Sarsfield_slith
Posts: 249
Joined: 3/26/2018 Status: offline
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WAR AND RUMOURS OF WAR.. THE SITUATION IN THE BALKANS CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE WITH THE BUILDUP OF OPPOSING FORCES IN THE REGION. TIMELINE In 1940 and early 1941, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria all agreed to adhere to the Tripartite Pact and thus join the Axis. Hitler then pressured Yugoslavia to join as well. The Regent, Prince Paul, yielded to this pressure, and declared Yugoslavia's accession to the Pact on 25 March 1941 This move was highly unpopular with the Serb-dominated officer corps of the military, a large part of the Serbian population, and liberals and Communists. Military officers (mainly Serbs) executed a coup d'état on 27 March 1941, forced the Regent to resign, and declared 17-year-old King Peter II to be of age. Upon hearing news of the coup in Yugoslavia, Hitler called his military advisers to Berlin on 27 March. On the same day as the coup he issued Führer Directive 25, which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as a hostile state. THROUGH INTERCEPTS & AGENTS THE ABHWER HAVE ESTABLISHED CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT BRITAIN,FRANCE AND THE UK INTEND TO DECLARE WAR ON ITALY ON 20 APRIL HITLER ORDERS THAT YUGOSLAVIA IS TO BE INVADED AND DISMEMBERED INTO CLIENT STATES UNDER GERMAN HEGMONY - ALL GERMAN FORCES IN THE REGION ARE PLACED ON THE HIGHEST ALERT. INVASION TO BEGIN NO LATER THAN 19 APRIL. FORCES AVAILABLE THE ITALIAN 2ND ARMY - OBJECTIVE LJUBLJANA THE HUNGARIAN 3RD ARMY - OBJECTIVE ZAGREB THE GERMAN 20TH MOUNTAIN ARMY - OBJECTIVE BELGRADE PANZER GROUP ROMMEL + ATTACHED AIR CORPS - OBECTIVE SKOPJE
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< Message edited by Sarsfield_slith -- 3/25/2021 4:38:23 PM >
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