WWII: The Invasion of Yugoslavia

This collection includes five banknotes from Yugoslavia, both before and after its occupation by German and Italian forces during World War II.

The Second World War stands as the most historically significant event of the 20th century: politically, economically, socially, and culturally. There has never been carnage on such a massive scale—some eighty million human beings were casualties of the war.

Peter II Karađorđević of Yugoslavia was only 11 years old when he became heir apparent in 1934. Because of Peter's youth, his father's cousin Prince Paul was named regent. Wishing to avoid Germany's war machine that was ravaging Europe, Paul agreed to join the Axis Tripartite Pact. In a defiant move only two days later, Peter, then 17, was proclaimed of age and had himself declared King. He refused to capitulate to Hitler. This prompted the subsequent German invasion of Yugoslavia that diverted the German army and caused an unplanned six-week delay in the start of Operation Barbarossa—the Nazi invasion of Russia. This delay resulted in Germany's defeat in the cold Russian winter.

The Yugoslav notes included are:

• A pre-war 100 dinara note with no overprints (1929)
• A 100 dinara note with an Italian overprint reading "VERIFICATO" (1941)
• A 100 dinara note with German overprints over the design
• A 500 dinara and a 20 dinara note issued under German occupation forces (1941)