View source for Yugoslav government-in-exile

{{short description|World War II government-in-exile of Yugoslavia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[File:Claridges CCC.jpg|thumb|[[Claridge's|Claridge's Hotel]] in [[London]], where the Yugoslav government-in-exile was based during the war.]]
[[File:PedroIIDeYugoslaviaEIvanSubasic21061944.jpg|thumb|[[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter II]] conferring with the Prime Minister of the Yugoslav Government in Exile, [[Ivan Šubašić]].]]
The '''Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Exile''' ({{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Vlada Kraljevine Jugoslavije u egzilu|Влада Краљевине Југославије у егзилу}}) was an official [[government-in-exile]] of [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], headed by King [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|Peter II]]. It evacuated from [[Belgrade]] in April 1941, after the [[Invasion of Yugoslavia|Axis invasion of the country]], and went first to [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]], then to [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], then to [[Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt]], and finally, in June 1941, to the [[United Kingdom]]. Hence, it is also referred to as the '''"Government in London"''' ({{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Vlada u Londonu|Влада у Лондону|label=none}}). It was dissolved in March 1945. 

==Background==
According to economics professor and historian [[Jozo Tomasevich]], the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] was politically weak from the moment of its creation in December 1918, and remained so during the [[interwar period]] mainly due to rigid centralism combined with strong ethno-religious identities.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1969|pp=60–62}} In particular, the religious primacy of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] in national affairs and discrimination against [[Roman Catholic]]s and [[Muslim]]s compounded the dissatisfaction of the non-[[Serbs|Serb]] population.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1969|pp=61–62}} The kingdom's internal politics became ethnically polarised, a phenomenon that has been referred to as the "national question" in Yugoslavia.{{sfn|Ramet|2006|p=76}}

Until 1929, this state of affairs was maintained by subverting the democratic system of government. In 1929, democracy was abandoned and a [[6 January Dictatorship|royal dictatorship]] was established by [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|King Alexander]].{{sfn|Tomasevich|1969|p=61}} The king attempted to weaken the ethnic divisions in the country by creating [[Subdivisions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia#Banovinas (1929–1941)|administrative divisions]] ({{lang-sh-Latn|banovine}}) based on rivers rather than traditional regions.{{sfn|Ramet|2006|pp=79–80}} By 1933, however, discontent in the largely [[Croats|Croat]]-populated [[Sava Banovina]] had developed into full-blown civil disorder, which the regime countered with a series of assassinations and arrests of key Croatian opposition figures.{{sfn|Ramet|2006|p=87}} When Alexander was assassinated in [[Marseille]] in 1934 by the Croatian nationalists, his cousin [[Prince Paul of Yugoslavia|Prince Paul]] took over the [[Regency (government)|regency]], ruling on behalf of Alexander's 11-year-old son, [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|Peter II]].{{sfn|Dragnich|1983|p=99}} In the aftermath of Alexander's assassination, Yugoslavia was isolated both militarily and diplomatically.{{sfn|Hoptner|1963|p=28}}

Prince Paul repeatedly attempted to negotiate a political settlement with [[Vladko Maček]], the [[Croatian Peasant Party]] (HSS) leader. In January 1937, Prime Minister [[Milan Stojadinović]] met with Maček at Prince Paul's request, but Stojadinović was unable to contain Croat dissatisfaction with a Yugoslavia dominated by the Serbs.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|pp=22–23}} In 1938, the [[Anschluss|German annexation of Austria]] gave Yugoslavia a common border with [[Nazi]]-ruled Germany.{{sfn|Roberts|1987|p=7}} That year, the commander of the [[Royal Yugoslav Air Force]], Lieutenant General [[Dušan Simović]], was involved in three coup plots—two early in the year driven by Serb opposition to the [[concordat]] with the [[Holy See|Vatican]] and a later one sparked by dissatisfaction with results of [[Yugoslavian parliamentary election, 1938|the December elections]].{{sfn|Onslow|2005|p=37}}

On the evening of 3 February 1939, five ministers resigned from the government in response to a Serb nationalist speech made by the Minister of Education, [[Bogoljub Kujundžić]]. The five were: the Slovene senate leader, [[Anton Korošec]]; the leader of the [[Yugoslav Muslim Organization]] (JMO), [[Mehmed Spaho]]; another JMO politician, [[Džafer Kulenović]]; the Slovene [[Franc Snoj]]; and the Serb [[Dragiša Cvetković]].{{sfn|Singleton|1985|p=170}} Prince Paul then dismissed Stojadinović and appointed Cvetković in his place, with a direction that he reach an agreement with the Croat leader Maček.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=23}} While these negotiations were ongoing, [[Italian invasion of Albania|Italy invaded Albania]]. In August 1939, the [[Cvetković–Maček Agreement]] was concluded to create the [[Banovina of Croatia]], which was to be a relatively autonomous political unit within Yugoslavia. Separatist Croats considered the Agreement did not go far enough, while many Serbs believed it went too far.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=24}} The Cvetković-led cabinet formed in the wake of the agreement was resolutely anti-Axis,{{sfn|Starič|2005|p=35}} and included five members of the HSS, with Maček as deputy Prime Minister.{{sfn|Ramet|2006|pp=106–107}}

