | 18 April 1934 | 2 years, 359 days | Royal Army | |
| 9 | Army General Milan Ž. Milovanović (1874–1942) | 18 April 1934 | 22 October 1934 | 187 days | Royal Army | |
| 10 | Army General Petar Živković (1879–1947) | 22 October 1934 | 7 March 1936 | 1 year, 137 days | Royal Army | |
| 11 | Army General Ljubomir Marić (1878–1960) | 8 March 1936 | 25 August 1938 | 2 years, 170 days | Royal Army | |
| 12 | Army General Milutin Nedić (1882–1945) | 25 August 1938 | 26 August 1939 | 1 day | Royal Army | |
| 13 | Army General Milan Nedić (1877–1946) [lower-alpha 3] | 26 August 1939 | 6 November 1940 | 1 year, 72 days | Royal Army | |
| (6) | Army General Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | 6 November 1940 | 27 March 1941 | 141 days | Royal Army | |
| 14 | Army General Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | 27 March 1941 | 18 April 1941 | 22 days | Royal Army |
[]
| № | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army General Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) [lower-alpha 4] | 18 April 1941 | 21 August 1941 | 125 days | Royal 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 | Army General Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 143 days | Royal Army | |
| 2 | Brigadier General Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 5] | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Yugoslav Army in the Homeland |
[]
| № | Minister of the Air Force and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army General Dušan Simović (1882–1962) | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 153 days | Royal Air Force | |
| 2 | Brigadier General Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 6] | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Yugoslav Army in the Homeland |
[]
| № | Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army General Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) [lower-alpha 7] | 14 January 1942 | 1 July 1944 | 2 years, 169 days | Yugoslav Army in the Homeland | |
| – | Ivan Šubašić (Acting) (1892–1955) [lower-alpha 8] | 1 July 1944 | 11 September 1944 | 72 days | Civilian (Represented HSS) | |
| 2 | Divisional General Borisav Ristić (1883–1967) | 11 September 1944 | 26 January 1945 | 137 days | Yugoslav Army outside the Homeland | |
| – | Ivan Šubašić (Acting) (1892–1955) [lower-alpha 9] | 26 January 1945 | 7 March 1945 | 40 days | Civilian (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 | Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) | 29 November 1943 | 7 March 1945 | 1 year, 98 days | National 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 | Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) [lower-alpha 10] | 7 March 1945 | 14 January 1953 | 7 years, 313 days |  Ground Forces | |
| 2 | General of the Army Ivan Gošnjak (1909–1980) [lower-alpha 11] | 14 January 1953 | 18 May 1967 | 14 years, 124 days | Ground Forces | |
| 3 | General of the Army Nikola Ljubičić (1916–2005) [lower-alpha 12] | 18 May 1967 | 5 May 1982 | 14 years, 352 days | Ground Forces | |
| 4 | Admiral of the Fleet Branko Mamula (born 1921) [lower-alpha 13] | 5 May 1982 | 15 May 1988 | 6 years, 10 days |  Navy | |
| 5 | General of the Army Veljko Kadijević (1925–2014) | 15 May 1988 | 8 January 1992 | 3 years, 235 days | Ground Forces | |
| – | Colonel General Blagoje Adžić (Acting) (1932–2012) | 8 January 1992 | 27 February 1992 | 50 days | Ground Forces | |
| – | Colonel General Života Panić (Acting) (1933–2003) | 27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | 83 days | 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 (born 1929) | 14 July 1992 | 2 March 1993 | 231 days | Civilian (Independent politician) | |
| 2 | Pavle Bulatović (1948–2000) | 2 March 1993 | 7 February 2000† | 6 years, 342 days | Civilian (Represented DPS until 1998, then SNP) | |
| 3 | General of the Army Dragoljub Ojdanić (born 1941) [lower-alpha 14] | 15 February 2000 | 4 November 2000 | 263 days | Ground Forces | |
| 4 | Slobodan Krapović (born 1948) | 4 November 2000 | 29 January 2002 | 1 year, 86 days | Civilian (Represented SNP) | |
| 5 | Velimir Radojević (born 1956) | 29 January 2002 | 17 March 2003 | 1 year, 47 days | Civilian (Represented SNP) | |
| 6 | Boris Tadić (born 1958) [lower-alpha 15] | 17 March 2003 | 16 April 2004 | 1 year, 30 days | Civilian (Represented DS) | |
| 7 | Prvoslav Davinić (born 1938) | 16 April 2004 | 21 October 2005 | 1 year, 188 days | Civilian (Represented G17 Plus) | |
| 8 | Major General (Ret'd) Zoran Stanković (born 1954) | 21 October 2005 | 4 June 2006 | 226 days | Ground Forces (Ret'd; nominated by G17 Plus) |
Headquarters (1965–1999)[]
Main article: Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building
See also[]
- Ministry of Defence (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Ministry of Defence (Croatia)
- Ministry of Defence (Montenegro)
- Ministry of Defence (Serbia)
- Ministry of Defence (Slovenia)
Notes[]
- ↑ Previously served as Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia
- ↑ General until 1923
- ↑ Brother of Milutin Nedić. Later served as the Prime Minister of the Government of National Salvation from 1941 to 1944
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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. - ↑ 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
- ↑ Тemporary Minister until 7 March 1945
- ↑ 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 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. Admiral until 1983
- ↑ Previously served as the Chief of the General Staff from 1998 to 2000
- ↑ Afterwards served as the President of Serbia from 2004 to 2012
External links[]
- List of ministers at Rulers.org
- Governments of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats & Slovenes (Yugoslavia) 1918-1945
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The original article can be found at Ministry of Defence (Yugoslavia) and the edit history here.