Vladimir Laxa

Who was Vladimir Laxa?

Vladimir Laxa was born in Sisak, in what is now Croatia, A highly decorated veteran of the First World War. During World War II, he became Army Chief of Staff of the Axis Independent State of Croatia from June 1941 until August 1942, when he resigned his commission in protest of the atrocities committed by Ustaše irregular forces.

Laxa was commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian Army on 18 August 1890. During the First World War he was commander of the 18th Mountain Brigade, and was one of only 131 men who were awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa, the highest Habsburg decoration; in Laxa's case for the “heroism, enormous bravery, and tenaciously successful defence of positions” by himself and his men on Škabrijel during the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo in 1917. After the war ended, he joined the newly formed army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia was invaded by the German armed forces on 6 April 1941, leading to the proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia, of which he was first the military's second in command and then chief-of-staff. During the war he was awarded the state's Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir. In October 1941 he was transferred to the NDH High Command. He took part in a conference in Opatija that planned the Third anti-partisan offensive, codenamed ‘Trio’. He remained in the NDH high command until August 1942 when he resigned due to his protestations about atrocities committed by Ustaše irregulars. Laxa was among the exodus that were forcibly returned to the Partisans at Bleiburg. He was executed on an unknown date in 1945. He was subsequently buried in Mirogoj cemetery.