In 1918 the Kingdoms of Montenegro / Crna Gora and Serbia, the Habsburg Land
of Bosnia-Hercegovina, the Habsburg Crown Lands of Carniola (Krain), Croatia
and Dalmatia - except Zadar (Zara) - and some other territories taken from
Austria and Hungary were united into the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes, which, in 1929, became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. (1)
In 1941 Axis forces invaded Yugoslavia, driving the king and the government
into exile and occupying the country - which was actually dissolved - until
1945, when the Kingdom was, at least formally, restored. (2)(1) The other territories included :
- parts of the Habsburg Crown Lands of Carinthia and Styria.
- parts of the Kingdom of Hungary : Medjimurje, Prekomurje , Srem
and Vojvodina (part of Banat, Backa, part of Baranja)
The new situation was confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon in 1920.
At first the different regions kept a separate administration.
In 1924 they were divided into smaller units, which, in 1929
were regrouped into 9 Banovinates :
- Dravska - Sava
- Drina - Vardar
- Dunav - Vrbas
- Morava - Zeta.
- Primorje (+ capital Belgrade)
(2) By this time actual power had been taken over by the Partisans who
had liberated the country and set up their own administration.
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HEADS OF STATE
Kings
Full Style : His Majesty ..., By the Grace of God and will of the People
King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918 - 1929)
Njegovo Velicanstvo ... , po milosti Bozjoj i volji narodnoj
Kralj Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca
King of Yugoslavia (1929 - 1945)
Kralj Jugoslavije
House of Karadjordjevic
(ruled in Serbia since 1903)
1918 - 1921 Petar I 1844 - 1921
Regent during the illness of the King
1918 - 1921 Naslednik Prestola Aleksandar,
son 1888 - 1934
1921 - 1934 Aleksandar I, assassinated s.a.
1934 - 1945 Petar II, son, in exile since 1941 1923 - 1970
Regents during the minority of the King
1934 - 1941 -Knez Pavle Karadjordjevic,
Great Uncle of the King 1893 - 1976
-Radenko Stankovic 1880 - 1956
-Ivo Perovic
Regents after the restoration of the Yugoslav State
1945 -Srdjan "Sosha" Budisavljevic 1883 - 1968
-Dusan Sernec 1882 - 1952
-Ante Mandic 1881 - 1959
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In 1941 forces of Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Italy invaded Yugoslavia and
occupied the whole country, which, soon afterwards, was divided into :
- a German zone of occupation and/or administration, which included :
- Serbia and the Banat.
- part of Slovenia
- the eastern part of the Independent State of Croatia (occupation only)
- an Italian zone of occupation and/or administration, which included :
- Dalmatia
- Montenegro
- part of Slovenia
- Kosovo and part of Macedonia
- the western part of the Independent State of Croatia (occupation only)
- a Bulgarian zone of occupation and administration which covered most of
Macedonia
- a Hungarian zone of occupation and adminstration which incorporated most
of the territories the country had lost in 1918 (Medjimurje, Prekomurje
and most of Vojvodina)
- the Independent State of Croatia, made up of Croatia (except the Baranja)
and Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Following the Italian surrender in 1943 their former territories - including
Dalmatia, which was claimed by Croatia - were taken over by the Germans.
Foreign domination ended between oct 1944 (Serbia) and may 1945 (Slovenia).
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AXIS ADMINISTRATORS
Each of the above mentionned areas had its one administrators.
For the German and Italian zones there existed however also supra-regional
military commanders (and de facto administrators).
GERMAN SUPRA-REGIONAL COMMANDERS / ADMINISTRATORSChronology
Until aug 1943 all German commands and all military administrations (in the
war zones and Serbia) were subordinated to the Südost.
From aug 1943 onward the military administrations (in Serbia and later also
in Montenegro) were detached from Südost to become part of the supra-regional
military government of the South East.
