Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. It began as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and was often called "Yugoslavia," meaning "Land of the South Slavs." It was formed in late 1918 when the Kingdom of Serbia joined with the Kingdom of Montenegro and parts of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, including areas that are now Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The kingdom was ruled by the Serbian dynasty of Karađorđević. King Peter I was the first ruler, followed by his son Alexander I. In 1929, Alexander I changed the country's name to "Yugoslavia" and took control in a dictatorship. In 1934, he was killed in Marseille while visiting France. His young son Peter became king, with his cousin Paul acting as Prince regent until 1941.

In April 1941, the country was invaded and taken over by the Axis powers. A royal government-in-exile was set up in London and recognized by the United Kingdom and its allies. Later, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia recognized a new government led by Josip Broz Tito and his Yugoslav Partisans.

Formation

Main article: Creation of Yugoslavia

After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and the start of World War I, many people in the area wanted to join together. This led to talks about making a new country where different South Slavic groups could live as one.

Leaders from different groups worked together to make a new nation. In 1917, they agreed to create a united state of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. After the war ended in 1918, this new country was officially formed. It included parts of old countries like Serbia, Montenegro, and areas that were once part of Austria-Hungary. The new nation was first called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

Economy

Most people in Yugoslavia worked on farms. Many of these farmers were poor, especially in the south where the land was hilly and not very fertile. After World War I, large farms owned by foreigners in the north were broken up. Many farmers owned small pieces of land and also worked in factories at different times of the year.

Manufacturing happened mostly in cities like Belgrade and made goods for local use. Mining was important because Yugoslavia had many minerals, but much of it was owned by foreigners and sent away. The country did not have much electricity and had trouble growing its industries. Factories opened mostly in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.

Yugoslavia borrowed money from Western countries in the 1920s but could not pay it back when the Great Depression began in 1929. This made the economy very weak. Education was required by law, but many people in rural areas could not go to school. About half of the population could read and write, with fewer people able to read in some areas like Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only about 10% of students went on to higher education at universities in Belgrade, Ljubljana, and Zagreb.

Political history

Early politics

Negotiations between the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and the Serbian government led to a new government led by Nikola Pašić. But the regent, Alexander Karađorđević, rejected this plan, causing problems. The issue was solved by choosing Stojan Protić to lead instead, a member of Pašić's People's Radical Party. The new government started on 20 December 1918.

Before elections for the Constituent Assembly, a Provisional Representation acted as a parliament. It was made from delegates of elected groups. A new party called the Democratic Party formed and became very important. But because the Democratic Party wanted strong control, many Croatian delegates opposed them. The government began to rule by decree when opposition members refused to attend parliament.

Constituent assembly to dictatorship

One law passed was the electoral law for the constituent assembly. The election happened on 28 November 1920. The Democratic Party won the most seats, but did badly in areas that were once part of Austria-Hungary. The Croatian Republican Peasant Party and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia gained many supporters.

The Vidovdan Constitution was passed on 28 June 1921, making a single monarchy. Old regions were removed, and 33 new areas called oblasts were made. King Peter I died on 16 August 1921, and Prince-regent Alexander became King Alexander I.

In 1928, a fight happened in parliament when a government member shot some members of the Croatian Peasant Party, including their leader Stjepan Radić. This caused more problems.

6 January dictatorship

On 6 January 1929, King Alexander ended the Constitution, closed Parliament, and took control alone to make one Yugoslav nation. He changed the country’s name to “Kingdom of Yugoslavia” and made nine new regions called banovinas. A special court was created to stop anyone who disagreed.

Yugoslav regency

Because Alexander’s oldest son, Peter II, was too young to rule, a group of leaders called a regency took charge. Prince Paul led the regency. In 1939, an agreement was made with Croatian leaders to create an autonomous Banovina of Croatia with its own parliament.

Downfall

Worried about an attack by the Axis powers, Yugoslavia signed an agreement on 25 March 1941. But a military coup on 27 March removed the leaders, and Yugoslavia left the agreement. On 6 April 1941, the Axis powers invaded and took over Yugoslavia. The country was split among Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria. An expanded Croatia became the Independent State of Croatia under Italian and German control.

Exile of the king

King Peter II escaped and was still recognized by the Allies as the King of Yugoslavia. A resistance movement led by General Draža Mihailović, called the Chetniks, fought against the occupation. But the main resistance was led by Josip Broz Tito’s Communist Partisans. By 1945, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was restored, but real power was with Tito’s Communist Partisans. The monarchy ended, and Yugoslavia became a federal republic ruled by the Communist Party.

Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign relations of Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia worked with countries that helped during World War I, especially Britain and France, from 1920 to 1934.

It joined a group called the Little Entente with Czechoslovakia and Romania, supported by France. This group wanted to stop Hungary from taking back lands it lost after the First World War. But by 1937, this group lost its importance when Yugoslavia and Romania did not support Czechoslovakia against Germany.

In 1934, Yugoslavia formed another alliance called the Balkan Bloc with Greece, Romania, and Turkey to keep peace in the Balkan peninsula. This became the "Balkan Entente" on February 9, 1934. But after the death of King Alexander I in 1934, this alliance weakened.

Italy wanted land from Yugoslavia and was not friendly. In 1927, Yugoslavia signed a friendship agreement with the United Kingdom and France to counter Italy’s influence.

From 1935 to 1941, Yugoslavia faced many challenges. France, which used to support Yugoslavia, was struggling and could not help much. Germany became more powerful and offered better deals. Yugoslavia tried to stay neutral but found it hard. In 1939, Yugoslavia agreed to create the Banovina of Croatia, but pressures from Germany and Italy continued. By April 1941, Germany invaded Yugoslavia. Belgrade was bombed on April 6, 1941, and the Yugoslav Army surrendered on April 17, 1941.

After the invasion, the royal government went into exile. Local forces resisted the occupying powers. In 1944, an agreement recognized a new provisional government. On November 29, 1945, King Peter II was deposed, and Yugoslavia became a republic.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

See also: Demographics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia had many different groups of people. The largest groups were Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Other groups included Montenegrins, Bosnian Muslims, Macedonians, Germans, Italians, Hungarians, Slovaks, Jews, and Rusyns.

People in the country practiced different religions. About half followed Orthodox Christianity, around 40% followed Roman Catholicism, and most of the rest followed Sunni Islam. Many languages were spoken, with "Serbo-Croato-Slovene" being the most common, along with Albanian, Italian, Hungarian, German, Slovak, and Rusyn.

Because there were so many different groups, there were sometimes disagreements, especially between larger groups like the Serbs and Croats. The government sometimes had trouble treating all groups fairly.

Lists of rulers

Main article: List of heads of state of Yugoslavia § Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Kings

• Peter I (1 December 1918 – 16 August 1921; Prince regent Alexander ruled in the name of the King)
• Alexander I (16 August 1921 – 9 October 1934)
• Peter II (9 October 1934 – 29 November 1945; in exile from 13/14 April 1941)
  • Regency headed by Prince Paul (9 October 1934 – 27 March 1941)

Prime Ministers 1918–1941

• Stojan Protić: 1918–1919
• Ljubomir Davidović: 1919–1920
• Stojan Protić: 1920
• Milenko Vesnić: 1920–1921
• Nikola Pašić: 1921–1924
• Ljubomir Davidović: 1924
• Nikola Pašić: 1924–1926
• Nikola Uzunović: 1926–1927
• Velimir Vukićević: 1927–1928
• Anton Korošec: 1928–1929
• Petar Živković: 1929–1932
• Vojislav Marinković: 1932
• Milan Srškić: 1932–1934
• Nikola Uzunović: 1934
• Bogoljub Jevtić: 1934–1935
• Milan Stojadinović: 1935–1939
• Dragiša Cvetković: 1939–1941
• Dušan Simović: 1941

Prime Ministers-in-exile 1941–1945

• Dušan Simović: 1941–1942
• Slobodan Jovanović: 1942–1943
• Miloš Trifunović: 1943
• Božidar Purić: 1943–1944
• Ivan Šubašić: 1944–1945
• Josip Broz Tito: 1945

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia had different ways of organizing its areas. From 1918 to 1922, it used the old ways of dividing the land. In 1922, it changed to thirty-three oblasts, which are like provinces. Then in 1929, it switched to nine banovinas, or regions. Later, in 1939, it created a single Banovina of Croatia from some of these regions to please the Croats.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Yugoslavia

Football was the most popular sport in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav Football Association started in Zagreb in 1919 and later moved to Belgrade. Each year, there was a national football competition. The national team played in the 1920 Summer Olympics and the first FIFA World Cup, where they came in fourth place.

Other favorite sports included water polo, especially with the team VK Jug from Croatia. The Kingdom took part in the Olympic Games from 1920 to 1936. Most of the medals were won by Leon Štukelj, a gymnast from Slovenia.