Kingdom of Yugoslavia

From 1918 until 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. Despite the fact that it was officially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1918 to 1929, the word "Yugoslavia" (meaning "Land of South Slavs") became the country's vernacular moniker because of its roots. By decree of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia on October 3, 1929, the official name of the state was changed to "Kingdom of Yugoslavia."

The preliminary kingdom was formed in 1918 as a result of the merger of the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs (which had been formed from territories of the former Austria-Hungary, encompassing Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as most of Croatia and Slovenia) and Banat, Baka, and Baranja (which had been part of the Kingdom of Hungary within Austria-Hungary) with the formerly independent Kingdom of Serbia (which had been formed from territories of the former Austria A year later, the Kingdom of Montenegro declared its union with Serbia, while the territories of Kosovo and Vardar Macedonia had already been included into Serbia prior to the unification of the two countries.

The nation was invaded and partitioned by the Axis forces in April 1941, and the war ended in 1945. In London, a royal government-in-exile was formed, which was recognised by the United Kingdom and, subsequently, by all of the Allies as a legitimate administration. Because of pressure from Winston Churchill, the King of Yugoslavia recognised the government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia as the legitimate government in 1944, after a long period of uncertainty. After Ivan ubai (representing the Kingdom) and Josip Broz Tito signed the Treaty of Vis on November 2nd, the Kingdom of Serbia and Montenegro was officially formed (on behalf of the Yugoslav Partisans).