Ante Pavelić: The Man Who Wrote the Darkest Pages of Croatian History

Ante Pavelić, born on July 14, 1889, remains one of the darkest figures in Croatian history. As the leader of the quisling Independent State of Croatia (NDH) during World War II, his rule was marked by brutal crimes, genocide, and betrayal. From his early political activism against the centralization of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, through founding the armed group Croatian Home Guard, to establishing a fascist regime under Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Pavelić embodied the evil that befell Croatia and its neighbors.

His collaboration with Fascist Italy led to the ceding of large parts of Croatian territory, including Dalmatia, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, and many islands, representing a shameful betrayal of Croatian national interests. The introduction of racial laws, persecution of Serbs, Jews, and Roma, and the establishment of concentration camps like Jasenovac and the horrific children’s camp near Jastrebarsko left an indelible mark of suffering and death.

Pavelić even appointed the Italian prince Aimone di Savoia as the king of Croatia, further confirming his role as a puppet in the hands of fascist powers. His cooperation with Chetniks, especially the war criminal priest Momčilo Đujić, shows how far he was willing to go to maintain power, even at the cost of alliances with enemies.

After the fall of NDH and Germany’s defeat, Pavelić fled into exile, dying in 1959 in Madrid, leaving behind a legacy of crimes and betrayal that still provokes anger and shame. His story is a warning about the dangers of fascism, collaborationism, and hatred that can destroy nations and states.

If you think history is just a boring story, think again — Pavelić’s era proves how dark and terrible people’s actions can be under the mask of patriotism. So, what do you think about his role? Was he just a product of his time or something much worse? Drop a comment, let the voice from the past be heard!

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