Background
Červenko was born in Prijepolje, in region of Sandžak, in Republic of Serbia.
Červenko was born in Prijepolje, in region of Sandžak, in Republic of Serbia.
Prewar life He started his military career at the Military Technical Academy in Zagreb, where he became a lecturer after 19 years. During the Croatian Spring in the 1970s, he was a lieutenant colonel, and became involved by advocating Croatian interests. After the government crackdown, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison with rank and right to pension both withdrawn.
Until 1990 he worked as bill collector for RTV Zagreb.
Croatian War of Independence At the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence, president of the Republic of Croatia offered him the position of the minister of defence, but Červenko refused saying "I"m a soldier, not politician". He organized the defence of Zagreb, the blockade of enemy barracks, and started the process of forming 14 brigades in Zagreb.
In January 1992, Červenko became the commander of Croatian Home Guard (Domobranstvo), thus becoming deputy of chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. The top of his military career came just before the Operation Storm, when he succeeded Janko Bobetko in the position of Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.
He served as Chief of General Staff from 15 July 1995 until 16 November 1996.
During his command, the Croatian Army executed the most successful operation of the war, Operation Storm. President Tuđman retired him in November 1996. Červenko died on 17 February 2001 in Zagreb.
With the highest honors, he was buried in Alley of Croatian Heroes at the Mirogoj Cemetery.
He later became a member of the Chamber of Counties of Croatian Sabor on the electoral list of Croatian Democratic Union, and from 2000 he was a member of Amnesty Commission.