Government of National Salvation The Government of National Salvation ( ; ) , also referred to as the Nedić regime , was the second Serbian puppet government established under the German Military Administration in Serbia in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia during World War II ( within Axis - occupied Yugoslavia ) . It was appointed by the German Military Commander in Serbia and operated from 29 August 1941 to October 1944 . The Prime Minister throughout was General Milan Nedić . The Government of National Salvation was evacuated from Belgrade to Kitzbühel , Austria in the first week of October 1944 before the German withdrawal from Serbia was complete . Nedić himself was captured by the Americans when they occupied Austria , and was subsequently handed over to the Yugoslav communist authorities to act as a witness against war criminals on the understanding he would be returned to American custody to face trial by the Allies . The Yugoslav authorities refused to return Nedić to American custody , and he died on 4 February 1946 when he either jumped to his death or was pushed from the window of a Belgrade hospital . Military . Serbian State Guard . The Government of National Salvation founded a military arm , the Serbian State Guard ( " Srpska državna straža " or SDS , Српска државна стража ) . It was formed from two former Yugoslav gendarmerie regiments , was created with the approval of the German military authorities , and for a long period was controlled by the Higher SS and Police Leader of the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia . The SDS was also known as the " Nedićevci " after General Milan Nedić , the prime minister of the Government of National Salvation , who eventually gained control of its operations . As part of its role , it assisted the Germans to impose one of the most brutal occupation regimes in occupied Europe and helped guard and execute prisoners at the Banjica concentration camp in Belgrade . Its leaders and much of the rank and file were sympathetic to the Chetnik movement of Draža Mihailović , and the force was purged by the Germans on several occasions for that reason . In October 1944 , as the Red Army closed on Belgrade , the SDS was transferred to Mihailović ' s control by a member of the fleeing Nedić administration , but it quickly disintegrated during its withdrawal west , with only a small number of former SDS members being captured by the British near the Italian - Yugoslav border in May 1945 . Administrative divisions . Serbia ' s borders initially incorporated parts of the territory of five of the prewar banovinas . In October 1941 , the Germans ordered the Nedić government to reorganise the territory , as the existing structure was not suitable and did not meet military requirements . By means of an order issued on 4 December 1941 , the German military commander adjusted the military - administrative structure to conform to German requirements . As a result , the district ( ) subdivision ( which had existed in the Kingdom of the Serbs , Croats and Slovenes prior to the formation of the banovinas ) was restored . The Nedić government issued a decree on 23 December 1941 by which Serbia was divided into 14 districts ( ) and 101 municipalities ( ) . The District of Veliki Bečkerek ( also known as The Banat ) was theoretically part of Serbia , but became an autonomous district , run by the members of local ethnic German population . On 27 December 1941 , the heads of the districts were appointed and met with Milan Nedić , Milan Aćimović , Tanasije Dinić , and Cvetan Đorđević . List of ministers . From 29 August 1941 : From 29 August 1941 , the ministers were : From 7 October 1941 : After the government was re - organised on 7 October 1941 , the ministers were : From 10 November 1942 : After the government was again re - organised on 10 November 1942 , the ministers were : After 6 November 1943 : After a further government re - organisation on 6 November 1943 , the following changes were implemented : Education . Under minister Velibor Jonić , the government abandoned the eight - year elementary school system adopted in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and moved to a four - year program . A new curriculum was introduced :