==Lead-up to invasion==
By the time of the German [[invasion of Poland]] and subsequent outbreak of [[World War II]] in September 1939, the Yugoslav Intelligence Service was cooperating with British intelligence agencies on a large scale across the country. This cooperation, which had existed to a lesser extent during the early 1930s, intensified after the ''Anschluss'' in 1938. These combined intelligence operations were aimed at strengthening Yugoslavia and keeping her neutral while encouraging covert activities.{{sfn|Starič|2005|p=33}} From the outbreak of war British diplomacy focused on keeping Yugoslavia neutral, which the Ambassador [[Ronald Ian Campbell|Ronald Campbell]] apparently still believed possible.{{sfn|Starič|2005|p=36}} In mid-1940, German pressure on the government resulted in the resignation of the [[Ministry of the Interior (Yugoslavia)|Minister of the Interior]], Dr. Stanoje Mihaldžić, who had been organising covert anti-Axis activities.{{sfn|Starič|2005|p=35}} In mid to late 1940, British intelligence became aware of coup plotting, but managed to side-track the plans, preferring to continue working through Prince Paul.{{sfn|Hehn|2005|pp=368–369}} The [[Special Operations Executive]] (SOE) office in Belgrade went to significant lengths to support the opposition to the anti-Axis Cvetković government, which undermined the hard-won balance in Yugoslav politics that government represented. SOE Belgrade was entangled with pro-Serb policies and interests, and disregarded or underestimated warnings from SOE Zagreb and British diplomats in that city, who better understood the situation in Yugoslavia as a whole.{{sfn|Starič|2005|p=38}} In October 1940, Simović was again approached by plotters planning a coup but he was non-committal.{{sfn|Onslow|2005|p=37}}

Yugoslavia's situation worsened in October 1940 when [[Greco-Italian War|Italy invaded Greece]] from [[Albanian Kingdom (1939–1943)|Albania]], and the initial failure of the Italians to make headway only increased Yugoslav apprehension that Germany would be forced to attack [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]] in order to help Italy. In September and November 1940 respectively, Germany forced [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] and [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] to accede to the [[Tripartite Pact]].{{sfn|Roberts|1987|pp=6–7}} In early November 1940, Nedić, who believed that Germany would win the war, proposed to the government that it abandon its neutral stance and join the Axis as soon as possible in the hope that Germany would protect Yugoslavia against its "greedy neighbors".{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=30}} A few days later Prince Paul, having realised the impossibility of following Nedić's advice, replaced him.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=31}} Germany's planned invasion of Greece would be simplified if Yugoslavia could be neutralised.{{sfn|Frank|2001|p=171}} Over the next few months, Prince Paul and his ministers laboured under overwhelming German diplomatic pressure, the threat of an attack by the Germans from [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgarian]] territory, and the unwillingness of the British to promise practical military support.{{sfn|Milazzo|1975|p=2}} By late 1940, British policy towards the government of Yugoslavia had shifted from acceptance of Yugoslav neutrality to pressuring the country for support in the war against Germany.{{sfn|Stafford|1977|p=401}}

In January 1941, the US placed additional pressure on Prince Paul, urging non-cooperation with Germany.{{sfn|Creveld|1973|p=139}} On 14 February, [[Adolf Hitler]] met with Cvetković and Yugoslav foreign minister [[Aleksandar Cincar-Marković]], and requested Yugoslavia's accession to the Tripartite Pact. He also pushed for the demobilisation of the [[Royal Yugoslav Army]],{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|pp=32 & 57}} and the granting of permission to transport German supplies through Yugoslavia's territory, along with greater economic cooperation. In exchange he offered a port near the [[Aegean Sea]] and territorial security.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=367}} On 1 March, Yugoslavia was further isolated when Bulgaria signed the Pact and the German army arrived at the Bulgarian-Yugoslav border.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}}

On 4 March, Prince Paul secretly met with Hitler in [[Berchtesgaden]] and was again pressured to sign the Pact. Hitler did not request troop passage through Yugoslavia and offered the Greek city of [[Salonika]].{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}} A time limit for Prince Paul, who was uncommitted and "wavering", wasn't set. Prince Paul, in the middle of a cabinet crisis, offered a [[nonaggression pact]] and a declaration of friendship, but Hitler insisted on accession to the Pact.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}} Prince Paul warned that "I fear that if I follow your advice and sign the Tripartite Pact I shall no longer be here in six months."{{sfn|Creveld|1973|p=139}}

===Yugoslavia signs the Pact===
 {{main|Yugoslav accession to the Tripartite Pact}}
On 17 March, Prince Paul returned to Berchtesgaden and was told by Hitler that it was his last chance for Yugoslavia to join the Pact, renouncing this time the request for the use of Yugoslav railways in order to facilitate their accession.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}} On 19 March, Prince Paul convened a Crown Council to discuss the terms of the Pact and whether Yugoslavia should sign it.{{sfn|Stafford|1977|p=402}} The Council's members were willing to agree, but only under the condition that Germany let its concessions be made public. Germany agreed and the Council approved the terms. Three cabinet ministers resigned on 20 March in protest of the impending signing of the Pact.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}} The Germans reacted by imposing an ultimatum to accept by midnight 23 March or forfeit any further chances.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|pp=368–369}} Prince Paul and Cvetković obliged and accepted, despite believing German promises were "worthless".{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=369}} On 23 March, Germany's guarantee of Yugoslavia's territorial security and its promise not to use its railroads were publicised.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=368}} In the [[United Kingdom]], [[Alexander Cadogan]], the [[Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs]], penned in his diary that the "Yugoslavs seem to have sold their souls to the Devil. All these Balkan peoples are trash."{{sfn|Stafford|1977|p=403}}

