The Government of National Salvation (, (VNS); ), also referred to as Nedić's government (, ) and Nedić's regime (, ), was the colloquial name of the second Serbian collaborationist puppet government (after the Commissioner Government) established in the German-occupied territory of Serbia during World War II in Yugoslavia. Appointed by the German Military Commander in Serbia, it operated from 29 August 1941 to 4 October 1944. Unlike the Independent State of Croatia, the regime in the occupied Serbia was never accorded status in international law and did not enjoy formal diplomatic recognition on the part of the Axis powers. The regime was tolerated by many Serbs living in the occupied territory and even actively supported by a part of the Serb population, and was unpopular with a majority of the population who supported one of the two factions which at first were perceived as connected to the Allied Powers, the Yugoslav Partisans or the royalist Chetniks. The Prime Minister throughout was General Milan Nedić. The Government of National Salvation was evacuated from Belgrade through Budapest to Kitzbühel in the first week of October 1944 before the German withdrawal from the occupied territory was complete. History Formation Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, Germany placed Serbia proper under the authority of a military government to maintain control over important resources. Those included two major transportation routes, the Danube River waterway and the railroad line connecting Europe with Bulgaria and Greece, along with nonferrous metals that Serbia produced. The Germans set up a puppet government in order to not tie up a large amount of German manpower. The first puppet government was the short-lived Commissioner Government, established on 30 May 1941, under the leadership of Milan Aćimović. He was an anti-communist and had been in contact with the German police before the war. His cabinet consisted of nine members, many of whom were former cabinet members under the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and were known to be pro-German. It lacked any real power and was no more than an instrument of the Germans. As communist partisans began an insurgency against the German occupiers and the Aćimović government, Harald Turner, an SS commander in the German military administration, suggested strengthening and reforming the administration. General Milan Nedić, formerly chief of general staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army, was selected to be the head of the new government. On 29 August