Axis occupation of Serbia During World War II , several provinces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia corresponding to the modern - day state of Serbia were occupied by the Axis Powers from 1941 to 1944 . Most of the area was occupied by the Wehrmacht and was organized as separate territory under control of the German Military Administration in Serbia . Other parts of modern Serbia that were not included in the German - administered territory were occupied and annexed by neighboring Axis countries : Syrmia was occupied and annexed by the Independent State of Croatia , Bačka was occupied and annexed by Hungary , southeastern Serbia was occupied and annexed by Bulgaria , and southwestern Serbia was occupied and annexed by Italy and included in the Italian protectorates of Albania and Montenegro . German occupation . The area under control of the German Military Administration in Serbia was initially occupied by the Germans . It was later occupied mostly by Bulgaria n troops , but remained under German military authority . On stamps and coins this territory was referred to as Serbia , and , according to Professor Paul N . Hehn , its official name was the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia . This territory had two successive Serbian puppet governments which were under the control of the German military authorities . The first short - lived puppet government was known as the Commissioner Government and was led by Milan Aćimović . The second puppet government was known as the Government of National Salvation and was led by Milan Nedić . Of the Jewish population of about 12 , 500 in Serbia , under German occupation controlled by the Hungary or the Independent State of Croatia , approximately 11 , 000 Jews were murdered . Hungarian occupation . After discussions with both the Romanian and Hungarian governments , Adolf Hitler decided that the Vojvodina region would be divided by the river Tisa , with the eastern portion ( the Serbian Banat ) being placed under German occupation along with " Old Serbia " . The portion of Vojvodina west of the Tisa was occupied and soon annexed by the Hungarians . Romanian - Hungarian rivalry was not the only reason for retaining the Banat under German occupation , as it also contained some 120 , 000 ethnic Germans ( or " Volksdeutsche " ) and was a valuable economic region . In addition to the Tisa , the other borders of the Banat were the Danube to the south , and the post - World War I Yugoslav - Romanian and Yugoslav - Hungarian borders in the north and east . Croatian occupation . Much of the western border between the occupied territory with the NDH had been approved by the Germans and announced by Ante Pavelic on 7 June 1941 . However , the approved border only followed the Drina downstream as far as Bajina Bašta , and beyond this point the border had not been finalised . On 5 July 1941 this border was fixed as continuing to follow the Drina until the confluence with the Brusnica tributary east of the village of Zemlica , then east of the Drina following the pre - World War I Bosnia and Herzegovina - Serbia border . An area of eastern Syrmia was initially included in the occupied territory for military and economic reasons , especially given Belgrade ' s airport and radio station were located there . The number of " Volksdeutsche " living in the area along with its role in providing food for Belgrade were also factors in the original decision . During this early period the border between the occupied territory and the NDH ran between the villages of Slankamen on the Danube and Boljevci on the Sava . However , after pressure from the NDH supported by the German ambassador to Zagreb , Siegfried Kasche it was gradually fully transferred to NDH control with the approval of the Military Commander in Serbia , and became a formal part of the NDH on 10 October 1941 . The local " Volksdeutsche " soon asked for the area to be returned to German control , but this did not occur . As a result of the transfer of this region , the borders of the NDH then reached to the outskirts of Belgrade . Bulgarian occupation . Some parts of Serbia with towns Vranje , Bosilegrad , Caribrod and Pirot were occupied by Bulgaria . Italian occupation . The line between the German occupied area and the Italian Albania in the Kosovo region was the cause of a significant clash of interests , mainly due to the important lead and zinc mines at Trepča and the key railway line Kosovska Mitrovica – Pristina – Uroševac – Kačanik – Skopje . Ultimately the Germans prevailed , with the " Vienna Line " extending from Novi Pazar in the Sandžak through Kosovska Mitrovica and Pristina , along the railway between Pristina and Uroševac and then towards Tetovo in modern - day Macedonia before turning northeast to meet Bulgarian - annexed territory near Orlova Čuka . The Kosovska Mitrovica , Vučitrn and Lab districts , along with part of the Gračanica district were all part of the German occupied territory . This territory included a number of other important mines , including the lead mine at Belo Brdo , an asbestos mines near Jagnjenica and a magnesite mine at Dubovac near Vučitrn . The Sandžak region was initially divided between the Germans in the north and the Italians in the south using an extension of the so - called " Vienna Line " which divided Yugoslavia into German and Italians zones of influence . The border of the occupied territory through the Sandžak was modified several times in quick succession during April and May 1941 , eventually settling on the general line of Priboj – Nova Varoš – Sjenica – Novi Pazar , although the towns of Rudo , Priboj , Nova Varoš , Sjenica and Duga Poljana were on the Italian - occupied Montenegrin side of the border . The NDH government was unhappy with these arrangements , as they wanted to annex the Sandžak to the NDH and considered it would be easier for them to achieve this if the Germans occupied a larger portion of the region .