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^[a] was responsible for defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1941, the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence^[b] 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.

Ministry of Defence

Serbo-Croatian: Ministarstvo odbrane/Министарство одбране Slovene: Ministrstvo za obrambo Macedonian: Министерство за одбрана
Standard of the Minister of Defence (1995–2006)
The Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building (damaged in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia)
Ministry overview
Formed	1 December 1918; 105 years ago (1918-12-01)
Dissolved	4 June 2006; 17 years ago (2006-06-04)
Jurisdiction	Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro
Headquarters	Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building, Belgrade (1965–99) 44°48′20″N 20°27′40″E / 44.80556°N 20.46111°E / 44.80556; 20.46111
Ministers responsible	General Mihailo Rašić, first Minister of Defence Major general (Ret'd) Zoran Stanković, last Minister of Defence
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		Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) ^[c]	1 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		Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932)	20 December 1918	30 March 1919	100 days	Independent	Royal Army
2		Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931)	30 March 1919	19 February 1920	326 days	Independent	Royal Army
3		Jovanović, BrankoGeneral Branko Jovanović (1868–1921)	19 February 1920	26 March 1921 †	1 year, 35 days	Independent	Royal Army
–		Drašković, MiloradMilorad Drašković (1873–1921) Acting Minister of the Interior	27 March 1921	24 May 1921	58 days	DS	none
(2)		Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931)	24 May 1921	20 July 1921	57 days	Independent	Royal Army
4		Zečević, MilivojeGeneral Milivoje Zečević (1872–1946)	20 July 1921	3 January 1922	167 days	Independent	Royal Army
5		Vasić, MilošGeneral Miloš Vasić (1859–1935)	5 January 1922	4 November 1922	303 days	Independent	Royal Army
6		Pešić, PetarGeneral (when appointed) Army general (since 1923) Petar Pešić (1871–1944)	4 November 1922	27 July 1924	1 year, 266 days	Independent	Royal Army
(2)		Hadžić, StevanArmy general Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931)	27 July 1924	6 November 1924	102 days	Independent	Royal Army
7		Trifunović, DušanDivisional general Dušan Trifunović (1880–1942)	6 November 1924	24 December 1926	2 years, 48 days	Independent	Royal Army
(2)		Hadžić, StevanArmy general Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931)	24 December 1926	23 April 1931 †	4 years, 120 days	Independent	Royal Army
8		Stojanović, DragomirArmy general Dragomir Stojanović (1878–1943)	24 April 1931	18 April 1934	2 years, 359 days	Independent	Royal Army
9		Milovanović, MilanArmy general Milan Milovanović (1874–1942)	18 April 1934	22 October 1934	187 days	Independent	Royal Army
10		Živković, PetarArmy general Petar Živković (1879–1947)	22 October 1934	7 March 1936	1 year, 137 days	Independent	Royal Army
11		Marić, LjubomirArmy general Ljubomir Marić (1878–1960)	8 March 1936	25 August 1938	2 years, 170 days	Independent	Royal Army
12		Nedić, MilutinArmy general Milutin Nedić (1882–1945)	25 August 1938	26 August 1939	1 year, 1 day	Independent	Royal Army
13		Nedić, MilanArmy general Milan Nedić (1877–1946) ^[d]	26 August 1939	6 November 1940	1 year, 72 days	Independent	Royal Army
(6)		Pešić, PetarArmy general Petar Pešić (1871–1944) ^[e]	6 November 1940	27 March 1941	141 days	Independent	Royal Army
14		Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953)	27 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		Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) ^[f]	18 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		Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953)	21 August 1941	11 January 1942	143 days	Independent	Royal Army
