The
Invasion of Yugoslavia (code-name
Directive 25 or
Operation 25), also known as the
April War (,
Serbian/
Bosnian:
Aprilski rat, ), was the
Axis Powers' attack on the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during
World War II. The invasion ended with the unconditional surrender of the
Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941, annexation and occupation of the region by the Axis powers and the creation of the
Independent State of Croatia (
Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, or NDH).
Background
In October 1940,
Fascist Italy had attacked
Greece only to be forced back into
Albania. German dictator
Adolf Hitler recognised the need to go to the aid of his ally, Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini. Hitler did this not only to restore diminished Axis prestige, but also to prevent the
United Kingdom from being able to bomb the
Romanian oilfields from which
Germany obtained most of her oil.Young, Peter;
World War II, Pg 68
Following agreements with
Hungary,
Romania and
Bulgaria that they would join the Axis, Hitler put pressure on
Yugoslavia to join the
Tripartite Pact. The Regent,
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, succumbed to this pressure on 25 March 1941. However, this move was deeply unpopular amongst the anti-Axis Serbian public and military. A
coup d'état was launched on 27 March 1941 by anti-Paul Serbian military officers, and the Regent was replaced on the throne by King
Peter II of Yugoslavia.Williams, Heather;
Parachutes, Patriots and......
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