THE YUGOSLAV ARMY AND THE GERMAN NATIONAL MINORITY (1918 – 1941) Cover Image

ЈУГОСЛОВЕНСКА ВОЈСКА И НЕМАЧКА НАЦИОНАЛНА МАЊИНА (1918–1941)
THE YUGOSLAV ARMY AND THE GERMAN NATIONAL MINORITY (1918 – 1941)

Author(s): Dalibor Denda
Subject(s): Military history, Interwar Period (1920 - 1939)
Published by: Institut za strategijska istraživanja
Keywords: Yugoslavia; army; German national minority; interwar period; April war 1941

Summary/Abstract: During the interwar period Kingdom of SCS/Yugoslavia was inhabited with some 500.000 members of German national minority. Up to 1938 they were considered as loyal subjects of Yugoslav Kingdom. Having in mind the previous experience regarding the subversions of minority elements in Czechoslovakia, Yugoslav General Stuff changed its attitudes towards local Germans. After the WWII broke up in Europe, Yugoslav military authorities implemented measures with the aim to paralyze potential subversive activities of German minority in case of war. German Military Intelligence (Abwehr) started to act actively with the local Germans from the late 1940, but they activate subversive organization just after the Coup d'Etat in Belgrade on March 27th 1941. Previously implemented measures of Yugoslav High Command gave the result during the short April war in 1941. Thanks to them the subversive activates of German minority were not the crucial reasons that contributed to hasty Yugoslav defeat.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 119-156
  • Page Count: 38
  • Language: Serbian