What was the name of the leader of the Black Cat? - briefly
The leader of the Black Cat was known as Vasily Shelga.
What was the name of the leader of the Black Cat? - in detail
The Black Cat, also known as the Black Hand or Unification or Death (Ujedinjenje ili Smrt), was a secret society and paramilitary organization established in 1911 by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević, a Serbian military officer. Dimitrijević, often referred to as Apis, which is the Greek word for bee, was the driving force behind the group's creation and served as its leader.
The Black Cat was formed with the primary objective of unifying all South Slavs under one state, aiming to achieve this goal through various means, including political agitation, propaganda, and acts of terrorism. Dimitrijević's leadership was marked by his strong nationalist sentiments and a deep-seated belief in the need for Serbian dominance in the Balkans.
Under Dimitrijević's command, the Black Cat played a significant role in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo. This act served as the catalyst for the outbreak of World War I. The assassins, Gavrilo Princip and Nedeljko Čabrinović, were members of the Black Cat and had received training and support from Dimitrijević's organization.
Despite the initial success of the Black Cat in its early years, the group faced internal strife and dissolution following World War I. Dimitrijević was ultimately arrested and executed for his involvement in a plot to overthrow the Serbian government in 1917, marking the end of an era for the secret society he had founded.
In conclusion, the leader of the Black Cat was Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević, known by his codename Apis. His vision and actions significantly shaped the political landscape of the Balkans during the early 20th century.