On 25 March, the pact was signed at the [[Belvedere, Vienna|Belvedere]] palace in [[Vienna]]. German radio later announced that "the Axis Powers would not demand the right of passage of troops or war materials," while the official document mentioned only troops and omitted mention of war materials. Likewise the pledge to give Salonika to Yugoslavia does not appear on the document.{{sfn|Presseisen|1960|p=369}} On the following day, Serb demonstrators gathered on the streets of Belgrade shouting "Better the grave than a slave, better a war than the pact" ({{lang-sh-Latn|Bolje grob nego rob, Bolje rat nego pakt|links=no}}).{{sfn|Ramet|Lazić|2011|p=18}}

===Coup d'état===
{{main|Yugoslav coup d'état}}
A [[Yugoslav coup d'état|coup d'état]] occurred on 27 March 1941 in [[Belgrade]]. The coup was planned and conducted by a group of pro-Western [[Serbs|Serb]]-nationalist Royal Yugoslav Air Force and Royal Guard officers formally led by Simović. For practical purposes several others performed leadership roles in the conduct of the coup. Some other civilian leaders were probably aware of the coup before it was launched and moved to support it once it occurred, but they were not among the organisers. The [[Communist Party of Yugoslavia]] played no part in the coup, although it made a significant contribution to the mass street protests in many cities that signalled popular support for the coup after it occurred. The coup was successful and overthrew the three-member regency as well as the government of Cvetković. The coup had been planned for several months, but the signing of the Tripartite Pact spurred the organisers to carry it out, encouraged by the SOE. The military conspirators brought to power the 17-year-old king, whom they declared to be of age to assume the throne, and a government of national unity was formed with Simović as prime minister and Maček and [[Slobodan Jovanović]] as his vice-premiers.

===Post-coup government===
In the wake of the coup, Simović's new government refused to ratify Yugoslavia's signing of the Tripartite Pact, but did not openly rule it out. Hitler, angered by the coup and anti-German incidents in Belgrade, gathered his senior officers and ordered that Yugoslavia be crushed without delay.{{sfn|Milazzo|1975|pp=2–3}} On the same day as the coup he issued [[Führer Directives|Führer Directive]] 25 which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as a hostile state.{{sfn|Trevor-Roper|1964|p=108}} Italy was to be included in the operations and the directive made specific mention that "[e]fforts will be made to induce Hungary and Bulgaria to take part in operations by offering them the prospect of regaining Bačka and Macedonia".{{sfn|Trevor-Roper|1964|p=108}} Furthermore, the directive stated that "[i]nternal tensions in Yugoslavia will be encouraged by giving political assurances to the Croats".{{sfn|Trevor-Roper|1964|p=108}}

On 30 March, Foreign Minister [[Momčilo Ninčić]] summoned the German ambassador Viktor von Heeren and handed him a statement which declared that the new government would accept all its international obligations, including accession to the Tripartite Pact, as long as the national interests of the country were protected. Von Heeren returned to his office to discover a message from Berlin instructing that contact with Yugoslav officials was to be avoided, and he was recalled to Berlin. No reply was given to Ninčić. On 2 April orders were issued for the evacuation of the German embassy, and the German [[chargé d'affaires]] advised the diplomats of friendly countries to leave the country.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|pp=50–51}} On 3 April, Führer Directive 26 was issued, detailing the plan of attack and command structure for the invasion. Hungary and Bulgaria were promised the [[Bačka]] and [[Macedonia (region)|Yugoslav Macedonia]] respectively and the Romanian army was asked not to take part, holding its position at the countries' border.{{sfn|Trevor-Roper|1964|p=109}} Internal conflict in Hungary over the invasion plans between the army and Teleki led to the Prime Minister's suicide that same evening. Also on 3 April, [[Edmund Veesenmayer]], representing the [[Joachim von Ribbentrop#Dienststelle Ribbentrop|''Dienststelle Ribbentrop'']], arrived in Zagreb in preparation for a regime change.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=49}}

Simović named Maček as Deputy Prime Minister once again in the new government, but Maček was reluctant and remained in Zagreb while he decided what to do. While he considered the coup had been an entirely Serbian initiative aimed at both Prince Paul and the Cvetković–Maček Agreement, he decided that he needed to show HSS support for the new government and that joining it was necessary.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=47}} On 4 April he travelled to Belgrade and accepted the post,{{sfn|Goldstein|2003|p=268}} on several conditions; that the new government respect the Cvetković–Maček Agreement and expand the autonomy of the Banovina Croatia in some respects, that the new government respect the country's accession to the Tripartite Pact, and that one Serb and one Croat temporarily assume the role of regents.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=48}} That same day exiled Croatian politician and ''[[Ustaše]]'' leader [[Ante Pavelić]] called for Croats to start an uprising against the government over his Radio Velebit program based in Italy.{{sfn|Dizdar|2007|p=588}}

On 5 April the new cabinet met for the first time. While the first two conditions set by Maček were met, the appointment of regents was impracticable given Prince Peter had been declared to be of age. Involving representatives from across the political spectrum, Simović's cabinet was "extremely disunited and weak".{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|pp=48–49}} It included members who fell into three groups; those who were strongly opposed to the Axis and prepared to face war with Germany, those who advocated peace with Germany, and those that were uncommitted.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=49}}

