Ivan Rukavina
Encyclopedia
Ivan Rukavina was army general
of the Yugoslav People's Army
, People's Hero of Yugoslavia
and Croatian
politician.
Rukavina was a member of the International Brigades
and prominent Croatian
and Yugoslav communist. He participated in "People's Liberation War" with a rank of general. After the war he was Deputy of the Minister of Defence of Yugoslavia and helf various military high positions. He also supported Croatian Spring
in early 1970-is and after the colapse of Yugoslavia he participated in founding of Croatian People's Party in 1990.
in Lika
region, today's Croatia
in noble family. He attended gymnasium in Gračac
and Otočac
and finished last class in Zagreb
. After the gymnasium he became a medical student at the University of Zagreb
. He joined to SKOJ
in 1933 after he contacted with other communist sympathizers at the university. As a member of SKOJ he was arrested few times. In 1934 he went to emigration, first he went to Vienna
, and then, in 1935 to Prague
when he became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. From 1935 to 1935 he worked in "Tehnika KPJ", a small printing house in Prague which planned to publish communist the newspaper "Proleter". In time of preparation of conference of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in Prague, he was arrested again, but soon released. In December 1936 he joined Spanish Republican
Army and participated in Spanish Civil War
. During the first stages of war he was a sergeant in Dimitrov Battalion
. Soon he raised to rank of a captain
and became commander of the Đuro Đaković Battalion. After Nationalist took control over Catalonia
, Rukavina fled with rest of republican soldiers to France and was interned to a POW camp. Soon he escaped from the camp and returned do Yugoslavia
. After he returned, he again became an active member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in Zagreb, he was especially active in SKOJ
. Soon he became a member of the Regional Committee of the SKOJ
in Croatia.
attacked Kingdom of Yugoslavia
he was a conscript in Nikšić
. After Yugoslav capitulation he was Italian POW
camp. After 15 days spent in POW camp he escaped to Zagreb, and again he joined the activity of the Communist Party. During the first stages of rebellion he became member of the Military Committee for Croatia in May 1941. In June 1941 he went to Banija
and participated in foundation of Sisak People's Liberation Partisan Detachment. After that, Rukavina returned to Zagreb, which was capital of the Independent State of Croatia
at the time, and at the beginning of August 1941 he went to Kordun
where he also worked on founding of partisan detachments. In November 1941 he became Chief of the General Staff of Croatia. He done that duty until 1943 when he became commander of the 4th (Croatian) Corps of the Yugoslav Partisans. From November 1944 until February 1945 he was commander of the Vojvodina Military District and after that he was chief of the Yugoslav military mission in Paris.
He also done various political duties, on 6th and 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia he was elected as member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He was also representative of the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia and member of the Federation Council of the SFRY.
He became holder of the Order of the People's Hero of Yugoslavia on December 20, 1951.
After the collapse of Yugoslavia, Rukavina was also active politician in independent Croatia
. He participated in founding of the Croatian People's Party, a liberal party in Croatia
.
Rukavina died in Zagreb
on April 3, 1992.
Army General
For the army rank of General, as opposed to the specific rank of Army General, see General officer.Army General is a title used in many countries to denote the rank of General nominally commanding an army in the field...
of the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
, People's Hero of Yugoslavia
People's Hero of Yugoslavia
The Order of the People's Hero was a Yugoslav gallantry medal, the second highest military award, and third overall Yugoslav decoration. It was awarded to individuals, military units, political and other organisations who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroic deeds during war and in...
and Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
politician.
Rukavina was a member of the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
and prominent Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and Yugoslav communist. He participated in "People's Liberation War" with a rank of general. After the war he was Deputy of the Minister of Defence of Yugoslavia and helf various military high positions. He also supported Croatian Spring
Croatian Spring
The Croatian Spring was a political movement from the early 1970s that called for greater rights for Croatia which was then part of Yugoslavia as well as democratic and economic reforms.-History:...
in early 1970-is and after the colapse of Yugoslavia he participated in founding of Croatian People's Party in 1990.
