▁The ▁new ▁Reg ent ▁Prince , ▁Paul ▁Kar adj ord je vić , ▁was ▁convinced ▁by ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁Vlad ko ▁Ma č ek ' s ▁more ▁moder ate ▁Cro at ian ▁Pe asant ' s ▁Party ▁at ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁elections ▁to ▁grant ▁further ▁aut onomy ▁to ▁Cro atia . ▁ ▁On ▁ 6 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁inv aded ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁and ▁Greece . ▁In ▁their ▁military ▁campaign , ▁the ▁A xis ▁forces ▁explo ited ▁eth nic ▁divisions ▁in ▁Y ug oslav ia , ▁and ▁presented ▁themselves ▁as ▁liber ators ▁of ▁the ▁Cro ats . ▁The ▁then - v ict orious ▁A xis ▁powers ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁pu ppet ▁state , ▁the ▁Independent ▁State ▁of ▁Cro atia ▁( N ez av is na ▁Dr ž ava ▁Hr vat ska , ▁N D H ), ▁which ▁included ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina , ▁and ▁the ▁parts ▁of ▁Dal mat ia ▁not ▁an nex ed ▁to ▁Italy . ▁Deput y ▁prime ▁minister ▁Ma č ek ▁refused ▁to ▁collabor ate ▁in ▁a ▁pu ppet ▁government , ▁and ▁Pav eli ć ' s ▁U sta še ▁was ▁installed ▁in ▁power . ▁In ▁Pav eli ć , ▁Hitler ▁found ▁an ▁al ly . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁there ▁was ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁Cro at ian ▁independence , ▁but ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁under ▁occupation ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁and ▁Italian ▁arm ies , ▁while ▁the ▁U sta š a ▁comm enced ▁a ▁r uth less