Crisis Phase (December 1, 1918-March 27, 1925): Prince Alexander Karađorđević of Serbia proclaimed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) on December 1, 1918. Nikola Pašić of the People’s Radical Party (PRP) served as acting prime minister beginning on December 1, 1918. Serbian troops suppressed a rebellion in Zagreb, Croatia on December 5, 1918, resulting in the deaths of 13 individuals. An interim national parliament consisting of 296 mostly non-elected members convened in Belgrade on December 10, 1918. Stojan Protić of the PRP formed a government as prime minister on December 22, 1918. Serbian and Montenegrin troops suppressed a rebellion in Cetinje, Montenegro on January 3-6, 1919. The U.S. government provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to the government of Yugoslavia on February 2, 1919. Stjepan Radić, leader of the Croatian Republican Peasant Party (CRPP), was arrested for supporting Croatian autonomy on March 25, 1919. Ljubomir Davidović, leader of the Democratic Party of Yugoslavia (DPY), formed a government as prime minister on August 16, 1919. Stojan Protić of the PRP formed a government as prime minister on February 19, 1920.
Stjepan Radić, leader of the CRPP, was released from prison on February 27, 1920. Milenko Radomar Vesnić of the PRP formed a government as prime minister on May 16, 1920. Government troops suppressed a peasant rebellion that broke out in Croatia on September 4, 1920. Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held on November 28, 1920, and the DPY won 92 out of 419 seats in the assembly. The PRP won 91 seats, and the CRPP won 50 seats in the Constituent Assembly. Prime Minister Milenko Vesnic prohibited Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) activities on December 29, 1920. Nikola Pašić formed a PRP-DPY coalition government as prime minister on January 1, 1921. The Croatian Union (CU) headed by Mate Drinkovic withdrew from the Yugoslav parliament on May 12, 1921, and other Croatian parties withdrew from the parliament on May 21, 1921. The CPY withdrew from the Constituent Assembly on June 11, 1921, and the Constituent Assembly approved a new constitution on June 28, 1921. Prince Alexander survived an attempted assassination by a communist on June 29, 1921. The CRPP and CU formed the Croatian Bloc headed by Stjepan Radić in August 1921. King Peter I died on August 16, 1921, and Alexander I was crowned King of Yugoslavia on November 6, 1921. National elections were held on March 18, 1923, and the PRP won 108 out of 312 seats in the National Assembly (Narodna Skupština). The CRPP won 70 seats in the National Assembly. Ljubomir Davidović of the DPY formed as government as prime minister on July 28, 1924. Nikola Pašić of the PRP formed a government as prime minister on November 6, 1924. Stjepan Radić was arrested and charged with treason in January 1925. National elections were held on February 8, 1925, and the PRP won 123 out of 315 seats in the National Assembly. The CRPP won 67 seats in the National Assembly. The National Assembly convened on March 7, 1925. Stjepan Radić and the CRPP agreed to recognize the government on March 27, 1925.
Post-Crisis Phase (March 28, 1925-June 19, 1928): The Croatian Republican Peasant Party (CRPP) changed its name to the Croatian Peasant Party (CPP). The CPP joined a coalition government with the People’s Radical Party (PRP) on July 18, 1925. Nikola Uzunović of the PRP formed a government as prime minister on April 8, 1926. Prime Minister Nikola Uzunović resigned on January 28, 1927, but he formed a new government on February 1, 1927. Velimir Vukićević formed a PRP-Democratic Party of Yugoslavia (DPY) coalition government as prime minister on April 18, 1927. National elections were held on September 11, 1927, and the PRP won 112 out of 315 seats in the National Assembly. The CPP won 61 seats in the National Assembly.
