ЈУГОСЛОВЕНСКА ВОЈСКА У АПРИЛСКОМ РАТУ 1941. ГОДИНЕ
THE YUGOSLAV ARMY IN THE APRIL WAR OF 1941

Summary/Abstract: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia found itself in a difficult position at the be‐ ginning of World War II. The internal antinomies caused by unresolved national and political issues reflected badly on the state of the military. The Yugoslav Army was unprepared for a modern war. The military factories in Yugo‐ slavia only produced a segment of light weapons and ammunition, bombs and basic equipment. The active officer staff was few in numbers, which hindered the transition of the peacetime armed forces into the state of war. The military measures that were undertaken were inadequate, inefficient and implemented without a clear plan. The Yugoslav Army’s war plan, called R‐41, was ill‐suited for the situation. It became obvious that three thousand kilometers of state borders were undefendable against a far superior enemy. On April 6th, 1941 Germans launched an attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The outcome of the war and the faith of the Yugoslav Army were decided by three German attacks, performed from a circular base: in Macedonia on April 6th, in Serbia on April 8th, and in Croatia on April 10th. German and Italian troops advanced rapidly, and by April 13th they took Vojvodina, Slovenia, Croatia and Western Bosnia. German troops entered deserted Belgrade on the eve of April 12th. The unconditional capitulation was signed on April 17th, and the entire fighting ceased on April 18th, at 12 PM. The majority of the Yugoslav Army wastaken into captivity.

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