==Invasion and flight==
{{main|Invasion of Yugoslavia}}
The Axis invasion of Yugoslavia began on 6 April. The [[Operation Retribution (1941)|bombing of Belgrade]] forced the government to seek shelter outside the city.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=50}} From there, King Peter and Simović planned to leave for exile. Maček, refusing to leave the country, resigned on 7 April and designated [[Juraj Krnjević]] as his successor.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=50}} Maček returned to Zagreb. Three other ministers also refused to leave Yugoslavia: [[Ivan Andres]] and [[Bariša Smoljan]] of the HSS and Kulenović of the JMO.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=50}} The government met on Yugoslav soil for the last time on 13 April near [[Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina|Pale]]. From there they travelled to [[Nikšić]] where they were flown out of the country to Athens.{{sfn|Pavlowitch|2007|p=19}}

==Simović cabinet==
{{More citations needed section |date=February 2024}}
[[File:1942 issued government in exile passport by Chargé d'affaires in Portugal Milutin Milovanovic.jpg|thumb|1942 issued government in exile passport by Chargé d'affaires in Portugal Milutin Milovanovic.]]
King Peter, all the main leaders of the coup d'état, most of Simović's cabinet and a number of government officials flew out of Yugoslavia to Greece on 14–15 April. After a brief stop in Athens, they travelled on to Jerusalem where they were temporarily accommodated. On 21 June, the king and most of the cabinet arrived in London. Several members of the cabinet that left Yugoslavia did not travel to London, and ended up in the United States or Canada. Some politicians and government officials travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, where they constituted a reserve government of sorts. [[Bogoljub Ilić]], who remained Minister of the Army and Navy and also became Chief of the General Staff in place of Simović, established a new Yugoslav Supreme Command in Cairo. The [[Yugoslav Army Outside the Homeland|remnants]] of the Royal Yugoslav Army and Navy that had escaped the country were concentrated in Palestine and Egypt under his command. The government also appointed a special representative in the Middle East, Jovan Đonović, who was responsible for propaganda and communication with contacts in occupied Yugoslavia.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=262}}

Although the coup d'état had generated a significant amount of goodwill towards the post-coup government in the West, that spirit had evaporated with the [[wikt:ignominious|ignominious]] defeat of the government and armed forces during the invasion. Much of the early effort of the Serb members of the cabinet was focussed on fixing the blame for the defeat on the ''Ustaše'' or even on Croats more generally.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=264}}

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was soon divided by the Axis into several entities. [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]], [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|Hungary]], and [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] annexed some border areas outright. A [[German question#Later influence|Greater Germany]] was expanded to include most of [[Drava Banovina]]. Italy added the [[Governorate of Dalmatia|Governorship of Dalmatia]] and more than a third of western Drava Banovina to the [[Italian Empire]]. An expanded Croatia was recognized by the Axis as the [[Independent State of Croatia]] (''[[Independent State of Croatia|Nezavisna Država Hrvatska]]'', NDH). On paper, the NDH was a kingdom, and the [[Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta|4th Duke of Aosta]] was crowned as King Tomislav II of Croatia. The [[rump state|rump]] [[Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia|Serbian territory]] became a military administration of Germany run by military governors, with a Serb civil government led by [[Milan Nedić]]. Nedić attempted to gain German recognition of Serbia as a successor state to Yugoslavia and claimed [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter II]] as Serbia's monarch. [[Puppet state]]s were also set up in [[Kingdom of Montenegro (1941–44)|Montenegro]] and southern Yugoslavia. Hungary [[Hungarian occupation of Yugoslav territories|occupied and annexed several northern regions]].

[[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter II]], who had escaped into exile, was still recognized as king of the whole state of Yugoslavia by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. Starting on 13&nbsp;May 1941, the largely [[Serbia]]n "[[Chetniks|Yugoslav Army of the Fatherland]]" (''Jugoslovenska vojska u otadžbini'', or JVUO, or [[Chetniks|Četniks]]) resisted the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia (the Chetniks later collaborated with the Axis). This anti-German and anti-communist [[resistance movement]] was commanded by Royalist General [[Draža Mihailović]]. For a long time, the Četniks were supported by the [[United Kingdom|British]], the [[United States]], and the Yugoslavian royal government in exile of King Peter II.

However, over the course of the war, effective power changed to the hands of [[Josip Broz Tito]]'s Communist [[Yugoslav Partisans|Partisans]]. In 1943, Tito proclaimed the creation of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia#History|Democratic Federative Yugoslavia]] (''Demokratska federativna Jugoslavija''). The Allies gradually recognized Tito's forces as the stronger opposition to the German occupation. They began to send most of their aid to Tito's Partisans, rather than to the Royalist [[Chetniks|Četniks]]. On 16&nbsp;June 1944, the [[Treaty of Vis|Tito–Šubašić agreement]] was signed, merging the ''de facto'' and the ''de jure'' governments of Yugoslavia.

During his exile, King Peter II was educated at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge University]], served in the [[Royal Air Force]] and married [[Alexandra of Yugoslavia|Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark]], who was the only child of the late [[Alexander of Greece|King Alexander I of Greece]] and [[Aspasia Manos|Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark]].