Crisis Phase (June 20, 1928-April 5, 1941): Stjepan Radić and four other members of the Croatian Peasant Party (CPP) were shot in the chambers of the National Assembly by a Montenegrin representative on June 20, 1928. Anton Korošec of the Slovene People’s Party (SPP) formed a government as prime minister on July 28, 1928. Stjepan Radić died of heart failure on August 8, 1928. Several members of the National Assembly, including members of the Democratic Party of Yugoslavia (DPY), boycotted the reconvening of the National Assembly on August 1, 1928. The Croatian deputies withdrew from the National Assembly and established a Croatian parliament in Zagreb in October 1928. Government police and student protesters clashed in Zagreb on December 1, 1928, resulting in the deaths of twelve students. Prime Minister Anton Korošec informed King Alexander I of his intention to resign on January 2, 1929. On January 6, 1929, King Alexander I dissolved the National Assembly and suspended the constitution after Serbian and Croatian parties refused to cooperate in governing the country. General Petar Živković, commander of the Royal Guard, was appointed as prime minister on January 7, 1929. King Alexander I banned all political parties on January 21, 1929, and he established a legislative council to replace the parliament on February 17, 1929. Ante Pavelić established the Ustasa, a Croatian independence movement, in January 1929. King Alexander I officially proclaimed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on October 3, 1929. King Alexander I proclaimed a new constitution establishing a bicameral legislature on September 3, 1931. National elections were held on November 9, 1931, and candidates supportive of King Alexander I won 305 out of 305 seats in the National Assembly. One-third of the registered voters boycotted the 1931 national elections. Vojislav Marinković was appointed as prime minister on April 4, 1932. Milan Srškić was appointed as prime minister on July 3, 1932. On November 14, 1932, the CPP demanded autonomy following the imprisonment of Croatian nationalist leader, Vladimir “Vladko” Maček, on October 17, 1932. Nikola Uzunović was appointed as prime minister on January 27, 1934. King Alexander I was assassinated by a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) in Marseilles, France on October 9, 1934. Prince Paul established a regency council to govern the country for King Alexander I’s son, Peter II. Bogoljub Jevtić of the Yugoslav National Party (YNP) was appointed as prime minister on December 22, 1934. At least two Montenegrin students were killed during protests in Belgrade on February 18, 1935. Some 16 individuals were killed in riots involving Croats and Slovenes on February 19-20, 1935. Government police killed one individual during riots in Sarajevo on May 1, 1935. National elections were held on May 5, 1935, and the YNP won 303 out of 370 seats in the National Assembly. Government police clashed with some 2,000 anti-government protesters in Belgrade on May 5, 1935. Milan Stojadinović of the Yugoslav Radical Union (YRU) formed a government as prime minister on June 24, 1935. National elections were held on December 11, 1938, and the YRU won 306 out of 373 seats in the National Assembly. The United Opposition consisting of the Croatian Peasant Party (CPP) and People’s Radical Party (PRP) won 67 seats in the National Assembly. Dragiša Cvetković of the YRU formed a government as prime minister on February 5, 1939. The regency council headed by Prince Paul and Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković were deposed in a military coup led by General Dušan Simović on March 27, 1941.
Conflict Phase (April 6, 1941-March 7, 1945): German troops invaded Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941, and captured Belgrade on April 12, 1941. Some 14,000 civilians were killed during the German bombing of Belgrade on April 6-12, 1941. Ante Pavelić proclaimed the independence of Croatia on April 10, 1941. King Peter II and the royal government went into exile to Greece on April 14, 1941, and Yugoslav troops surrendered to German troops on April 17, 1941. The Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) appointed Marshall Tito as commander-in-chief of the partisans (communist military forces), and organized a rebellion against German occupation troops beginning on June 22, 1941. Peter II was formally crowned King of Yugoslavia on September 6, 1941. Germany and Italian troops invaded Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941. Yugoslavia was divided among the Axis powers, as well as the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia led by King Tomislav II. German troops killed some 6,000 Serbs in Kraljevo on October 18, 1941. German troops killed some 7,000 Serbs in Kragujevac on October 21, 1941. The National Liberation Movement (NLM) headed by Marshall Tito formed a provisional government, the Council for National Liberation (CNL), in Bosnia in 1942. Slobodan Jovanović served as prime minister of a government-in-exile in London from January 12, 1942 to June 26, 1943. Some 100,000 Axis troops launched a military offensive against Yugoslav partisans on May 6, 1943, resulting in the deaths or wounding of some 10,000 partisans. King Peter II appointed a government-in-exile headed by Prime Minister Miloš Trifunović in London on June 26, 1943. King Peter II appointed Božidar Purić as prime minister of the government-in-exile in London on August 10, 1943. The provisional government of Yugoslavia rejected the legitimacy of government-in-exile in London on November 30, 1943. Some 375,000 Axis troops launched a military offensive against Yugoslav partisans in December 1943. King Peter II dismissed the government-in-exile of Prime Minister Božidar Purić on May 24, 1944. Ivan Šubašić was appointed as prime minister of the government-in-exile in London on July 8, 1944. The British government mediated an agreement between the provisional government and government-in-exile on June 16, 1944. The British government mediated a second agreement signed by Prime Minister Subasic and Marshall Tito on November 1, 1944, which provided for a united government. King Peter II rejected the Subasic-Tito agreement on January 11, 1945, but agreed to appoint a regency council to rule on his behalf on March 3, 1945. Marshall Tito formed a provisional government on March 7, 1945, and appointed Ivan Šubašić as foreign minister. Some 110,000 Axis soldiers and 1.7 million Yugoslavs, including 26,000 out of 43,000 Yugoslav Jews, were killed during the conflict.
Post-Conflict Phase (March 8, 1945-November 29, 1945): Former Prime Minister Nikola Mandić of the Independent State of Croatia and six other individuals were executed by the provisional government of Yugoslavia on June 7, 1945. National elections were held on November 11, 1945, and the United National Front (UNF) headed by Marshall Tito won 354 out of 354 seats in the Constituent Assembly. The national elections were boycotted by several non-communist parties. The Constituent Assembly proclaimed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and abolished the monarchy on November 29, 1945.
Selected Bibliography
Dedijer, Vladimir, et al. 1974. History of Yugoslavia. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Gasparic, Jure. 2011. “The Country at a Standstill: Yugoslavia and Slovene Politics in the 1930s,” Nationalities Papers, vol. 39 (2), pp. 223-236.
Lampe, John R. 1996. Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a County. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Pavlowitch, Stevan K. 1971. Yugoslavia. New York, NY and Washington D.C.: Praeger Publishers.