Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia is a large nation in the Balkans bordering Greece, Italy, Transylvania, and Germany, encompassing a number of smaller states from the defunct Habsburg Confederation.

History

Many of the states that would make up of Yugoslavia had been arguing for a united kingdom for the South Slavs. Yugoslavia itself meaning "Land of the South Slavs". This was viewed as a driving force behind the assassination attempted of Archduke Leopold of Austria by Serbian nationalists. During the subsequent investigation done by Ukraine, the Serbian government itself was exonerated of such misdeeds, though many of the individual officials were arrested.

During the Great War, the states of Yugoslavia were divided, as many of them were still under the dominion of the Austrian Empire. This caused dissent among the Slavic soldiers in the Austrian Empire, breaking down morale. Serbia, on the other side, had been inflicted with massive casualties, losing roughly 29% of their total population.

Following the war and Austria's defeat, the now Emperor Leopold II attempted to enact reforms and quell the calls for nationalism among the empire. He formed the Habsburg Confederation, in which the states were drawn among ethnic lines and each granted their own parliament. However, the Slavic states worked with Serbia and Montenegro in order to unite under the Serbian king instead. In 1930, during the Austrian uprisings, the regions of Croatia, Carniola, and Vojvodino declared their independence and requested annexation by Serbia. The states would declare the Kingdom of Serbs, Slovenes, and Croats, later Yugoslavia, in 1931.

The Kingdom received mixed relations from the start. Austria was slow to recognize the formation of Yugoslavia, as they had not wished to relinquish their claims over their former territories. Likewise, Italy initially refused, as they had sought the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia for themselves. However, recognition from Germany and Russia helped secure international standing in Europe. Greece welcomed the new state, and, along with Romania and Turkey, formed the Balkan Pact as a bulwark against Bulgarian irredentist claims in Macedonia.