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Yugoslavia during the Second World War

Historical outline
Occupied territories
Partisans

See also:

Historical outline

In the second half of the 1930s, the Yugoslav government was increasingly pro-German, under the rule of Prince Regent Pavle Stojadinović, the leader of a newly established party supporting the regime, the Jugoslav Radical Union, modeled upon the Italian and German ruling parties of the time. In 1935 Stojadinović was appointed Prime Minister and left the traditional allies of Yugoslavia (Small Alliance) for the Axis. In 1939 the links with Axis were somewhat loosened when Stojadinović resigned and some main Yugoslav issues were being slowly resolved. For instance, the Croatian Bannate was established by the Cvetković-Maček agreement.
Yugoslavia remained neutral during Italian attack on Ethiopia, German Anschluss of Austria, German breakup of Czeckosovakia and invasion of Poland. In 1941 Yugoslavia formally joined the Axis treaty, but after the signing of the agreement there happened great demonstrations all over Yugoslavia against it on 27 March 1941. General Simonić lead a coup, overthrowing the Regency and the Government.

The Axis forces attacked Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941 and defeated it within few weeks. Capitulation was signed on 17 April. The royal family and government fled to London, and the country was dissolved. Some parts of the country were directly annexed directly by the winners, the puppet Independent State of Croatia was formed and Serbia and Montenegro was ruled by a government of occupation. The Communist Party lead by Tito organized the struggle against the occupying forces, consolidating all the forces that opposed the Axis and forming the National Liberation Movement.

Željko Heimer, 22 November 2003

Occupied territories

After the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1941, a puppet regime proclaimed the Independent State of Croatia. The flag was red-white-blue with a symbol of the leading pro-Nazi party Ustaša, a chequered red and white with letter U above in a wattle.

In Serbia, an "independent" regime led by general Nedić was established, and was as independent as in neighbouring Croatia. They issued money (Serbian dinars) and postage stamps, but I found no reference on flags, though the white eagle with the očila emblem was a frequent motif. I guess a version of the Serbian colours continued to fly.
Serbian units, known as četniks under General Mihajlović, were nominally the army of the Yugoslav government that had fled to London, and helped the Allies until 1943, but not uncommonly fighting together with Axis troops against Tito's partisans. They used black "Jolly Rogers" with texts 'Freedom or Death' or similar.

Montenegro was nominaly declared an independent kingdom in personal union with Italy (former Montenegrin dynasty Petrović had many connections with the Italian dynasty), and as far as I know at least in the first days of the war the Montenegrin tricolour was used. They also issued postage stamps, but continued to use the former Yugoslav currency.

Macedonia was annexed by Bulgaria and the Bulgarian flag was used there.

Slovenia was annexed directly to the Third Reich, and as much as I know there was no separate flag, though there were postage stamps and money with the arms of Provinz Leibach (Province of Ljubljana) with an eagle bearing checkered crescent on breasts.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was totally incorporated into the Independent State of Croatia, and other parts of former Yugoslavia were joined to Hungary, Albania and Italy, where appropriate flags were used.

Željko Heimer, 14 October 1995

Partisans

First flag and ensign

by Željko Heimer

The Communist Party lead by Tito organized the struggle against the occupying forces, consolidating all the forces that opposed the Axis and forming the National Liberation Movement. The symbol of the struggle was a five-pointed red star. Since the very beginning, the symbol was also used on the national tricolour flags carried by the partisan units. The red five-pointed star was initially used by the partisan fighters as the symbol of the liberation movement and the Communist revolution. The first official adoption of the symbol on the flags was in the Stolice meeting on 26 September 1941 where it was decided that the partisan units shall carry their national tricolour according to the ethnic composition of the units, with a five-pointed red star in the middle. The shape, size and the exact placement of the star were not specified in more detail until the end of the war, and there where numerous variations. The "fat" star was one of the most commonly used variations.

At the same time, it was decided that the general staff had to use a red flag with a red five-pointed star with a yellow border, placed near the hoist.

by Željko Heimer

The use of flags at sea has started in early 1942. The first ensigns hoisted on the partisan boats and ships in 1942 consisted of the Yugoslav tricolour flag in the first two thirds of the flag length while the remaining third consisted of the three national tricolours of Serbia/Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia. The Yugoslav tricolour flag was defaced with a red five-pointed star and a white anchor. Several flags of this type were preserved in the museum in Split. Until the 1990s the museum was named Pomorski muzej JAZU, the acronym being for the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Zagreb. I am not aware of the fate of the museum since then. Those flags were gradually replaced with other prescribed flags.

Flag and ensign of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia

by Željko Heimer

After the Jajce conference during which the new Yugoslav state was born on 29 November 1943 (see the date on the national coat of arms), the general staff of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia issued an order signed by Marshal Tito on the naval and merchant ensigns to be used by the ships of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (Naredba o zastavi ratne i trgovačke mornarice