OKUPATORSKA PODELA JUGOSLAVJE 1941 - 1945.
THE DIVISION OF OCCUPIED YUGOSLAVIA IN 1941 AND CHANGES MADE DURING WORLD WAR II (1941 - 1945)

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the capitulation and territorial division of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between the powers of the Axis, following the war unexpectedly begun on 6 April 1941. The German General and Temporary Directives for the territorial division of Yugoslavia served as the basis for further work in this domain. Fascist Italy, which did not formally protest against these directives, was left out of them. However, because of mutual distrust, a demarcation line was definitely drawn on the territory of Yugoslavia between Germany and Italy, at the meeting of the two countries' Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Vienna, on 21 April. The line drawn was in favor of Germany, which strove to keep the mining regions.Horthy's Hungary and Boris's Bulgaria, as participants in the war on the side of the Axis, also took part in the division of Yugoslavia’s territory. Both countries claimed to have »historical- rights to parts of the territory of Yugoslavia. Through the endeavors of nazi Germany, the quisling Nezavisna Država Hrvatska' (NDH) was formed on 10 April 1941, while in Serbia the Council of Commissars of Milan Aćimović was set up and later, towards the end of August, the government of General Milan Nedić. Along with the demarcation line, border lines were drawn between the territories of the different occupiers and quisling creations. These lines were subject to change throughout the Second World War. Following the capitulation of fascist Italy, nazi Germany once again directed the territorial division of Yugoslavia with the aim of preparing a defense against the attack from the Allied forces. From the first day of the national rebellion led by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ), its leadership did not acknowledge this territorial division of Yugoslavia. Armed battle was aimed at destroying all the berries set up by the occupiers, their artificial creations and border lines.

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