▁A ▁monument ▁ere cted ▁in ▁New ▁Bel grade ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁comm emor ates ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁air men ▁who ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁Bel grade ' s ▁defence . ▁The ▁bomb ing ▁has ▁been ▁dram at ised ▁in ▁literature ▁and ▁film . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Y ug oslav ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁▁ ▁Following ▁Germany ' s ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁An schluss ▁of ▁Austria , ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁shared ▁a ▁border ▁with ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich ▁and ▁came ▁under ▁increasing ▁pro - Axis ▁political ▁pressure ▁as ▁its ▁neighb ours ▁fell ▁into ▁line ▁with ▁the ▁A xis ▁powers . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁gained ▁a ▁second ▁front ier ▁with ▁Italy ▁when ▁Italy ▁inv aded ▁Alban ia . ▁Between ▁September ▁and ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁Hung ary ▁joined ▁the ▁Tri part ite ▁P act , ▁Italy ▁inv aded ▁Greece , ▁and ▁Roman ia ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁P act . ▁From ▁that ▁time , ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁was ▁almost ▁surrounded ▁by ▁A xis ▁powers ▁or ▁their ▁client ▁states , ▁and ▁its ▁neutral ▁st ance ▁toward ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁under ▁trem end ous ▁pressure . ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁invited ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Drag iš a ▁C vet k ović ▁and ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Aleks and ar ▁C inc ar - Mark ović ▁to ▁Ber ch tes g aden , ▁and ▁requested ▁that ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁also ▁join ▁the ▁P act