Andrija Betlehem

Andrija Betlehem (1879—1943) was member of the "Doglavnik's Council" (Croatian: Doglavničko vijeće) of the Main Ustaša Headquarters, the ruling body of the Ustaša party in the Independent State of Croatia.[1]

Andrija Betlehem
Born(1879-11-19)November 19, 1879
Peteranec, Austria-Hungary
DiedNovember 1943
Rasinja, Independent State of Croatia
NationalityAustrian, Croatian
Occupationpeasant, politician
Known forDeputy of Poglavnik (Croatian: Doglavnik) in Independent State of Croatia and member of the Croatian parliament

Betlehem was born on 19 November 1879 in Peteranec into a Jewish family. His occupation was tillage. He was known as supporter of Josip Frank. He lived near Hungarian border and established a channel for transport of Ustaše from Croatia to their training camp in Janka Pusta. On 16 July 1941 he was appointed on the position of doglavnik and on 23 February 1942 he became a member of the newly-created Croatian assembly (Croatian: Hrvatski Državni Sabor).[2] Appointment of Betlehem and Lešić as Deputies of Poglavnik was additional step of the policy of appointing numerous Ustaše peasants to leading positions in Croatia considered as "country of peasants" in Ustaše ideology.[3]

In November 1943 the communist forces captured Betlehem, sentenced him to death and executed him near Rasinja.[4]

References
  1. Vojnoistorijski glasnik. Vojnoistorijski institut. 1950. p. 173.
  2. (Stuparić 1997, p. 36):"BETLEHEM, Andrija, doglavnik (Peteranec, 19. XI. 1879. — Rasinja, 1943.). Bavio se ratarstvom. U rodnom kraju poznat kao frankovac. Živeći nedaleko od granice s Madžarskom, održavao punkt preko kojega su išle neke od ustaških....."
  3. (Jelić-Butić 1983, p. 56):"....Ustaša naglašavao kao osobito značajan podatak da među imenovanim logornicima i tabornicima ima 90% seljaka. Nov korak učinjen je imenovanjem seljaka ustaša u Doglavničko vijeće (Andrija Betlehem i Luka Lešić)."
  4. (Stuparić 1997, p. 36)

Sources
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