Out of Cowardice

Immediately after Yugoslavian regent Prince Paul signed the Tripartite Pact to join with Germany and Italy, military leaders overthrew the regime, rescinding the agreement. Hitler then launched Operation Punishment as a lesson on the costs of defying Germany, and he urged other members of the Pact to join the …

1941-04-13

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Immediately after Yugoslavian regent Prince Paul signed the Tripartite Pact to join with Germany and Italy, military leaders overthrew the regime, rescinding the agreement. Hitler then launched Operation Punishment as a lesson on the costs of defying Germany, and he urged other members of the Pact to join the attack. In Hungary, Admiral Horthy was “all fire and flames” to send his troops down the Danube in support of the Germans at the first opportunity. Prime Minister Count Pal Telecki objected, however, as he had signed a pact of “eternal peace and friendship” with Yugoslavia. Horthy toned down his rhetoric, but on April 11th, five Hungarian Brigades crossed the border. The Yugoslavian Army put up little resistance to the Hungarians. As Hungarian forces reached the small village of Senta on the third day of their advance, their motorized units began to run out of gas and were forced to obtain critical fuel at the indigenous equivalents of filling stations. Resistance coalesced briefly as civilians – hastily armed with little more than antiquated rifles – bitterly fought back. Count Telecki, his views more and more unpopular, shot himself rather than acquiesce in collaborating with the Germans. His final message to Admiral Horthy read “out of cowardice, we have allied ourselves with scoundrels”.

Senta, Yugoslavia

The Invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Führer Directive No. 25", which Adolf Hitler issued on 27 March 1941, following a Yugoslav coup d'état that overthrew the pro-Axis government. The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria. These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania, Hungary and the Ostmark. Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks until 11 April, when the Italian army attacked towards Ljubljana (in modern-day Slovenia) and through Istria and Lika and down the Dalmatian coast. On the same day, Hungarian forces entered Yugoslav Bačka and Baranya, but like the Italians they faced practically no resistance. A Yugoslav attack into the northern parts of the Italian protectorate of Albania met with initial success, but was inconsequential due to the collapse of the rest of the Yugoslav forces.

Hungarian

Yugoslavian

Scenario Type = Standard