Veljko Kadijević facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Veljko Kadijević
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Вељко Кадијевић
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| Federal Secretary of People's Defense of Yugoslavia | |
| In office 15 May 1988 – 8 January 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Branko Mamula |
| Succeeded by | Blagoje Adžić (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 November 1925 Imotski, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now Croatia) |
| Died | 2 November 2014 (aged 88) Moscow, Russia |
| Citizenship | Yugoslavia and Russia |
| Political party | League of Communists of Yugoslavia (until 1990) League of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia (1990–1994) |
| Spouse | Ozrenka Borić |
| Children | 1 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Yugoslavia |
| Branch/service | Yugoslav People's Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1992 |
| Rank | General of the Army |
| Unit | JNA Ground Forces |
| Commands | Yugoslav People's Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II in Yugoslavia, Ten-Day War, Croatian War of Independence |
Veljko Kadijević (Serbian Cyrillic: Вељко Кадијевић; 21 November 1925 – 2 November 2014) was a general from Serbia. He was a high-ranking officer in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). From 1988 to 1992, he served as the Minister of Defence for the Yugoslav government. This role made him the main leader of the JNA during the early parts of the Ten-Day War in Slovenia and the Croatian War of Independence.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Veljko Kadijević was born on November 21, 1925. His birthplace was a village called Glavina Donja, near Imotski, which was then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His father, Dušan Kadijević, was a Serb, and his mother, Janja Patrlj, was a Croat. Kadijević himself said he was a "pro-Yugoslav Serb."
In 1941, he joined the Yugoslav Partisans. This was after the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II. By 1943, he became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. He quickly took on important tasks. After the war, he continued his military career. He studied at the Military Academy in Belgrade. He also attended the CGSC in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in the United States.
Military Career and Leadership
Kadijević became the fifth Minister of Defence for Yugoslavia on May 15, 1988. When the League of Communists of Yugoslavia ended, he helped start a new political group. This group was called the League of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia.
In May 1991, he stated that if government officials could not keep peace, the Yugoslav armed forces would do so themselves. He resigned from his role as federal secretary of people's defence on January 6, 1992. After that, Kadijević retired and lived in Serbia.
Later Life and Public Appearances
In 2000, Veljko Kadijević moved to Moscow, Russia. He applied for refugee status in 2005. On August 13, 2008, he received Russian citizenship. This was granted by President Dmitry Medvedev.
In October 2007, Kadijević appeared in Moscow. He attended the launch of his new book. The book was titled Kontraudar: Moj pogled na raspad Jugoslavije (Counterattack: My View on the Breakup of Yugoslavia). After this, he gave interviews to media from Serbia and Croatia.
In these interviews, Kadijević explained that he had been living in Russia as a refugee since 2000. He passed away on November 2, 2014, in Moscow, Russia.
See also
In Spanish: Veljko Kadijević para niños
