Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
(1918–1929)
*Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca*
Краљевина Срба, Хрвата и Словенаца
(Serbo-Croatian)
*Kraljevina Srbov, Hrvatov in Slovencev*
(Slovene)
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(1929–1941)
*Kraljevina Jugoslavija*
(Serbo-Croatian and Slovene)
Краљевина Југославија
(Serbo-Croatian)
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; (1918–1929); Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca; Краљевина Срба, Хрвата и Словенаца; (Serbo-Croatian); Kraljevina Srbov, Hrvatov in Slovencev; (Slovene) Kingdom of Yugoslavia; (1929–1941); Kraljevina Jugoslavija; (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene); Краљевина Југославија; (Serbo-Croatian)
1918–1941
	Flag Greater coat of arms
	Motto: Jedan narod, jedan kralj, jedna država ; Један народ, један краљ, једна држава ; "One People, One King, One State"
	Anthem: Himna Kraljevine Jugoslavije; Химна Краљевине Југославије; "National Anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia";
	Location of Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1930 (green) in Europe (dark grey)
Capital and largest city	Belgrade; 44°48′35″N 20°27′47″E / 44.80972°N 20.46306°E
Official languages	Serbo-Croato-Slovene[a]
Common languages	German, Hungarian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian dialects, Romanian, Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, Romani, Ladino, Italian
Demonym	Yugoslav
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy; (1918–1929, 1931–1939) under a one-party royal dictatorship; (1929–1931); under federalism (1939–1941);
King
• 1918–1921	Peter I
• 1921–1934	Alexander I
• 1934–1941	Peter II[b]
Prince Regent
• 1918–1921	Prince Alexander
• 1934–1941	Prince Paul
Prime Minister
• 1918–1919 (first)	Stojan Protić
• 1941 (last)	Dušan Simović
Legislature	Provisional Representation; (1919–1920); National Assembly[c]; (1920–1941)
• Upper house	Senate; (since 1931)
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies; (since 1931)
Historical era	Interwar period • World War II
• Established	1 December 1918
• Vidovdan Constitution	28 June 1921
• 6 Jan. Dictatorship	6 January 1929
• Octroic Constitution	3 September 1931
• King assassinated	9 October 1934
• Sporazum in Croatia	25 August 1939
• Joined the Axis	25 March 1941
• Coup d'état	27 March 1941
• Axis invasion	6 April 1941
• Government-in-exile	April 1941
• Provisional Government	7 March 1945
• Monarchy abolished	29 November 1945
Area
1941	247,542 km2 (95,577 sq mi)
Population
• 1918	12,017,323
• 1931	13,934,000
• 1941	15,839,364
Currency	Yugoslav krone; (1918–1920); Yugoslav dinar; (1920–1941);
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Kingdom of Serbia
	State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
	Kingdom of Hungary (Vojvodina)
	Kingdom of Italy (Istria, Trieste)
	Tsardom of Bulgaria (small portions)
	1924:; Kingdom of Romania (villages)
German-occupied Serbia
Italian governorate of Montenegro
Independent State of Croatia
Kingdom of Italy
Tsardom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Hungary
Italian protectorate of Albania
Nazi Germany
Yugoslav; govt.-in-exile
Today part of	Slovenia; Croatia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serbia; Kosovo; Montenegro; North Macedonia;
	^ Serbian and Croatian, highly mutually intelligible standard languages, were officially considered eastern and western varieties of a common language, contemporarily known as Serbo-Croatian. Slovene was considered a dialect of the common language despite low mutual intelligibility with Serbo-Croatian. 'Serbo-Croato-Slovene' was declared the single official language (srbsko-hrvatsko-slovenački or srbsko-hrvatsko-slovenski; also translated "Serbocroatoslovenian"). In practice it functioned as Serbo-Croatian.; ^ Peter II, still underage, was declared an adult by a military coup. Shortly after his assumption of royal authority, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis and the young King went into exile. In 1944, he accepted the formation of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. He was deposed by the Yugoslav parliament in 1945.; ^ Unicameral until 1931.;

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and was colloquially known as "Yugoslavia" (lit. 'Land of the South Slavs') due to its origins.

The preliminary kingdom was formed in late 1918 by the unification of the Kingdom of Serbia, which was previously independent, with the Kingdom of Montenegro, and the territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, mainly the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (encompassing what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina and most of what are now the states of Croatia and Slovenia) as well as Banat, Bačka and Baranja. The regions of Kosovo and what is today North Macedonia had become parts of Serbia prior to the unification.

The state was ruled by the Serbian dynasty of Karađorđević, which previously ruled the Kingdom of Serbia under Peter I, who became the first king of Yugoslavia, reigning until his death in 1921. He was succeeded by his son Alexander I, who had been regent for his father. In 1929, he established the 6 January Dictatorship, and soon renamed the kingdom "Yugoslavia". In 1934, the king was assassinated in Marseille by Vlado Chernozemski, a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), during his visit to France. The crown passed to his 11-year-old son, Peter. Alexander's cousin Paul ruled as Prince regent until 1941, when Peter II came of age following a coup d'etat that reversed Yugoslavia's accession to the Tripartite Pact. The royal family flew to London the same year, prior to the country being invaded by the Axis powers.

In April 1941, the country was occupied and partitioned by the Axis powers. A royal government-in-exile, recognized by the United Kingdom and, later, by all the Allies, was established in London. In 1944, after pressure from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the King recognized the government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia as the legitimate government. This was established on 2 November following the signing of the Treaty of Vis by Ivan Šubašić (on behalf of the Kingdom) and Josip Broz Tito (on behalf of the Yugoslav Partisans).