Mile Budak Croatian statesman and writer. Date of Birth: 30.08.1889 Country: Croatia

Biography of Mile Budak

Mile Budak, born on August 30, 1889, was a Croatian statesman and writer. He was a prominent figure in the Ustasha regime in Croatia and played a significant role in organizing genocide against Serbs, Roma, and Jews, earning him the nickname "minister of culture with a machine gun." Despite his controversial political activities, Budak also made a name for himself as a writer, with his novels still being sold in Croatia today.

As an advocate for the expulsion and extermination of Serbs from Croatia, Budak referred to them as "slaves" and "beggars" in his books. After the Ustasha came to power, he held positions as the Minister of Education, Religion, and Worship, as well as the Deputy Leader (deputy to the leader of the Ustasha party, Ante Pavelic). It is attributed to Budak that the Ustasha should "kill one-third, expel one-third, and convert one-third of the Serbs to Catholicism," allegedly said in the summer of 1941.

In 1945, Budak was arrested by partisan forces while attempting to flee to Austria and was subsequently executed along with his family.

Following the declaration of independence of Croatia in 1991, during the dictatorship of Franjo Tudjman, attempts were made to rehabilitate Budak, and his books were published in large editions. The official position was that he was valued as a writer and a fighter for the country's independence, regardless of his political activities. However, after the government of Ivo Sanader came to power in 2003, a shift occurred regarding Budak. All streets bearing his name were renamed, and a memorial plaque was dismantled.