Yugoslavia joins the Tripartite Pact

© Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin The joining of the „Tripartite Pact“

On 25 March 1941 the Yugoslav government signs on to join the „Tripartite Pact“ concluded in 1940 between Germany, Italy and Japan. This step sets off an internal political explosion which had been building up for a long time. Presumably at Moscow’s direction the cabinet in Belgrade is toppled. The new head of government, King Peter II, breaks immediately with his country’s „axis-friendly“ policy and concludes a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union on 5 April 1941. As early as his secret directive no. 25 of 27 March 1941, Adolf Hitler had stated: „The military putsch in Yugoslavia has decisively changed the political situation in the Balkans. The country must be considered an enemy and therefore totally defeated as quickly as possible“. The „Balkan Campaign“ begins on 6 April 1941.