Metadata : Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Collection
- Country:
- Serbia
- Holding institution:
- Archives of Yugoslavia
- Holding institution (official language):
- Архив Југославије (Arhiv Jugoslavije)
- Postal address:
- Vase Pelagića 33, 11000 Belgrade
- Phone number:
- (+381 11) 3690-252
- Web address:
- http://www.arhivyu.gov.rs
- Email:
- arhivyu@arhivyu.rs
- Country:
- Serbia
- Holding institution:
- Archives of Yugoslavia
- Holding institution (official language):
- Архив Југославије (Arhiv Jugoslavije)
- Postal address:
- Vase Pelagića 33, 11000 Belgrade
- Phone number:
- (+381 11) 3690-252
- Web address:
- http://www.arhivyu.gov.rs
- Email:
- arhivyu@arhivyu.rs
- Reference number:
- AJ-103
- Title:
- Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Title (official language):
- Емигрантска влада Kраљевине Југославије
- Creator/accumulator:
- Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Date(s):
- 1941/1945
- Extent:
- 25.06 linear metres (206 folders, 71 volumes)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The records of the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1941-1945 comprise documents related to the activities of the Ministerial Council, Presidency of the Ministerial Council, ministries, Commission for Investigation of War Crimes, Yugoslav Press Bureau, Direction of Intelligence Services, and the Council of Finance and Economy. It provides information on the international position of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the war period, the policy of the Allied Forces towards the Government and events in the occupied country, national and party conflicts in emigration, the situation in the occupied country, prisoners of war etc.
The documents detail the connections the Yugoslav government had been maintaining with the World Jewish Congress and other Jewish organisations regarding various positions they took towards the Jewish citizens in the country and their persecution. The correspondence confirms that the Government condemned persecution of Jews and attempted to save Jews in Yugoslavia via the Vatican; it also explains the position regarding the elimination of the anti-Jewish laws and regulations adopted in pre-war Yugoslavia regarding the assistance to Jews who had been interned in Switzerland and Italy and to Jews who had escaped from the country, as well as the foundation of the Society of Yugoslav Jews.
The collection also includes press reports and news about the situation in the occupied country, among them various items related to the persecution of Jews during the war, reports of Legation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Sweden about Jews persecuted in Macedonia. There is also a telegram sent in 1945 to the World Jewish Congress, in which the Yugoslav government expressed its protest to the International Red Cross for the persecution of Jews who survived in Germany and the occupied territories, as well as documents relating to the attempts of the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to solve the problem of refugees from Yugoslavia, including Jewish refugees. It is evident that the Yugoslav emigrants requested the Yugoslav Government to abolish the anti-Jewish laws and to allow the immigration of Jews to Palestine.
The records relating to the activities of the Red Cross include two documents from 1944 which give details on revenues received from an event held in Jerusalem for the benefit of the Red Cross; while the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs compiled documents related to Jews in France in 1942, to the appeal of Jewish community in Palestine to stop the violence against Jewish citizens and to British-Jewish conflict in 1943. The documents of the Ministry of Justice contain information on the activities of chief rabbi Alkalaj in America; documents of the Ministry of the Interior include Dr Koen’s request for a passport.
The collection further contains information on the foundation and work of the War Crimes Commission, on punishing war criminals, and international cooperation in that matter; as well as bulletins of the Yugoslav Press Bureau in Jerusalem (including reports of telegraphic agencies about the situation in the Kingdom in the period 21 June – 30 September 1941) and Radio Belgrade broadcasts in Jerusalem for August and September 1941.
- Archival history:
- The records in this collection were transferred by the Military Historical Institute in 1968 and 1969, by the Archives of Serbia in 1969, by jthe Federal Secretariat of the Interior (SSUP) in 1971 and by the Federal Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in 1989. The collection is incomplete.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- After Germany attacked the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the government, headed by Dušan Simović, withdrew from Belgrade and after passing through Greece, Palestine, Cairo and Egypt came to London in June 1941, where they met with King Petar II Karađorđević. The Ministerial Council in exile operated until 7 March 1945. Following the resignation of the entire cabinet of Dušan Simović’s government in January 1942, the government in exile was presided over by Slobodan Jovanović, Miloš Trifunović and Božidar Purić. In September 1943 the King and a part of the government proceeded to Cairo. In June 1944 Ivan Šubašić was proclaimed new president of the Yugoslav government. Šubašić and Josip Broz Tito, president of the National Liberation Committee of Yugoslavia, signed an agreement on the island of Vis on 16 June 1944 which recognised the achievements of the partisans headed by Josip Broz Tito. On 1 November 1944 they signed the Belgrade agreement on the formation of a temporary government consisting of representatives of the National Liberation Committee of Yugoslavia and of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, with a mandate to prepare elections for Constitutional Assembly which would decide the future form of the country’s government. The provisional government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia was formed on 7 March 1945 with Tito as a president, by which the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia ceased to exist.
- Access points: locations:
- Yugoslavia
- System of arrangement:
- The fonds is arranged according to government ministries, and thematically within ministries. It is structured as follows: 1. Presidency of the Ministerial Council; 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 3. Ministry of Finance; 4. Ministry of Justice; 5. Ministry of Education; 6. Ministry of Traffic; 7. Ministry of Social Policy and National Health; 8. Ministry of Civil Engineering; 9. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Procurement; 10. Ministry of Post, Telephone and Telegraph; 11. Ministry of the Interior; 12. Commission of War Crimes Investigations; 13. Delegate of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia for the Middle East; 14. Direction of Intelligence Services; 15. Yugoslav Press Bureau; 16. State Committee for Preparations for Truce and Peace; 17. Council of Finance and Economy.
