NDH

The Independent State of Croatia, known by its Croatian acronym NDH (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska), was a fascist puppet state established by the Axis powers during World War II. It existed from 1941 to 1945, formed after the invasion and dissolution of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The regime controlled territories largely corresponding to present-day Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with some border adjustments during the war. The government was led by Ante Pavelić, the head of the Ustaše movement, who held the title Poglavnik. The NDH pursued a policy of strong centralized authority and collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while implementing an ideology that emphasized ethnic exclusivity and national revisionism.

The NDH implemented extensive racial and political laws and created security forces, including the Ustaše militia and the Croatian Home Guard, to enforce its policies. It pursued aggressive campaigns against Serbs, Jews, Roma, and anti-fascist or dissident communities, alongside forced relocations, persecution, and the confiscation of property. A salient element of the regime’s brutality was the operation of concentration and extermination sites, most notoriously the Jasenovac camp, where tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and political opponents were killed or subjected to inhumane treatment. The regime also attempted forced conversions and many acts of ethnic cleansing during its tenure.

In 1945, with the defeat of the Axis powers, the NDH collapsed and