Order: Request by General Laxa for Ustase to Leave Bosnia
From his reports, General Vladimir Laxa - a former officer in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial army - appears to have been a dedicated soldier first and foremost. Documents which have survived indicate that he attempted to have most of the Ustase army removed from areas where atrocities had been committed, or at least have the authorities in Zagreb rein them in. Eventually, the refusal by NDH officials to curtail the Ustase led Laxa to resign. The following is a decoding officer's transcription of an encrypted communication from General Laxa, requesting that the Ustase from Hercegovina be removed from Bosnia at once, "before it is too late."

 

Signature of the officer for encoding:
Brigadier Jaksic
Date of encoding 11.9.1941
at 23:10 hours

Label and signature
to whom the decoded document was given:
Operative Section of the Main Headquarters of Domobrans

 

CONTENTS OF THE DECODED DOCUMENT:

 

EXTREMELY URGENT!

TO THE CROATIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE - Main Headquarters

Z A G R E B

 

Ustase from Herzegovina have come to Bosnia and continue with their murdering and pillaging.

Outrage as a result of the Ustase's actions is general, no matter the religion, - it can result in a general uprising in Bosnia.

Order the removal of these Ustase from Bosnia, before it is too late.

Our armed forces are too weak to suppress the present rebellion, - reinforcements should be sent.

 

Lieutenant-General LAXA

V.T.V. number 798

 

:: filing information ::
Title: Order: Request by General Laxa for Ustase to Leave Bosnia
Source: Archive of the NDH. Translated by Sinisa Djuric.
Date: September 11, 1941 Added: May 24, 2003