==Jovanović cabinet==
Jovanović took office as prime minister on 11 January 1942 with the dismissal of Simović. His original appointment as vice-premier in the Simović government had been in recognition of the respect he engendered, and because he was seen as a Serb counterpart to Maček as an overall leader of the Serbs across the country. He was a [[Positivism|positivist]], non-romantic liberal who was opposed to both fascism and communism, but was not directly connected to any political party. Simović was dropped from the cabinet, as was Ilić, who had been Minister of the Army. The latter was replaced by Mihailović, but because he was in Yugoslavia, the government in London was now in the hands of civilians.{{sfn|Pavlowitch|1981|pp=93–94}}

==Trifunović cabinet==
{{empty section|date=December 2016}}

==Purić cabinet==
{{empty section|date=December 2016}}

==Šubašić cabinet==
{{Unreferenced section |date=February 2024}}
[[Ivan Šubašić]] took office on 1 June 1944. He was appointed to negotiate with [[Tito]] because of his special position in the Croatian Peasant Party, his loyalty to the [[Karađorđević dynasty]], his moderation in comparison with other Croatian politicians, and his experience in difficult situations. Nevertheless, his nomination after months of British pressure on the king depended on the elimination of Mihailovich from the cabinet.

Ten days after his nomination, Šubašić fled to the island of Vis in the [[Adriatic Sea]] in order to meet with Tito and try to form a coalition government. Tito agreed to postpone a decision on the form of government until the end of the war, and Šubašić, for his part, recognised that only the partisan administration of the Yugoslav territory would receive support. He also promised that the government would include only people who had not previously opposed Tito and his organisation, and that it would concentrate on securing international support. The agreement was signed on 16 June with no consultation by Šubašić or with the king.

After his return, Šubašić formed a government of five ministers, with two of them proposed by Tito. Mihailovich lost his position as war minister. He refused to recognise the new government and continued to proclaim his loyalty to the king.

On 12 September, the king went on the radio to ask people to support Tito.

Šubašić met with Tito in [[Belgrade]] on 1 November. Under their agreement, the King was not authorised to return to the country until a plebiscite was held about the monarchy. After Šubašić returned to London, the king rejected the agreement and replaced Šubašić on 23 January 1945. But under British pressure, the king was compelled to call him back six days later and to accept the principle of a regency.

Two weeks later, Šubašić and his ministers went to Belgrade. A new coalition government was formed on 7 March, in which Tito controlled 20 ministers of 28. This ended the government in exile.

==Foreign policy==
{{main|Yugoslavia and the Allies}}

==Armed forces==
{{Further|Yugoslav Army Outside the Homeland|No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando}}
In exile, the Royal Yugoslav Forces were initially under the command of General [[Bogoljub Ilić]] as minister of the Army, Navy and Air Force and chief of the General Staff, and General [[Borivoje Mirković]] as commander of the Air Force. There were initially about 1,000 men in these forces in [[Cairo]]. On 12 January 1942, the king dismissed the prime minister, Ilić and Mirković, provoking a mutiny by officers supportive of the Air Force general.<ref name=Thomas34>Nigel Thomas (1991), ''Foreign Volunteers of the Allied Forces, 1939–45'' (Oxford: Osprey Publishing), 34.</ref> The king then appointed Colonel [[Dragoljub Mihailović]], leader of the [[Chetniks|Četniks]] in Yugoslavia, as minister and chief of staff to replace Ilić ''in absentia''; he then appointed General [[Petar Živković]] to act as Mihailović's deputy in London and Cairo.<ref name=Thomas34/> Mihailović was dismissed in August 1944 as Allied support shifted away from the Četniks. On 7 March 1945, the king dissolved the government and disbanded the armed forces, proclaiming Tito's [[Yugoslav Partisans|Partisans]] on the ground to be the sole legitimate government and military.<ref name=Thomas34/>

The first unit of the [[Royal Yugoslav Army]] to be formed in exile was the 1st Battalion, Royal Yugoslav Guards, under Major Živan Knežević. It comprised a headquarters and four rifle companies (A, B, C and D). Of its original complement of 505 men, 411 were [[Slovenes]] who had been conscripted into the [[Royal Italian Army]] and subsequently captured by the British.<ref name=Thomas34/> In January 1942, command of this unit passed to Lieutenant Colonel Miloje Dinić, and on 19 February to Lt. Col. Milan Prosen, after Dinić was implicated in the pro-Mirković mutiny. (He and 57 other Guards were interned by the British at the Torah camp in March, along with all 346 of the Yugoslav Air Force's ground personnel.)<ref name=Thomas35>Thomas, ''Foreign Volunteers'', 35.</ref> In late February, the unit was ordered to relieve the Czechoslovak contingent at the [[siege of Tobruk]], but was diverted to join the [[11th Indian Infantry Brigade|11th Brigade]], [[4th Infantry Division (India)|4th (Indian) Division]] in Libya. In April, it retreated to [[Halfaya Pass]] and then to [[Mersa Matruh]]. In July, it was reassigned to the [[Ninth Army (United Kingdom)|9th (British) Army]] in [[Mandatory Palestine]] to guard the oil refinery at [[Haifa]].<ref name=Thomas34/> In January 1943, when Lt. Col. Franc Stropnik assumed command, the battalion was 850 strong and well-trained. It was attached to the [[25th Indian Infantry Brigade|25th Brigade]], [[10th Indian Infantry Division|10th (Indian) Division]]. Before the end of the year, monarchist and communist (pro-Tito) factions had appeared in the ranks; numbers dwindled. Barely the size of a company, a rump unit was sent to the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian theatre]] with its brigade in March 1944.<ref name=Thomas35/> It was disbanded soon after, despite the recruitment of 2,000 captured Slovene conscripts assembled in [[Algiers]] by Prosen. The British refused to ferry these men to Cairo, so they were assigned labour duties.<ref name=Thomas35/>

