Ivan Babić (officer)

Ivan Babić
Ivan Babić
Born	15 December 1904; Sveti Ivan Žabno, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary
Died	6 June 1982 (aged 77); Torremolinos, Spain
Allegiance	Kingdom of Yugoslavia; Independent State of Croatia; Nazi Germany;
Service / branch	Royal Yugoslav Army; Croatian Home Guard;
Years of service	1924–1945
Rank	Major (Yugoslavia); Lieutenant colonel (NDH);
Unit	38th Infantry Division Dravska (Yugoslavia); 369th Reinforced Infantry Regiment (Germany/NDH);
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front; ;
Awards	Iron Cross 1st Class

Ivan Babić (15 December 1904 – 6 June 1982) was a Croatian soldier and lieutenant-colonel in the Croatian Home Guard and later an emigrant dissident writer against Communist Yugoslavia.

He attended gymnasium in Bjelovar. Babić became a military cadet in the Yugoslav Royal Army and was sent to Paris to perform further training at the École Superieure de Guerre.^[1]

World War II

During the German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Babić served as a major in the 38th Drava Infantry Division.^{[citation needed]} In 1942, he commanded the 369th Reinforced Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Croatian Legion, which fought on the Eastern Front. In 1943, he headed the Home Guard Central School. In 1943, he flew a mission to American troops in Italy to suggest that the Allies invade the Dalmatian coast of the Independent State of Croatia to prevent the country from falling into communist hands. He claimed the invasion would meet no resistance and that the Croatian army would establish a beachhead for them.^[2] The British subsequently held him as prisoner of war in Bari.

After the war he worked for a period as an engineer in Venezuela.^[1] He was a frequent contributor to the Croatian emigrant weekly, Hrvatska revija (Croatian Review).^[3] He secured a visa for Croatian writer Bruno Bušić to come to Spain; Busić was later assassinated.^[4] He published U.S. Policy Towards Yugoslavia, which was translated into English by Mate Meštrović.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Rober Bajruši (28 October 2003). "Boris Maruna - disident u ambasadorskoj fotelji" [Boris Maruna - dissident in an ambassador's chair] (in Croatian). Nacional. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
^ "Myth: "The Croatians executed dozens of American airmen"". Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
^ Babić, Ivan ^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Profile Archived 16 August 2007 at archive.today, fokus-tjednik.hr; Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ Mirnim i demokratskim putem ostvariti neotuðivo pravo hrvatskoga naroda na narodni i dravni suverenitet, Vjesnik; Retrieved 2 February 2019.(in Croatian)

Sources

Obhođaš, Amir; Mark, Jason (2012). Hrvatska legija - 369. pojačana (hrvatska) pješačka pukovnija na Istočnom bojištu 1941. - 1943 (in Croatian). Zagreb: Despot Infinitus. ISBN 978-953-7892-00-5.

[Nacional-1] Rober Bajruši (28 October 2003). "Boris Maruna - disident u ambasadorskoj fotelji" [Boris Maruna - dissident in an ambassador's chair] (in Croatian). Nacional. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.

[2] "Myth: "The Croatians executed dozens of American airmen"". Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.

[3] Babić, Ivan ^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] Profile Archived 16 August 2007 at archive.today, fokus-tjednik.hr; Retrieved 3 February 2019.

[5] Mirnim i demokratskim putem ostvariti neotuðivo pravo hrvatskoga naroda na narodni i dravni suverenitet, Vjesnik; Retrieved 2 February 2019.(in Croatian)

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