Mihajlo Lukić (24 September 1886 – 18 July 1961) was a

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n general who began his career as an officer in the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

during World War I, then climbed the hierarchy of the

Royal Yugoslav Army The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the principal Army, ground force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It existed from the establishment of ...

, finally joining the Croatian Home Guard during World War II. He was retired in 1943 due to his disapproval of sending Croat volunteers to the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

. After the collapse of the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

, communist authorities sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Early life

Lukić was the father of a musical school professor, Darko Lukić. He finished gymnasium in

Bjelovar Bjelovar (, , Czech language, Czech: ''Bělovar'' or ''Bělovár,'' Kajkavian dialect, Kajkavian: ''Belovar,'' Latin: ''Bellovarium'') is a city in central Croatia. In the Demographics of Croatia, 2021 census, its population was 36,316 . It is ...

, and was then sent to the Higher Cadet school in

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...

. He then finished the Military Academy in Vienna. Although his family was of Serb origin, he identified as

Croat The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

World War II

At the start of the April War, Lukić headed the Triglav Alpine Detachment. From the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia in April 1941 until June he headed the Osijek Division. From July to October 1941 he headed the Lika Brigade based in

Bihać Bihać is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una (Sava), Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in th ...

. He also briefly served as liaison officer to the Second Italian Army and was inspector-general of the infantry. From late 1941 until April 1943 he served as commander of the III Domobran Corps, covering much of the southern Independent State of Croatia. In 1942 he became outspoken against Croatian soldiers joining German units and claimed that German economic interests were outweighing the interests of the new Croatian state.Marijan, Davor. ''Borbe za Kupres 1942''. AGM. Zagreb, 1999. He was forced to retire in 1943, after being suspected to have contacts with

Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Communist Yugoslavia. He is buried at

Mirogoj cemetery The Mirogoj City Cemetery (, ), also known as Mirogoj Cemetery (), is a cemetery park that is considered to be among the more noteworthy landmarks in the city of Zagreb. The cemetery inters members of all religious groups: Catholic, Orthodox, M ...

.Mihajlo Lukić
, Gradsko groblje

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lukic, Mihajlo 1886 births 1961 deaths Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Royal Yugoslav Army personnel Croatian people of World War II Croatian Home Guard personnel Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery Eastern Orthodox Christians from Croatia Serbs of Croatia