Vladimir Vauhnik was Yugoslavmilitary officer of Slovenian extraction. Vauhnik is most notable for his Counterintelligence activities before and during World War II that could have changed the course of the war.
Early life
Vauhnik was born on 24 June 1896 in Svetinje, Austria-Hungary. His parents were teachers. Vauhnik completed First Gymnasium in Maribor and Austrian cadet military school. After the World War I Vauhnik returned to newly established Yugoslavia and participated in the Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia. He was decorated by Yugoslav authorities for his bravery in this conflict and promoted to the rank of Captain.
Before the outbreak of the World War II Vauhnik had the rank of Colonelon the position of Yugoslav military attache in Berlin where he closely cooperated with Ivo Andrić. According to his testimony, already on 14 March 1941 Vauhnik had "irrefutable proof and even fairly detailed plans" about the initiation of preparations for attacks on Soviet Union by German forces. Vauhnik also emphasized that government of the United Kingdom was informed about those plans. After Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, Vauhnik was captured in Belgrade and transported to Berlin at the beginning of May 1941 where he was interrogated in Reich Main Security Office. He was released as German citizen because he was born in part of Yugoslavia which was annexed by Germany at that time. After his release Vauhnik went to Ljubljana. In 1942 Vauhnik forged a plan to transport King Peter II of Yugoslavia to Axis occupied Yugoslavia to mobilize Serbs and Croats under his command. His plan was based on the fact that German forces were entingled on Eastern Front while Italians could be convinced not to interfere. Vauhnik was coworker of Ivan Prezelj, commander of Slovenian Chetniks. Vauhnik was initiator for establishment of the Military Council of all Slovene liberal political movements. Vauhnik was at that time on the position of acting commander of the Headquarter of the Chetniks in Slovenia. In 1944 Draža Mihailović promoted Vauhnik to rank of Brigadier General. According to Chetnik voivode Šušterič, Vauhnik and Mihailović were blood brothers. According to some sources, Vauhnik travelled to Switzerland in June 1944 to offer to put Slovenian domobranci, some soldiers of Independent State of Croatia and some Chetnik units under British command. His offer was rejected by the British representatives.
After World War II Vauhnik went to Buenos Aires in Argentina where he lived quiet life without joining any of numerous Yugoslav emigrant political groups. Vauhnik died on 31 May 1955 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
