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Anniversary of German 1941 bombing of Belgrade


Jelena Babsek

~2 minutes

  _____  

Nazi Germany began bombing Belgrade without declaring war on April 6, 1941, 
which led the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia into World War II.

The anniversary will be commemorated in Belgrade at the place where the 
National Library was burned down and over 300,000 books and documents 
destroyed. Culture Minister Maja Gojkovic will lay a wreath and symbolically 
leave a book at the site, said the Culture Ministry.

Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selakovic will 
lay wreaths in the ‘Alley of Victims’ at the city’s New Cemetery.

In 1941 the then German Chancellor and leader of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler, 
ordered the bombing after a coup d’etat that overthrew Prince Pavle 
Karadjordjevic from Yugoslavia because of his alliance with the Axis Powers, 
following which Yugoslavia turned to the Allies.

Four hundred eighty-four planes flew to Belgrade at that time, including 234 
bombers with roughly 440 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city.

According to various data, between 2,000 and 4,000 people were killed, nearly 
700 buildings were destroyed, including the Church of the Ascension, where 
believers sought shelter, and thousands more were damaged on April 6, 7, 11 and 
12.

According to some information, the Yugoslav air defense shot down more than 40 
German planes, and 11 Yugoslav pilots were killed in the fighting.

The short-lived “April War” ended on April 17, 1941, with the occupation and 
division of Yugoslavia between the Axis Powers.



 

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