World War II in the Balkans

The Balkan region in World War II, had Yugoslavia, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and other countries participate on both the allied and axis side.

Balkans in World War II
Part of The Mediterranean and Middle East and European theatre of World War II
Date 1940 — May 8 1945 Location Balkans Result 1940–1941 Axis victory 1944–1945 Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  • Balkan Air Force Australia (until 1941) New Zealand (until 1941) Greece Yugoslavia (from April 1941)  • Yugoslav Partisans Chetniks (1941) LANÇ Soviet Union (from June 1941) Former Axis powers Romania (from August 1944) Bulgaria (from September 1944) Hungary (Debrecen government) (from December 1944) support: United States (from December 1941)	Germany Italy (until September 1943) Hungary (from November 1940) Romania (from November 1940 — August 1944) Bulgaria (from March 1941 — September 1944) Axis puppet states Croatia (from April 1941) Albania (from September 1943 — November 1944) Hungary (Axis government) (from October 1944) Greece (from April 1941 — October 1944) Chetniks (1941-1945)
Commanders and leaders
Winston Churchill George II Peter II Josip Broz Tito Enver Hoxha Joseph Stalin	Adolf Hitler  † Benito Mussolini   Miklós Horthy
Casualties and losses
986,788 killed 464,525 killed, 20,650 partisans killed unknown 247,549 killed 28,000 partisans killed unknown	4,246,384 killed 324,821 killed 270,120 killed in the invasion of Yugoslavia and siege of Budapest unknown 1,532 killed

History

1940-1941

Greece was invaded by Italy in October of 1940, but the Greeks counter attacked, and pushed through Albania. Not long after in November, Hungary and Romania joined the axis.

Yugoslavia joined the axis in march of 1941, but left after a coup, so both Yugoslavia and Greece were invaded by the axis powers. Both fell to the invasion shortly after, and resistance was formed.

1944-1945

The Soviets invaded Romanian territory in March 1944, and in August, Romania and Bulgaria both capitulated. the Soviets helped the Yugoslav Partisans liberate Yugoslavia, and the British landed in Greece to liberate the country. In November, Albanian partisans liberated Albania, and set a provisional government. Soviet forces also invaded Hungary, at this point Hungary wanted to join the war against Germany but a pro-axis coup (Operation Panzerfaust) removed Miklós Horthy (regent of Hungary) from power. And a puppet government was established. The fighting caught up to the Hungarian capital city Budapest and the Soviets encircles the city and a few months later, Budapest was under control by the Soviet Union.

In march, the Yugoslavs formed a Provisional Government. In April, the Soviets and Partisans launched a final offensive into Axis territory. Sarajevo was liberated on the 6th, the Soviets entered Austria and entered Vienna. On the 8th of May, Germany officially surrendered.