After the fall of Yugoslavia, 105 personnel of the [[Royal Yugoslav Navy]], under Commander [[Z. V. Adamić]], joined the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] at [[Alexandria]] in Egypt.<ref name=Thomas35/> Two [[motor torpedo boats]] (MTBs), ''[[Yugoslav motor torpedo boat Durmitor|Durmitor]]'' and ''[[Yugoslav motor torpedo boat Kajmakčalan|Kajmakčalan]]'', and a submarine, ''[[Yugoslav submarine Nebojša|Nebojša]]'', ran the gauntlet of the Adriatic, evading the [[Regia Marina|Italian Navy]], and arrived in [[Suda Bay]] on 22–23 April before proceeding to Alexandria.<ref>For a detailed account of their escape, cf. A. D. Divine (1944), ''Navies in Exile'' (New York: Dutton).</ref> The MTBs participated in the [[Syria and Lebanon campaign]], while ''Nebojša'' undertook training exercises.<ref name=Thomas35/> Ten floatplanes of the [[Yugoslav order of battle prior to the invasion of Yugoslavia#Maritime Air Force|Naval Air Force]] also escaped. On 3 June 1941, eight [[Dornier Do 22]]kj and two [[Rogožarski SIM-XIV-H]] formed the 2 (Yugoslav) Squadron of the [[No. 230 Squadron RAF]], based in [[Aboukir]]. They participated in the [[Battle of Crete]] and patrolled the African coast until the unit was disbanded on 23 April 1942.<ref name=Thomas35/> In late 1943, Commander J. Saksida was given command of a torpedo boat flotilla based at [[Malta]], which included some former Yugoslav MTBs that had been captured by Italy in 1941 and then surrendered to the Allies after [[Armistice of Cassibile|Italy's armistice]], as well as three minelayers: ''Melinje'', ''Miljet'' and ''Villa''. The Yugoslav Navy was also operating eight former American [[PT boat]]s and, after 11 January 1944, the ex-[[HMS Mallow (K81)|HMS ''Mallow'']] (renamed ''Nada''), out of [[Livorno]] in Italy. In March 1945, all Royal Yugoslav vessels assembled at [[Ancona]] in preparation for the handover to Tito's forces, which occurred in August.<ref name=Thomas35/> The negotiations for the transfer of the vessels under British command took place on [[Vis (island)|Vis]]. The royal representative was Captain [[Ivan Kern]], whom Tito later promoted to rear admiral.

The eleven aircraft of the [[Royal Yugoslav Air Force]] to make it to Alexandria were requisitioned by the British. Several [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.79]]s piloted by Yugoslavs joined [[No. 117 Squadron RAF]] and flew transport missions along the [[Takoradi air route]].<ref>A. D. Harvey (2015), "A Slow Start: Military Air Transport at the Beginning of the Second World War", ''Air Power History'' '''62''' (1): 6–15.</ref> On 2 July 1942, the interned Yugoslav Air Force personnel and Guards in Alexandria were formed into the 244 Temporary Battalion of the [[King's Own Royal Regiment]], but after a pro-Tito mutiny in November 1943, the unit was disbanded. Its personnel were transferred to the diminished Royal Guards, while 224 of the Air Force men joined the [[Balkan Air Force]] in Libya.<ref name=Thomas35/> Joined by Partisan volunteers, these men formed [[No. 352 Squadron RAF]] on 22 April 1944 and [[No. 352 Squadron RAF|No. 352 Squadron]] on 1 July. They mainly flew [[Hawker Hurricane]]s and [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s in operations over Yugoslavia in support of the Partisans. Both squadrons were disbanded on 15 June 1945.<ref name=Thomas35/>

