 Pashure pokumanikidzirwa kwezvamatongerwe enyika kusingachinji nomutungamiriri weGermany Adolf Hitler, Yugoslavia yaichimbova isina kwaakarerekera yakasaina mubatanidzwa weGermany-Italy-Japan unozivikanwa seTripartite Pactmusi wa25 March 1941. Musi wa 27 Kurume, coup détat yemauto yakadonhedza hurumende yakanga yasaina chibvumirano, uye hurumende nyowani yakaumbwa pasi pemutungamiriri weRoyal Yugoslav Army Air Force, Armijski đeneral Dušan Simović. Yaibatanidza mitezo yakawira mumapoka matatu: avo vaishora zvakasimba Axis uye vakagadzirira kutarisana nehondo neGermany; avo vaitsigira rugare neGermany; uye avo vakanga vasina kuzvipira. Boka rokutanga raibatanidza Petrović, uyo akakurudzira kurongwa kwevanhu vose nokukurumidza. Ikoku hakuna kutanga nehurumende itsva kutozosvikira 3 April 1941, nemhaka yokutya kugumbura Hitler uye nokudaro kukurumidzisa hondo. Zvisinei, pazuva rimwe chetero rekubudirira, Hitler akabudisa Führer Directive 25 iyo yaida kuti Yugoslavia itariswe senyika ine utsinye, uye musi wa 3 Kubvumbi, yakabudisa Führer Directive 26, ichitsanangura hurongwa hwekurwisa uye hurongwa hwekutungamira hwekupinda kweAxis inotungamirwa neGerman, iyo yaifanira kutanga musi wa 6 Kubvumbi. 