245: Yugoslavia Pt. 1 - Belgrade’s Impossible Position

In this episode of “History of the Second World War,” we explore Yugoslavia’s precarious position in the early years of WWII — a newly formed nation straddling ethnic diversity and geopolitical tension, created after WWI from the remnants of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. As Germany surged into Poland and Italy sought to expand its influence in the Balkans, Yugoslavia found itself caught between competing powers: diplomatically aligned with France but economically entangled with Nazi Germany through vital resource trade. When Italy’s ill-fated invasion of Greece forced it to seek transit routes through Yugoslav territory — a move the neutral country refused — tensions escalated rapidly. This episode sets the stage for how Yugoslavia, despite its best efforts at neutrality, would soon become a focal point in Hitler’s broader Balkan strategy, setting the stage for one of WWII’s most dramatic and consequential invasions.

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