In 1914, Europe was in turmoil. Imperialism, nationalism, and the creation of secret alliances threatened the framework that kept many of Europe's empires together. A group particularly divided by the empires of Europe were the Slavs, with Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Montenegro being the only independent Slavic states in 1914. One empire in particular that was on the brink of collapse was Austria-Hungary, due in part to the South Slavic nationalism rising in their borders. The South Slavs wished to have their own independent states, and the Serbs of Austria-Hungary aspired to reunite with the rest of Serbia. However, all of this nationalism and nation-building would have been nothing if it weren't for a certain Gavrilo Pinsip. On 28th of June 1914, the Bosnian Serb nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After a months-long turmoil, the war which would become known as the First World War officially began on July 28th of the same year. Further documenting the incompetence of Austria-Hungary at this time, the empire tried to invade Serbia three times in 1914, but were repelled successfully by the Serbs and the Montenegrines each time, despite the Slavic nations having much smaller armies. Despite this, the central powers were ultimately successful in overpowering Serbia and Montenegro, with the invasion being commanded by Germany, with the help of Bulgaria as well. Bulgaria briefly annexed around two-thirds of the Serbian territory and the rest of the country, along with Montenegro, were under Austria and administration. The war would eventually turn for the Allies, and by 1918, with the help of French and Greek forces, Serbia and Montenegro and Albania were liberated from the Central Powers. By the 11th of November 1918, all of the Central Powers had surrendered, and the victorious Allies met to determine the fate of the Central Powers. However, we will not look at these treaties, just a few days before the end of the war. On October 29th, the state of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbs declared sovereignty. They, along with Montenegro and the region of Bennat and modern-day Vojvojdena, joined Serbia to create the Kingdom of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbs, which in 1929 officially became renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The first king of Yugoslavia was Peter the First, who was previously king of Serbia. After his death in 1921, the Kingdom was ruled by Alexander the First, who was previously the Prince of Regents of Yugoslavia. His reign was cut short in 1934 during a diplomatic visit to France, where he was assassinated by the Bulgarian Vladocheno Zemski, who advocated for the independence of the people who were living in the Vardar province of Yugoslavia. Though Peter II, Alexander's eldest son, was in position to become the next king, he was only a lefin at the time of his father's assassination, so his cousin Prince Paul became Prince Regent of the country until 1941. Another major conflict was brewing in Europe around this time, World War II. By March 1941, Hitler's armies had already ran through Poland, Denmark, Norway, the low countries, and France, and Italy was unsuccessfully waging war against Greece from Albania. Neighbours Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria had already joined the Axis powers. Prince Regent Paul was under immense pressure from his neighbors to sign Yugoslavia to the Axis powers as well, so that's what he did. However, on March 27th, a pro-British coup d'état overthrew Paul, and Peter the Second was declared of age and became the king. Ten days later, Yugoslavia was invaded, and the country quickly felt Axis control. Within the occupation, Croatia became a fascist puppet state to Germany, led by the Ustache. Montenegro became an Italian puppet, and much of Yugoslavia's borderlands were seated to its neighbors. Serbia remained as a German puppet. The occupation was racked by war crimes, which truly deserve a video of their own due to their miserably large scale. However, the Yugoslavs proved to be effective partisans before and during the Allied liberation of the country, as the Axis received stiff resistance from them during the occupation. Communist movements had gained steam during the occupation also, and after Yugoslavia was liberated, the monarch he was abolished, with Peter the Second being deposed and moving to the United States. A socialist republic replaced the kingdom, and was initially led by none other than Josep Brostito. On the 29th of November 1945, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed, with six Socialist Republics forming the Federation, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Within the Serbian Republic, there were also two autonomous regions, Kosovo and Vojvovodena. Josep Brostito worked to create a common Yugoslav identity, himself being of both Croat and Slovakian ancestry. Despite being President of the League of Communists in Yugoslavia, he stood up to Stalin and the Soviet Union to Germany in the communist world, and he broke off ties with other communist states. His economic policy was also different from that of other Eastern block states, as he implemented elements of market socialism into the economy, rather than being a strictly socialist state. Though he also hoped to integrate Albania into Yugoslavia, not because of South Slavic, but because of its geopolitical importance. It was a Warsaw Pact member, allied with the Soviet Union, who could use Yugoslavia's neighbors like Bulgaria for leverage against Yugoslav ambitions. Therefore, it was never integrated. Tito was widely popular within his country, and across both Cold War camps, even in the Soviet Union after Stalin's death. He was seen as a man who unified all the South Slavs except Bulgaria into one state and kept peace between them. Tito also led the non-aligned movement, an organization whose members sought to distance themselves from both the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies. He would ultimately pass on though, dying in Slovenia on the 4th of May 1980 at the age of 87. Many in the country mourned his death. After this, Yugoslavia's economy and the framework that kept the people united began to collapse, and many in the country wished to build their own nations. But this video is beginning to get pretty long, especially in comparison to what you guys are used to seeing on my channel. So, I have decided to make this history of Yugoslavia a two-part series. In next week's video, I will look at the fall of Yugoslavia, the civil war that came after, and where the former Yugoslav states are today. Thank you all for watching. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with all of your friends. I will be starting a Patreon soon, so be sure to look out for that in the coming weeks. We are within 100 subscribers of reaching the huge milestone of 1000, so every way you can help share my content is greatly appreciated. Thanks again and I'll see you next time.