Ministry of Defence (Croatia) facts for kids
| Ministarstvo obrane Republike Hrvatske | |
The Ministry of Defence headquarters
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Minister of Defence naval flag
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | May 1990 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Croatia |
| Headquarters | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Annual budget | HRK 5.075 billion (2019) |
| Minister responsible |
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| Child agency |
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The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia (also known as MORH) is a very important part of the Government of Croatia. Its main job is to look after Croatia's military. This includes making sure the armed forces are ready to protect the country. The ministry was started in May 1990.
How the Ministry of Defence Works
The Ministry of Defence has different parts that work together. Each part has a special role to help manage the country's military. Here are some of the main parts:
- Defence Minister and Deputy Minister: These are the top leaders who make big decisions.
- Minister's Cabinet: This is a group that helps the Minister with daily tasks.
- Chief Secretariat: This part handles important paperwork and legal matters.
- Croatian Armed Forces General Staff: This is the main command center for all military operations.
- Defence Inspectorate: This group checks to make sure everything is working correctly and safely.
- Military Security and Intelligence Agency: This agency gathers important information to keep the country safe.
- Independent Department for Public Affairs and Publishing: This team shares information with the public and publishes news.
- Defence Policy Directorate: This part plans how Croatia's defence will work. It also handles working with other countries on defence.
- Human Resources Directorate: This group manages all the people who work for the military. They help with hiring and training.
- Material Resources Directorate: This part takes care of all the equipment and buildings the military needs.
- Information Systems, Finance and Budget Directorate: This team handles the money and computer systems for the ministry.
Leaders of Defence: Ministers of Croatia
The Minister of Defence is a key person in the Croatian government. This person is in charge of the entire Ministry of Defence and the country's military. Below is a list of the people who have held this important job since 1990.
Political parties:
Croatian Democratic Union (13)
Social Democratic Party (2)
Croatian Social Liberal Party (1)
| No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
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| 1 | Petar Kriste (born 1936) |
30 May 1990 | 24 August 1990 | 86 days | HDZ | Mesić | |
| 2 | Martin Špegelj (1927–2014) |
24 August 1990 | 2 July 1991 | 312 days | HDZ | Manolić | |
| 3 | Šime Đodan (1927–2007) |
2 July 1991 | 17 July 1991 | 15 days | HDZ | Manolić | |
| 4 | Luka Bebić (born 1937) |
17 July 1991 | 18 September 1991 | 63 days | HDZ | Gregurić | |
| 5 | Gojko Šušak (1945–1998) |
18 September 1991 | 3 May 1998 † | 6 years, 227 days | HDZ | Gregurić Šarinić Valentić Mateša |
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| 6 | Andrija Hebrang (born 1946) |
14 May 1998 | 12 October 1998 | 162 days | HDZ | Mateša | |
| 7 | Pavao Miljavac (1953–2022) |
14 October 1998 | 27 January 2000 | 1 year, 107 days | HDZ | Mateša | |
| 8 | Jozo Radoš (born 1956) |
28 January 2000 | 5 July 2002 | 2 years, 158 days | HSLS | Račan I | |
| 9 | Željka Antunović* (born 1955) |
30 July 2002 | 23 December 2003 | 1 year, 146 days | SDP | Račan II | |
| 10 | Berislav Rončević (born 1960) |
23 December 2003 | 12 January 2008 | 4 years, 20 days | HDZ | Sanader I | |
| 11 | Branko Vukelić (1958–2013) |
12 January 2008 | 29 December 2010 | 2 years, 351 days | HDZ | Sanader II Kosor |
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| 12 | Davor Božinović (born 1961) |
29 December 2010 | 23 December 2011 | 359 days | HDZ | Kosor | |
| 13 | Ante Kotromanović (born 1968) |
23 December 2011 | 22 January 2016 | 4 years, 30 days | SDP | Milanović | |
| 14 | Josip Buljević (born 1971) |
22 January 2016 | 19 October 2016 | 271 days | HDZ | Orešković | |
| 15 | Damir Krstičević* (born 1969) |
19 October 2016 | 8 May 2020 | 3 years, 202 days | HDZ | Plenković I | |
| 16 | Mario Banožić (born 1979) |
23 July 2020 | 11 November 2023 | 3 years, 111 days | HDZ | Plenković II | |
| 17 | Ivan Anušić (born 1973) |
16 November 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 223 days | HDZ | Plenković II Plenković III |
![Petar Kriste [hr]](/Image:No_image.png)
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![Josip Buljević [hr]](/Image:JosipBuljevic_final.jpg)
(*) Ministers of Defence who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia during their time in office.
(**) The current Minister's time in office was last updated on 27 June 2025.
See also
- Armed Forces of Croatia