- Finding aids:
- An analytical inventory is available.
- Author of the description:
- Jelena Jovanović; Historical Archives of Belgrade; 2019
- Reference number:
- AJ-103
- Title:
- Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Title (official language):
- Емигрантска влада Kраљевине Југославије
- Creator/accumulator:
- Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Date(s):
- 1941/1945
- Extent:
- 25.06 linear metres (206 folders, 71 volumes)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The records of the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1941-1945 comprise documents related to the activities of the Ministerial Council, Presidency of the Ministerial Council, ministries, Commission for Investigation of War Crimes, Yugoslav Press Bureau, Direction of Intelligence Services, and the Council of Finance and Economy. It provides information on the international position of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the war period, the policy of the Allied Forces towards the Government and events in the occupied country, national and party conflicts in emigration, the situation in the occupied country, prisoners of war etc.
The documents detail the connections the Yugoslav government had been maintaining with the World Jewish Congress and other Jewish organisations regarding various positions they took towards the Jewish citizens in the country and their persecution. The correspondence confirms that the Government condemned persecution of Jews and attempted to save Jews in Yugoslavia via the Vatican; it also explains the position regarding the elimination of the anti-Jewish laws and regulations adopted in pre-war Yugoslavia regarding the assistance to Jews who had been interned in Switzerland and Italy and to Jews who had escaped from the country, as well as the foundation of the Society of Yugoslav Jews.
The collection also includes press reports and news about the situation in the occupied country, among them various items related to the persecution of Jews during the war, reports of Legation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Sweden about Jews persecuted in Macedonia. There is also a telegram sent in 1945 to the World Jewish Congress, in which the Yugoslav government expressed its protest to the International Red Cross for the persecution of Jews who survived in Germany and the occupied territories, as well as documents relating to the attempts of the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to solve the problem of refugees from Yugoslavia, including Jewish refugees. It is evident that the Yugoslav emigrants requested the Yugoslav Government to abolish the anti-Jewish laws and to allow the immigration of Jews to Palestine.
The records relating to the activities of the Red Cross include two documents from 1944 which give details on revenues received from an event held in Jerusalem for the benefit of the Red Cross; while the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs compiled documents related to Jews in France in 1942, to the appeal of Jewish community in Palestine to stop the violence against Jewish citizens and to British-Jewish conflict in 1943. The documents of the Ministry of Justice contain information on the activities of chief rabbi Alkalaj in America; documents of the Ministry of the Interior include Dr Koen’s request for a passport.
The collection further contains information on the foundation and work of the War Crimes Commission, on punishing war criminals, and international cooperation in that matter; as well as bulletins of the Yugoslav Press Bureau in Jerusalem (including reports of telegraphic agencies about the situation in the Kingdom in the period 21 June – 30 September 1941) and Radio Belgrade broadcasts in Jerusalem for August and September 1941.
- Archival history:
- The records in this collection were transferred by the Military Historical Institute in 1968 and 1969, by the Archives of Serbia in 1969, by jthe Federal Secretariat of the Interior (SSUP) in 1971 and by the Federal Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in 1989. The collection is incomplete.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- After Germany attacked the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the government, headed by Dušan Simović, withdrew from Belgrade and after passing through Greece, Palestine, Cairo and Egypt came to London in June 1941, where they met with King Petar II Karađorđević. The Ministerial Council in exile operated until 7 March 1945. Following the resignation of the entire cabinet of Dušan Simović’s government in January 1942, the government in exile was presided over by Slobodan Jovanović, Miloš Trifunović and Božidar Purić. In September 1943 the King and a part of the government proceeded to Cairo. In June 1944 Ivan Šubašić was proclaimed new president of the Yugoslav government. Šubašić and Josip Broz Tito, president of the National Liberation Committee of Yugoslavia, signed an agreement on the island of Vis on 16 June 1944 which recognised the achievements of the partisans headed by Josip Broz Tito. On 1 November 1944 they signed the Belgrade agreement on the formation of a temporary government consisting of representatives of the National Liberation Committee of Yugoslavia and of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, with a mandate to prepare elections for Constitutional Assembly which would decide the future form of the country’s government. The provisional government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia was formed on 7 March 1945 with Tito as a president, by which the Government in Exile of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia ceased to exist.
- Access points: locations:
- Yugoslavia
- System of arrangement:
- The fonds is arranged according to government ministries, and thematically within ministries. It is structured as follows: 1. Presidency of the Ministerial Council; 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 3. Ministry of Finance; 4. Ministry of Justice; 5. Ministry of Education; 6. Ministry of Traffic; 7. Ministry of Social Policy and National Health; 8. Ministry of Civil Engineering; 9. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Procurement; 10. Ministry of Post, Telephone and Telegraph; 11. Ministry of the Interior; 12. Commission of War Crimes Investigations; 13. Delegate of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia for the Middle East; 14. Direction of Intelligence Services; 15. Yugoslav Press Bureau; 16. State Committee for Preparations for Truce and Peace; 17. Council of Finance and Economy.
- Finding aids:
- An analytical inventory is available.
- Author of the description:
- Jelena Jovanović; Historical Archives of Belgrade; 2019
