# Ministry of Defence (Yugoslavia)

Through the history of Yugoslavia, the defence ministry which was responsible for defence of the country was known under several different names: the Ministry of the Army and Navy for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1941, the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992 and the Ministry of Defence for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (later known as Serbia and Montenegro) from 1992 to 2006.

## List of ministers

† denotes people who died in office.

### Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941)
#### Minister of the Army

| No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) | 1 December 1918 | 20 December 1918 | 19 days | Independent | Royal Army |

#### Minister of the Army and Navy

| No. | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | Rašić, MihailoGeneral Mihailo Rašić (1858–1932) | 20 December 1918 | 30 March 1919 | 100 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 2 | Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | 30 March 1919 | 19 February 1920 | 326 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 3 | Jovanović, BrankoGeneral Branko Jovanović (1868–1921) | 19 February 1920 | 26 March 1921 † | 1 year, 35 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| – | Drašković, MiloradMilorad Drašković (1873–1921) Acting Minister of the Interior | 27 March 1921 | 24 May 1921 | 58 days | DS | none |
| (2) | Hadžić, StevanGeneral Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | 24 May 1921 | 20 July 1921 | 57 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 4 | Zečević, MilojeGeneral Miloje Zečević (1872–1946) | 20 July 1921 | 3 January 1922 | 167 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 5 | Vasić, MilošGeneral Miloš Vasić (1859–1935) | 5 January 1922 | 4 November 1922 | 303 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 6 | Pešić, PetarGeneral (when appointed) Army general (since 1923) Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | 4 November 1922 | 27 July 1924 | 1 year, 266 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| (2) | Hadžić, StevanArmy general Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | 27 July 1924 | 6 November 1924 | 102 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 7 | Trifunović, DušanDivisional general Dušan Trifunović (1880–1942) | 6 November 1924 | 24 December 1926 | 2 years, 48 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| (2) | Hadžić, StevanArmy general Stevan Hadžić (1868–1931) | 24 December 1926 | 23 April 1931 † | 4 years, 120 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 8 | Stojanović, DragomirArmy general Dragomir Stojanović (1878–1943) | 24 April 1931 | 18 April 1934 | 2 years, 359 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 9 | Milovanović, MilanArmy general Milan Milovanović (1874–1942) | 18 April 1934 | 22 October 1934 | 187 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 10 | Živković, PetarArmy general Petar Živković (1879–1947) | 22 October 1934 | 7 March 1936 | 1 year, 137 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 11 | Marić, LjubomirArmy general Ljubomir Marić (1878–1960) | 8 March 1936 | 25 August 1938 | 2 years, 170 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 12 | Nedić, MilutinArmy general Milutin Nedić (1882–1945) | 25 August 1938 | 26 August 1939 | 1 year, 1 day | Independent | Royal Army |
| 13 | Nedić, MilanArmy general Milan Nedić (1877–1946) | 26 August 1939 | 6 November 1940 | 1 year, 72 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| (6) | Pešić, PetarArmy general Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | 6 November 1940 | 27 March 1941 | 141 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 14 | Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | 27 March 1941 | 18 April 1941 | 22 days | Independent | Royal Army |

### Yugoslav government-in-exile (1941–1945)
#### Minister of the Army and Navy

| No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | 18 April 1941 | 21 August 1941 | 125 days | Independent | Royal Army |

#### Minister of the Army

| No. | Portrait | Minister of the Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Ilić, BogoljubArmy general Bogoljub Ilić (1881–1953) | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 143 days | Independent | Royal Army |
| 2 | | Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Independent | JVuO |

#### Minister of the Air Force and Navy

| No. | Portrait | Minister of the Air Force and Navy | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Simović, DušanArmy general Dušan Simović (1882–1962) | 21 August 1941 | 11 January 1942 | 153 days | Independent | Royal Air Force |
| 2 | | Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) | 11 January 1942 | 14 January 1942 | 3 days | Independent | JVuO |

#### Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force

| No. | Minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | Mihailović, DragoljubBrigadier general (when appointed) Divisional general (since 19 January 1942) Army general (since 17 June 1942) Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) | 14 January 1942 | 1 July 1944 | 2 years, 169 days | Independent | JVuO |
| – | Šubašić, IvanIvan Šubašić (1892–1955) Acting | 1 July 1944 | 11 September 1944 | 72 days | HSS | none |
| 2 | Ristić, BorisavDivisional general Borisav Ristić (1883–1967) | 11 September 1944 | 26 January 1945 | 137 days | Independent | JVvO |
| – | Šubašić, IvanIvan Šubašić (1892–1955) Acting | 26 January 1945 | 7 March 1945 | 40 days | HSS | none |

### National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945)

| No. | Portrait | Commissioner for Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) | 29 November 1943 | 7 March 1945 | 1 year, 98 days | SKJ | NOV i POJ |

### SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)

The Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian: Savezni sekretar za narodnu odbranu SFRJ, Cyrillic: Савезни секретар за народну одбрану СФРЈ) was that country's defence minister during its existence from 1945 to 1992. He was the head of the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence (Savezni sekretarijat za narodnu odbranu - SSNO) and it was the most effective military person, while the Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (which was the formational part of SSNO) was the most professional and staff body.
It was the part of the Federal Executive Council (Federal Government).
| No. | Federal Secretary of People's Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) | 7 March 1945 | 14 January 1953 | 7 years, 313 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 2 | Gošnjak, IvanGeneral of the Army Ivan Gošnjak (1909–1980) | 14 January 1953 | 18 May 1967 | 14 years, 124 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 3 | Ljubičić, NikolaGeneral of the Army Nikola Ljubičić (1916–2005) | 18 May 1967 | 5 May 1982 | 14 years, 352 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 4 | Mamula, BrankoAdmiral (when appointed) Admiral of the Fleet (since 1983) Branko Mamula (1921–2021) | 5 May 1982 | 15 May 1988 | 6 years, 10 days | SKJ | Navy |
| 5 | Kadijević, VeljkoGeneral of the Army Veljko Kadijević (1925–2014) | 15 May 1988 | 8 January 1992 | 3 years, 235 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| – | Adžić, BlagojeColonel general Blagoje Adžić (1932–2012) Acting | 8 January 1992 | 27 February 1992 | 50 days | Independent | Ground Forces |
| – | Panić, ŽivotaColonel general Života Panić (1933–2003) Acting | 27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | 83 days | Independent | Ground Forces |

#### Timeline
### FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006)

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the secession of four out of six constituent republic in the SFR Yugoslavia the remaining two (Serbia and Montenegro) established a federation in 1992 called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavia). This lasted until 2003 when it was reconstituted as a state union called Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 both countries declared independence and parted ways.
| No. | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | Panić, MilanMilan Panić (born 1929) | 14 July 1992 | 2 March 1993 | 231 days | Independent | none |
| 2 | Bulatović, PavlePavle Bulatović (1948–2000) | 2 March 1993 | 7 February 2000 † | 6 years, 342 days | DPS SNP | none |
| 3 | Ojdanić, DragoljubGeneral of the Army Dragoljub Ojdanić (1941–2020) | 15 February 2000 | 4 November 2000 | 263 days | Independent | Ground Forces |
| 4 | Krapović, SlobodanSlobodan Krapović (born 1948) | 4 November 2000 | 29 January 2002 | 1 year, 86 days | SNP | none |
| 5 | Radojević, VelimirVelimir Radojević (born 1956) | 29 January 2002 | 17 March 2003 | 1 year, 47 days | SNP | none |
| 6 | Tadić, BorisBoris Tadić (born 1958) | 17 March 2003 | 16 April 2004 | 1 year, 30 days | DS | none |
| 7 | Davinić, PrvoslavPrvoslav Davinić [sr] (born 1938) | 16 April 2004 | 21 October 2005 | 1 year, 188 days | G17+ | none |
| 8 | Stanković, ZoranMajor general of the Sanitation (Ret'd) Zoran Stanković (1954–2021) | 21 October 2005 | 4 June 2006 | 226 days | Independent | Ground Forces (Ret'd) |

#### Timeline
## Standards

* Standard of the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
* Standard of the Minister of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1937–1944.
* Standard of the Minister of the Army and Navy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1944–1945.
* Standard of the Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the SFR Yugoslavia 1956–1963.
* Standard of the Federal Secretary of People's Defence of the SFR Yugoslavia 1963–1993.