Pre-war life
Rukavina was born in OtočacOtocac
Otočac is a town in Lika, Croatia. It lies in the northwestern part of Lika, in the Gacka river valley. The population of the town is 4,354 as of 2001, with a total of 10,411 people within the municipality at large, the majority of whom are Croats ....
in Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
region, today's Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
in noble family. He attended gymnasium in Gračac
Gracac
Gračac is a village and a municipality in the southern part of Lika, Croatia. It is located south of Udbina, northeast of Obrovac, northwest of Knin and southeast of Gospić...
and Otočac
Otocac
Otočac is a town in Lika, Croatia. It lies in the northwestern part of Lika, in the Gacka river valley. The population of the town is 4,354 as of 2001, with a total of 10,411 people within the municipality at large, the majority of whom are Croats ....
and finished last class in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. After the gymnasium he became a medical student at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
. He joined to SKOJ
Skoj
Skoj is a cider-based soft drink, manufactured by the Swedish Skoj Beverage Group. Skoj is the Swedish word for fun.Skoj is 15 percent fruit juice sweetened with sugar...
in 1933 after he contacted with other communist sympathizers at the university. As a member of SKOJ he was arrested few times. In 1934 he went to emigration, first he went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and then, in 1935 to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
when he became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. From 1935 to 1935 he worked in "Tehnika KPJ", a small printing house in Prague which planned to publish communist the newspaper "Proleter". In time of preparation of conference of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in Prague, he was arrested again, but soon released. In December 1936 he joined Spanish Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
Army and participated in Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. During the first stages of war he was a sergeant in Dimitrov Battalion
Dimitrov Battalion
The Dimitrov Battalion was part of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. It was the 18th battalion formed, and was named after Georgi Dimitrov, a Bulgarian communist and General Secretary of the Comintern in that period....
. Soon he raised to rank of a captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
and became commander of the Đuro Đaković Battalion. After Nationalist took control over Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Rukavina fled with rest of republican soldiers to France and was interned to a POW camp. Soon he escaped from the camp and returned do Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. After he returned, he again became an active member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in Zagreb, he was especially active in SKOJ
Skoj
Skoj is a cider-based soft drink, manufactured by the Swedish Skoj Beverage Group. Skoj is the Swedish word for fun.Skoj is 15 percent fruit juice sweetened with sugar...
. Soon he became a member of the Regional Committee of the SKOJ
Skoj
Skoj is a cider-based soft drink, manufactured by the Swedish Skoj Beverage Group. Skoj is the Swedish word for fun.Skoj is 15 percent fruit juice sweetened with sugar...
in Croatia.
Yugoslav Front
During the April War, when Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
attacked Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
he was a conscript in Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
. After Yugoslav capitulation he was Italian POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp. After 15 days spent in POW camp he escaped to Zagreb, and again he joined the activity of the Communist Party. During the first stages of rebellion he became member of the Military Committee for Croatia in May 1941. In June 1941 he went to Banija
Banija
Banovina is a geographical region in central Croatia, between the rivers Sava, Una, and Kupa. Main towns in the region include Petrinja, Glina, Kostajnica, and Dvor. The area is almost entirely located in the Sisak-Moslavina county...
and participated in foundation of Sisak People's Liberation Partisan Detachment. After that, Rukavina returned to Zagreb, which was capital of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
at the time, and at the beginning of August 1941 he went to Kordun
Kordun
The Kordun region is a part of central Croatia from the bottom of the Petrova Gora mountain range, which extends along the rivers Korana and Slunjčica, and forms part of the border region to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The southern border of Kordun touches the Lika region...
where he also worked on founding of partisan detachments. In November 1941 he became Chief of the General Staff of Croatia. He done that duty until 1943 when he became commander of the 4th (Croatian) Corps of the Yugoslav Partisans. From November 1944 until February 1945 he was commander of the Vojvodina Military District and after that he was chief of the Yugoslav military mission in Paris.
Post-war life
After the war, in SFR Yugoslavia he continued to be professional soldier. He was commander of the Zagreb Military District and principle of Military Academy of Yugoslav People's Army, he was also Deputy of Minister of Defence. He retired from military service in 1977.He also done various political duties, on 6th and 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia he was elected as member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He was also representative of the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia and member of the Federation Council of the SFRY.
He became holder of the Order of the People's Hero of Yugoslavia on December 20, 1951.
After the collapse of Yugoslavia, Rukavina was also active politician in independent Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. He participated in founding of the Croatian People's Party, a liberal party in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
Rukavina died in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
on April 3, 1992.