==Prime Ministers==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|-
!rowspan=2 colspan="2"|Portrait
!rowspan="2"|Name<br /><small>(Born-Died)</small>
!colspan=2|Term of office
!rowspan="2" | Party
|-
!Start
!End
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Military Rule}}; width:1em" | {{color|black|1}}
| [[File:Dušan Simović.jpg|60px]]
|align="center"| [[Dušan Simović]]<br /><small>(1882–1962)</small>
| | <small>27 April</small><br />1941
| <small>12 January</small><br />1942
| [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] (''[[Royal Yugoslav Army]]'')
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}; width:1em" | {{color|black|2}}
| [[File:Slobodan Jovanović, by Uroš Predić (1931).jpg|60px]]
|align="center"| [[Slobodan Jovanović]]<br /><small>(1869–1958)</small>
| <small>12 January</small><br />1942
|<small>18 June</small><br />1943
| [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
! style="background: {{party color|People's Radical Party}}; width:1em" | {{color|white|3}}
| [[File:Miloš Trifunović.jpg|60px]]
|align="center"| [[Miloš Trifunović (politician)|Miloš Trifunović]]<br /><small>(1871–1957)</small>
| <small>18 June</small><br />1943 || <small>10 August</small><br />1943
| [[People's Radical Party|People's Radical Party (NRS)]]
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}; width:1em" | {{color|black|4}}
| [[File:Bozidar Puric.jpg|60px]] ||align="center"| [[Božidar Purić]]<br /><small>(1891–1977)</small>
| <small>10 August</small><br />1943
| <small>8 July</small><br />1944
| [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Croatian Peasant Party}}; width:1em" | {{color|white|5}}
| [[File:Ivan Subasic.jpg|60px]]
|align="center"| [[Ivan Šubašić]]<br /><small>(1892–1955)</small>
| <small>8 July</small><br />1944
| <small>7 March</small><br />1945
| [[Croatian Peasant Party|Croatian Peasant Party (HSS)]]
|-
|}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
===Books===
* {{cite book
  | last = Creveld
  | first = Martin L. Van
  | author-link = Martin van Creveld
  | title = Hitler's Strategy 1940–1941: The Balkan Clue
  | year = 1973
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = London, United Kingdom
  | isbn = 978-0-521-20143-8
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ozg8AAAAIAAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Dragnich
  | first = Alex N.
  | title = The First Yugoslavia: Search for a Viable Political System
  | publisher = Hoover Press
  | location = Stanford, California
  | year = 1983
  | isbn = 978-0-8179-7843-3
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-84_kkgMf2QC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Frank
  | first1 = Tibor
  | contribution = Treaty Revision and Doublespeak: Hungarian Neutrality, 1939–1941
  | editor1-last = Wylie
  | editor1-first = Neville
  | title = European Neutrals and Non-Belligerents During the Second World War
  | pages = 150–191
  | year = 2001
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = Cambridge, United Kingdom
  | isbn = 978-0-521-64358-0
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RNh3v8miC0kC
}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Goldstein
  | first = Ivo
  | author-link = Ivo Goldstein
  | editor-last = Goldstein
  | editor-first = Slavko
  | editor-link = Slavko Goldstein
  | title = Hrvatska povijest
  |trans-title=Croatian History
  | language = sh
  | publisher = Novi Liber
  | location = Zagreb, Croatia
  | year = 2003
  | isbn = 978-953-6045-22-8
  }}
* {{cite book
  | first = Paul N.
  | last = Hehn
  | title = A Low Dishonest Decade : The Great Powers, Eastern Europe, and the Economic Origins of World War II, 1930–1941
  | publisher = Continuum International Publishing Group
  | location = London, United Kingdom
  | year = 2005
  | isbn = 978-0-8264-1761-9
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nOALhEZkYDkC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Hoptner
  | first = Jacob B.
  | title = Yugoslavia in crisis, 1934–1941
  | year = 1963
  | publisher = Columbia University Press
  | location = New York, New York
  | oclc = 310483760
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Malcolm
  | first = Noel
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  | title = Bosnia: A Short History
  | year = 1994
  | publisher = New York University Press
  | location = New York, New York
  | isbn = 978-0-8147-5520-4
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/bosniashorthisto00malc
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Milazzo
  | first = Matteo J.
  | year = 1975
  | title = The Chetnik Movement & the Yugoslav Resistance
  | publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press
  | location = Baltimore, Maryland
  | isbn = 978-0-8018-1589-8
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Pavlowitch
  | first = Stevan K.
  | author-link = Stevan K. Pavlowitch
  | year = 2007
  | title = Hitler's New Disorder: The Second World War in Yugoslavia
  | publisher = Columbia University Press
  | location = New York
  | isbn = 978-1-85065-895-5
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=R8d2409V9tEC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Ramet
  | first = Sabrina P.
  | author-link = Sabrina P. Ramet
  | year = 2006
  | title = The Three Yugoslavias: State-Building and Legitimation, 1918–2005
  | publisher = Indiana University Press
  | location = Bloomington, Indiana
  | isbn = 978-0-253-34656-8
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FTw3lEqi2-oC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Ramet
  | first1 = Sabrina P.
  | last2 = Lazić
  | first2 = Sladjana
  | chapter = The Collaborationist Regime of Milan Nedić
  | editor1-last = Ramet
  | editor1-first = Sabrina P.
  | editor2-last = Listhaug
  | editor2-first = Ola
  | title = Serbia and the Serbs in World War Two
  | pages = 17–43
  | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan
  | location = London, United Kingdom
  | year = 2011
  | isbn = 978-0-230-27830-1
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Roberts
  | first = Walter R.
  | author-link = Walter Roberts (writer)
  | year = 1987
  | title = Tito, Mihailović and the Allies: 1941–1945
  | publisher = Duke University Press
  | location = New Brunswick, New Jersey
  | isbn = 978-0-8223-0773-0
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=43CbLU8FgFsC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Singleton
  | first = Fred
  | year = 1985
  | title = A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = New York, New York
  | isbn = 978-0-521-27485-2
  | url = https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofyu0000sing
  | url-access = registration
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Tomasevich
  | first = Jozo
  | author-link = Jozo Tomasevich
  | chapter = Yugoslavia During the Second World War
  | editor-last = Vucinich
  | editor-first = Wayne S.
  | editor-link = Wayne S. Vucinich
  | title = Contemporary Yugoslavia: Twenty Years of Socialist Experiment
  | pages = [https://archive.org/details/contemporaryyugo0008vuci/page/59 59]–118
  | publisher = University of California Press
  | location = Berkeley, California
  | year = 1969
  | oclc = 652337606
  | url = https://archive.org/details/contemporaryyugo0008vuci
  | url-access = registration
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Tomasevich
  | first = Jozo
  | year = 1975
  | title = War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: The Chetniks
  | publisher = Stanford University Press
  | location = Stanford, California
  | isbn = 978-0-8047-0857-9
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yoCaAAAAIAAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Tomasevich
  | first = Jozo
  | year = 2001
  | title = War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: Occupation and Collaboration
  | publisher = Stanford University Press
  | location = Stanford, California
  | isbn = 978-0-8047-3615-2
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fqUSGevFe5MC
  }}
* *{{cite book |last1=Torkar |first1=Blaz |editor1-last=Smetana |editor1-first=Vít |title=Exile in London: The Experience of Czechoslovakia and the Other Occupied Nations, 1939-1945 |date=2018 |publisher=Karolinum |location=Prague |isbn=978-8024637013 |chapter=The Yugoslav Armed Forces in Exile: From the Yugoslav Royal Guard Battalion to the Overseas Brigades}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Trevor-Roper
  | first = Hugh
  | year = 1964
  | title = Hitler's War Directives: 1939–1945
  | publisher = Sidgwick and Jackson
  | location = London, United Kingdom
  | isbn = 978-1-84341-014-0
  }}