The other, purely military, commands remained part of Südost until 1945.
apr 1941 : two armies were operating in Yugoslavia :
- the 2nd Army : originally in Western Yugoslavia, later in all
of Northern Yugoslavia, with a subordinate command in Serbia.
(+ military administration for Serbia)
- the 12th Army : originally in Eastern and Southern Yugoslavia,
later only in Southern Yugoslavia.
jun 1941 : the 12th Army was in charge of all Yugoslavia with two subordinate
commands :
- Croatia (since oct 1942)
- Serbia (+ military administration for Serbia)
jan 1943 : Army Group E was in charge of all Yugoslavia with two subordinate
commands :
- Croatia
- Serbia (+ military administration for Serbia)
aug 1943 : Army Group F was in charge of all Yugoslavia with two subordinate
commands :
- the 2nd Armored Army (until dec 1944 when it was withdrawn) :
- in occupation of Croatia, of the former Italian territories
of Dalmatia and Montenegro sep 1943 - nov 1944,
- in charge of the administration of Montenegro and of Albania
sep 1943 - dec 1943.
- South East Command (subordinated only as far as military affairs
were concerned)
sep 1944 : Army Group E, retreating from Greece, toke charge of the southern
regions of Yugoslavia (Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and part of
Northern Serbia) leaving Army Group F in charge of Croatia and the
remaining parts of Northern Serbia.
nov 1944 : Army Group E toke also charge of Croatia.
mar 1945 : Army Group F was formally disbanded.
Army Group E toke charge of what remained of German authority in
Yugoslavia, including Slovenia, which after the German occupation
of the territory on sep 1943 (see Adriatisch Küstenland) had at
first been subject to the German Command in Italy.
Commander of the 2nd German Army
Befehlshaber der 2. Armee
1941 Generalfieldmarsh. Maximilian Maria
Joseph, Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs
zu Glon 1881 - 1954
Commander of the 12th German Army
Befehlshaber der 12. Armee
1941 - 1943 Generalfieldmarsh. Wilhelm Sigmund List,
also Armed Forces Commander South East
in 1941 1880 - 1971
Commander of Army Group E
Befehlshaber der Heeresgruppe E
1943 - 1945 Gen. Alexander Löhr, also Armed Forces
Commander South East and Commander in
Chief South East 1942 - 1943 1885 - 1947
Commander of Army Group F
Befehlshaber der Heeresgruppe F
1943 - 1945 Generalfieldmarsh. Maximilian Maria
Joseph, Reichsfreiherr von un zu Weichs
zu Glon, also Commander in Chief South East s.a.
Commanders of the 2nd Armored ArmyBefehlshaber der 2. Panzer Armee
1943 - 1944 Gen. Lothar Rendulic 1887 - 1971
1944 Gen. Franz Böhme* 1885 - 1947
1944 Gen. Maximilian de Angelis* 1889 - 1974
For more details see Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia
ITALIAN SUPRA-REGIONAL COMMANDERS
The Italian zone of operations and occupation was originally divided into :
- the Albania Command, incorporating also Kosovo, Montenegro and Western
Macedonia
- the Slovenia-Dalmatia Command, incorporating the occupied part of Croatia,
Dalmatia, the Italian part of Slovenia and Zara.
Montenegro later became a separate command, but in may 1943, Albania Command,
Montenegro Command and the Hercegovina sub-command of Slovenia-Dalmatia were
united into the Army Command East.
Commanders of the 2nd Army / Slovenia-Dalmatia Command (Supersloda)
Commandanti della 2. Armata / del Comando Slovenia-Dalmazia
1941 - 1942 Marsh. Vittorio Ambrosio 1879 - 1958
1942 - 1943 Gen. Mario Roatta 1886 - 1968
1943 Gen. Mario Robotti 1882 -
Commander of the Army Command East
Comandante del Gruppo delle Armate dell'Est
1943 Gen. Ezio Rosi 1881 - 1963
For more details see Albania, Croatia and Slovenia.
All three commands were terminated by the Germans after the Italian surrender
in 1943.
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