Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Cyrillic ???????????) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. Translated, the name means Land of the South Slavs (jug in the word Jugoslavija means south).

The First Yugoslavia

Main article: Kingdom of Yugoslavia

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The goals of the Yugoslav Committee were partly reached by the end of the First World War in 1918, when Austria-Hungary disintegrated, and the South Slavs organized into the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.

Related Topics:
First World War - 1918 - State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

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This short-lived state soon, on December 1, 1918, joined Serbia and Montenegro to form "The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes".

Related Topics:
December 1 - 1918 - Serbia - Montenegro - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes

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On June 28 1921, — a day of historical importance to Serbs (see Vidovdan) — parliament (Skup?tina) passed a new constitution despite a boycott from Croatian MPs. The constitution centralized political authority and strengthened the power of the royal government in Belgrade.

Related Topics:
June 28 - 1921 - Vidovdan

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In 1928, Puni?a Ra?i?, an ethnic Serbian nationalist leader from Montenegro, shot and killed Croatian Peasant Party leader Stjepan Radi? in the parliament chambers. King Alexander (Aleksandar) used the shooting as a pretext to strengthen his power and on January 6, 1929 he suspended the constitution, dissolved the Skup?tina and proclaimed a royal dictatorship. He went on to reorganize the regional divisions within the country and renamed it the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. All national identities except "Yugoslav" were abolished.

Related Topics:
Puni?a Ra?i? - Stjepan Radi? - Alexander - January 6 - 1929 - Kingdom of Yugoslavia

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Yugoslavia became a highly militarized state, which spawned several insurgent nationalist groups opposed to the royal dictatorship. The king was highly unpopular, particularly among non-Serbs, and while on a visit to Marseille, France in 1934, he was assassinated by Macedonian nationalists. His son and successor, Peter II (Petar II), was a child, so power fell into the hands of the ineffectual Prince Paul (Pavle), who continued on an authoritarian path with the prime minister Milan Stojadinovi?.

Related Topics:
Militarized - Marseille - France - 1934 - Macedonian nationalists - Peter II - Prince Paul - Milan Stojadinovi?

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In the beginning of World War II, Yugoslavia was pressured by Germany and Italy to join the Axis powers. Italy was mired in an inconclusive war with Greece, and before Germany committed its forces to the Greek campaign, it wanted to secure Yugoslavia's support.

Related Topics:
World War II - Germany - Italy - Axis powers - Greece

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Prince Paul submitted to the fascist pressure and signed the Tripartite Treaty in Vienna on March 25, 1941, hoping to still keep Yugoslavia out of the war. But this was at the expense of popular support for Paul's regency. Senior military officers were also opposed to the treaty and launched a coup d'état when the king returned on March 27. Army General Du?an Simovi? seized power, arrested the Vienna delegation, exiled Paul, and ended the regency, giving 17 year old King Peter full powers.

Related Topics:
Tripartite Treaty - Vienna - March 25 - 1941 - Coup d'état - March 27 - Du?an Simovi?

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Hitler then decided to attack Yugoslavia on April 6, followed immediately by an invasion of Greece where Mussolini had previously been repelled. (As a result, the launch of Operation Barbarossa was delayed by four weeks, which proved to be a costly decision.)

Related Topics:
Hitler - April 6 - Greece - Operation Barbarossa

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