Zvonimir Červenko

Zvonimir Červenko (13 November 1926 – 17 February 2001) was a Croatian general and the chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia from 1995–96.

Zvonimir Červenko
Born(1926-11-13)13 November 1926
Prijepolje, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Died17 February 2001(2001-02-17) (aged 74)
Zagreb, Croatia
Buried
Alley of Croatian Heroes, Mirogoj, Zagreb
Allegiance Yugoslavia
 Croatia
Service/branch SFR Yugoslav Air Force
Croatian Army
RankLieutenant Colonel (JNA), Staff General (stožerni general), (Croatian Army)
Commands heldGeneral Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia
Battles/warsCroatian War of Independence
AwardsGrand Order of King Petar Krešimir IV
Order of Duke Domagoj
Order of Ban Jelačić
Other workMember of Parliament

Origin

Červenko's grand-grandfather was a Czech with a surname Červenka.[1]

Croatian War of Independence

At the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence, Franjo Tuđman, president of the Republic of Croatia offered him the position of the minister of defence, but Červenko refused saying "I'm a soldier, not politician". He organized the defence of Zagreb, the blockade of enemy barracks, and started the process of forming 14 brigades in Zagreb. In January 1992, Červenko became the commander of Croatian Home Guard (Domobranstvo), becoming deputy of chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.

The top of his military career came just before the Operation Storm, when he succeeded Janko Bobetko in the position of Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. He served as Chief of General Staff from 15 July 1995 until 16 November 1996. During his command, the Croatian Army executed the most successful operation of the war, Operation Storm. President Tuđman replaced him in November 1996. He later became a member of the Chamber of Counties of the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) on the electoral list of the Croatian Democratic Union. Beginning in 2000 he served as a member of the Amnesty Commission.

Death

Červenko died on 17 February 2001 in Zagreb. He was buried in Alley of Croatian Heroes at the Mirogoj Cemetery.[2]

Decorations

References
  • "Vremeplov - Umro general Červenko". Hrvatski vojnik #175 (in Croatian). February 2008. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
  1. Generalova priča : Zvonimir Červenko / Miroslav Mikuljan ; priredio i uredio Mladen Pavković ISBN 953-7103-07-2
  2. "Posljednji ispraćaj generala Zvonimira Červenka" (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 21 February 2001. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  3. "Odluka kojom se odlikuju redom kneza Domagoja s ogrlicom" (in Croatian). Narodne novine. 26 May 1995. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
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