Ante Vokić Ante Vokić ( 23 August 1909 - 8 May 1945 ) was a Croatian politician , Ustaše krilnik and putschist . Biography . Youth . Vokić was born in Mostar on 23 August 1909 . He finished gimnasium in Sarajevo and attended Faculty of Law at University of Zagreb . He ended his study in 1929 and started working in train service in Sarajevo . He participated in founding of Croatian Academic Club " Kranjčević " and newspapers " Svijest " ( " Consciousness " ) . He also participated in activity of HKD Napredak . Because of his political activity and threats given from Yugoslav Gendarmery , he moved a lot , firstly in Bosanski Brod , then in Slavonski Brod , Karlovac and at the end , in Zagreb . World War II . Before the establishment of Croatian state , he was a member of Ustaše ' s branch in Zagreb . On 11 April 1941 , by order of Slavko Kvaternik , he was placed in service of Headquarters of Ustaška Nadzorna Služba ( " Ustasha Surveillance Service " ) . Their main task was " to lead the existing Ustaša combat formations , form and built up further formations " . Soon , in the same year , he was Director of train service in Sarajevo . He was also an organizer and commander of all Traffic Ustaša Brigades . As an associate of Jure Francetić he was a founding member of Crna legija ( Black Legion ) . In 1943 he leavs Sarajevo and moves to Zagreb . On 11 October 1943 he was appointed as Ministers of Traffic . On the suggestion of Mladen Lorković he was promoted to a rank of Ustaše ' s colonel and named Minister of Armed Forces on 29 January 1944 . That was done against the will of German ambassador Siegfried Kasche and German military attache Edmund Glaise von Horstenau . On 13 July 1944 Ante Pavelić promoted him to rank of Ustaše ' s highest rank , krilnik ( General ) . He became close associate and friend of Mladen Lorković . Lorković introduced him to high society of Baroness Vraniczany and Baroness Zlata Lubienski , who later became his good friends . At the beginning of August 1944 he was a best man on Lorković ' s wedding with Countess Nada von Ghyczy . Lorković - Vokić plot . Together with Mladen Lorković , Vokić lead a coup named Lorković - Vokić plot . The goal of the coup was switching sides of Croatia , that is , declaring war on Nazi Germany and alliance with " Anglo - American " allies . He often visited Domobran and Ustaše units and their officers and said that they should expect big event . He got sympathies of Domobran officers , while lost sympathies of Ustaše ' s officers , because they were loyal to Ante Pavelić . He connected to attorney of Vladko Maček , the president of Croatian Peasant Party , Ivan Faroli . He told him about performance of coup which would bring down Ustaše ' s regime and give power to Croatian Peasant Party . That included replacement of Ustaše ' s officers with Domobran officers , loyal to Croatian Peasant Party , and also disarmament of German units on Croatian territory and possible Ustaše ' s rebels . Ante Pavelić was also aware of the coup , and at first he supported the coup . He was always informed by his minister Mladen Lorković . But , later , Pavelić got visit from Gestapo officer and told about new weapons of Germany ( V2 ) which would turn the war . So , Pavelić , influenced by Gestapo officer , on 21 August 1944 informed Siegfried Kasche about the coup and announced actions against putschists . He also accused German general Edmund Glaise von Horstenau for involvement in the coup , because von Horstenau was coaxing Pavelić to accept the coup . Vokić ' s best man and the best friend , Ante Štitić , high ranking Police official , who was also involved in the coup , wrote a report after the meeting with Lorković ( 24 August 1944 ) and Vokić ( 25 August 1944 ) on four pages about those meetings and handed it to commander of Ustaše units Ivo Herenčić , the old opponent of Vokić . Herenčić gave a report to Pavelić . That report was main proof against Mladen Lorković and Ante Vokić on the trial for " high treason " . Death . On sudden assembly of Government on 30 August 1944 , Vokić was , together with Mladen Lorković , accused of conspiring against Poglavnik Ante Pavelić and Croatian allies , mainly Nazi Germany . On the same day , they were removed from their duties and placed under house arrest . With Lorković , Vokić was brought in front of the court of Poglavnik ' s Bodyguard Unit . They convinced him on lost of rank and ban from the unit . Later , he was interned in Novi Marof , from where he was moved to Headquarters in Koprivnica , together with Lorković . After that he was jailed in the Lepoglava prison and on 8 May 1945 he was executed by lieutenant of Ustaše ' s Defence , Martin Grabovac .