2		Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) ^[g]	11 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		Simović, DušanArmy general Dušan Simović (1882–1962)	21 August 1941	11 January 1942	153 days	Independent	Royal Air Force
2		Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) ^[h]	11 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		Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general (when appointed) Divisional general (since 19 January 1942) Army general (since 17 June 1942) Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) ^[i]	14 January 1942	1 July 1944	2 years, 169 days	Independent	JVuO
–		Šubašić, IvanIvan Šubašić (1892–1955) Acting	1 July 1944	11 September 1944	72 days	HSS	none
2		Ristić, BorisavDivisional general Borisav Ristić (1883–1967)	11 September 1944	26 January 1945	137 days	Independent	JVvO
–		Šubašić, IvanIvan 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		Tito, Josip BrozMarshal 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		Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) ^[j]	7 March 1945	14 January 1953	7 years, 313 days	SKJ	Ground Forces
2		Gošnjak, IvanGeneral of the Army Ivan Gošnjak (1909–1980) ^[k]	14 January 1953	18 May 1967	14 years, 124 days	SKJ	Ground Forces
3		Ljubičić, NikolaGeneral of the Army Nikola Ljubičić (1916–2005) ^[l]	18 May 1967	5 May 1982	14 years, 352 days	SKJ	Ground Forces
4		Mamula, BrankoAdmiral (when appointed) Admiral of the Fleet (since 1983) Branko Mamula (1921–2021) ^[m]	5 May 1982	15 May 1988	6 years, 10 days	SKJ	Navy
5		Kadijević, VeljkoGeneral of the Army Veljko Kadijević (1925–2014)	15 May 1988	8 January 1992	3 years, 235 days	SKJ	Ground Forces
–		Adžić, BlagojeColonel general Blagoje Adžić (1932–2012) Acting	8 January 1992	27 February 1992	50 days	Independent	Ground Forces
–		Panić, ŽivotaColonel general Života Panić (1933–2003) Acting	27 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		Panić, MilanMilan Panić (born 1929)	14 July 1992	2 March 1993	231 days	Independent	none
2		Bulatović, PavlePavle Bulatović (1948–2000)	2 March 1993	7 February 2000 †	6 years, 342 days	DPS SNP	none
3		Ojdanić, DragoljubGeneral of the Army Dragoljub Ojdanić (1941–2020) ^[n]	15 February 2000	4 November 2000	263 days	Independent	Ground Forces
4		Krapović, SlobodanSlobodan Krapović (born 1948)	4 November 2000	29 January 2002	1 year, 86 days	SNP	none
5		Radojević, VelimirVelimir Radojević (born 1956)	29 January 2002	17 March 2003	1 year, 47 days	SNP	none
6		Tadić, BorisBoris Tadić (born 1958) ^[o]	17 March 2003	16 April 2004	1 year, 30 days	DS	none
7		Davinić, PrvoslavPrvoslav Davinić [sr] (born 1938)	16 April 2004	21 October 2005	1 year, 188 days	G17+	none
8		Stanković, ZoranMajor general of the Sanitation (Ret'd) Zoran Stanković (1954–2021)	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

• Ministry of Defence (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Ministry of Defence (Croatia)
• Ministry of Defence (Montenegro)
• Ministry of Defense of North Macedonia
• Ministry of Defence (Serbia)
• Ministry of Defence (Slovenia)

Notes

1. Serbo-Croatian: Ministarstvo vojske i mornarice / Министарство војске и морнарице
2. Serbo-Croatian: Savezni sekretarijat za narodnu odbranu / Савезни секретаријат за народну одбрану, SSNO
3. Previously served as Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia.
4. Brother of Milutin Nedić. Later served as the Prime Minister of the Government of National Salvation from 1941 to 1944.
5. Removed from office in the Yugoslav coup d'état.
6. Ministry split into two, Ministry of the Army and Ministry of the Air Force and Navy.
7. Ministry joined with Ministry of the Air Force and Navy.
8. Ministry joined with Ministry of the Army.
9. 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.
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 SR 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.
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

• List of ministers at Rulers.org
• Governments of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats & Slovenes (Yugoslavia) 1918-1945