Simović, Dušan, 1882-1962

General, Yugoslav army; prime minister of Yugoslavia, 1941-1942.

From the description of Dušan T. Simović papers, 1941-1962. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754872395

Biographical/Historical Note

• 28 October 1882: Born in Kragujevac, Serbia
• 1900: Graduated, Belgrade Military Academy, Yugoslavia
• 1912 - 1913 : Served in the Balkan wars; promoted to the rank of General Staff Major
• 1914 - 1918 : Served in World War I; promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
• 1918 - 1940 : Delegate of the Serbian Government and the Supreme Command at the National Council of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs in Zagreb in 1918; devoted his military career to the Air Force
• 1936 - 1940 : Served as chief of the Air Force and commander-in-chief of the Royal Yugoslav Army
• 1938 - 1940 : Served as Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Royal Army; forced to resign in 1940 after advocating resistance in case of a German attack
• 25 March 1941: Tripartite Pact with the Germans signed by Dragiša Cvetković, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in Vienna
• 27 March 1941: Led a military coup of Royal Yugoslav officers to overthrow the government of Dragiša Cvetković
• 1941 - 1942 : Served as Prime Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army
• 13 April 1941: Held the last session of the Royal Yugoslav government in Nikšić, Montenegro
• 15 April 1941: Escorted King Petar II out of Yugoslavia to safety
• 1941 April - June 1941 : Served in the Yugoslav government-in-exile in Jerusalem and London
• 11 January 1942: Dismissed as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia over political disagreements within the exiled Yugoslav government
• 1943: Retired; joined the "People's Liberation Movement"
• 1945 - 1946 : Returned to Belgrade; participated as a witness at the trial of Draža Mihailović
• 1962: Died in Belgrade

From the guide to the Dušan T. Simovic writings, 1941-1962, (Hoover Institution Archives)