===Journals===
* {{cite journal
  | last = Dizdar
  | first = Zdravko
  | title = Bjelovarski ustanak od 7. do 10. travnja 1941.
  | trans-title=Bjelovar Uprising, 7 to 10 April 1941
  | journal = Časopis za suvremenu povijest [Journal of Contemporary History]
  | date = January 2007
  | volume = 39
  | issue = 3
  | pages = 581–609
  | url = http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=29738
  | language = sh
  }}
* {{cite journal |last=Hadži-Jovančić |first=Perica |title=Losing the Periphery: The British Foreign Office and Policy Towards Yugoslavia, 1935-1938 |journal=Diplomacy & Statecraft |date=March 2020 |volume=31 |number=1 |pages=65–90|doi=10.1080/09592296.2020.1721060 |s2cid=214307055 }}
*{{cite journal |title=The Yugoslav Government-in-Exile and the Problems of Restoration |last=Kay |first=M. A. |journal=East European Quarterly |volume=25 |issue=1 |year=1991 |pages=1–19}}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Onslow
  | first = Sue
  | title = Britain and the Belgrade Coup of 27 March 1941 Revisited
  | journal = Electronic Journal of International History
  |date=March 2005
  | issue = 8
  | pages = 359–370
  | publisher = University of London
  | url = http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/3395/1/Journal_of_International_History_2005_n8_Onslow.pdf
  | issn = 1471-1443
  }}
* {{citation|last=Opačić|first=Petar|year=2003|script-title=sr:О приступању Југославије Тројном пакту 1941. године|trans-title=On accession of Yugoslavia to the Tripartite Pact in 1941|journal=Okrugli sto 27. mart 1941: Knez Pavle u vihorima evropske politike [27 March 1941 Roundtable: Prince Paul in the whirlwinds of European policy]|publisher=27. mart 1941|location=Belgrade|url=http://www.27mart.com/images/File/005%20Petar%20Opacic%20-%20O%20pristupanju%20Jugoslavije...%20_cir_.pdf|language=sr}}
*{{cite journal
  | last = Pavlowitch
  | first = Stevan K.
  | title = Out of Context: The Yugoslav Government in London, 1941–1945
  | date = 1981
  | journal = Journal of Contemporary History
  | volume = 16
  | issue = 1
  | pages = 89–118
  | doi = 10.1177/002200948101600106
  | s2cid = 154800214
 }}
*{{cite journal |title=The Foreign Office, King Peter and His Official Visit to Washington |first=Stevan K. |last=Pavlowitch |journal=East European Quarterly |volume=16 |issue=4 |year=1982 |pages=453–66}}
*{{cite journal |journal=The Slavonic and East European Review |volume=62 |first=Stevan K. |last=Pavlowitch |title=Momčilo Ninčić and the European Policy of the Yugoslav Government in Exile, 1941-1943: I |year=1984 |issue=3 |pages=400–20}}
*{{cite journal |journal=The Slavonic and East European Review |volume=62 |first=Stevan K. |last=Pavlowitch |title=Momčilo Ninčić and the European Policy of the Yugoslav Government in Exile, 1941-1943: II |year=1984 |issue=4 |pages=531–51}}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Presseisen
  | first = Ernst L.
  | title = Prelude to "Barbarossa": Germany and the Balkans, 1940–1941
  | journal = Journal of Modern History
  |date=December 1960
  | volume = 32
  | issue = 4
  | pages = 359–370
  | publisher = University of Chicago Press
  | jstor = 1872611
  | doi=10.1086/238616
  | s2cid = 144699901
 }}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Stafford
  | first = David A. T.
  | author-link = David A. T. Stafford
  | title = SOE and British Involvement in the Belgrade Coup d'État of March 1941
  | journal = Slavic Review
  |date=September 1977
  | volume = 36
  | issue = 3
  | pages = 399–419
  | publisher = Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
  | doi = 10.2307/2494975
 | jstor = 2494975
  | s2cid = 159560969
 | doi-access = free
  }}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Starič
  | first = Jerca Vodušek
  | author-link = Jerca Vodušek Starič
  | title = The Concurrence of Allied and Yugoslav Intelligence Aims and Activities
  | journal = The Journal of Intelligence History
  | year = 2005
  | volume = 5
  | issue = 1
  | pages = 29–44
  | doi = 10.1080/16161262.2005.10555107
  | s2cid = 150956459
 }}

{{Yugoslav Front}}
{{Governments in exile}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yugoslav Government In Exile}}
[[Category:1941 establishments in Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:1945 disestablishments in Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:Yugoslavia in World War II|Government in exile]]
[[Category:World War II governments in exile based in London]]
[[Category:Government of Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:1941 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:United Kingdom in World War II|G]]
[[Category:United Kingdom–Yugoslavia relations]]
[[Category:1940s in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Politics of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]