List of heads of state of Yugoslavia
This article lists the heads of state of Yugoslavia from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a monarchy ruled by the House of Karađorđević from 1918 up until World War II. The SFR Yugoslavia was headed first by Ivan Ribar, the President of the Presidium of the People's Assembly, and then by President Josip Broz Tito from 1953 up until his death in 1980. Afterwards, the Presidency of Yugoslavia assumed the role of the collective head of state, rotating the presidency among representatives of republics and autonomous provinces. However, until 1990 the position of President of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia was usually the most powerful position. With the introduction of multi-party system in 1990, individual republics elected their own heads of state, but the country's head of state continued to rotate among appointed representatives of republics and autonomous provinces until the country's dissolution.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was created by the unification of the Kingdom of Serbia and the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs on 1 December 1918.Until 6 January 1929, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was a parliamentary monarchy. On that day, King Alexander I abolished the Vidovdan Constitution, prorogued the National Assembly and introduced a personal dictatorship. He officially renamed the country Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 3 October 1929 and, although granted the 1931 Constitution, continued to rule as a de facto absolute monarch until his assassination on 9 October 1934, during a state visit to France. After his assassination, parliamentary monarchy was put back in place.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was defeated and occupied on 17 April 1941 after the German invasion. The monarchy was formally abolished on 29 November 1945.
All monarchs were members of the House of Karađorđević. Peter I, previously King of Serbia, was proclaimed King by representatives of South Slav states. The royal family continued through his son and his grandson.
List
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | Succession right | Note |
| Peter I 1 December 1918 16 August 1921 ' | 29 June 1844 Belgradeson of Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia and Persida Nenadović | Princess Zorka of Montenegro 1883 5 children | 16 August 1921 Belgrade aged 77 | previously King of Serbia, proclaimed King by representatives of South Slav states | Held the title "King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes". Prince Alexander served as regent in his final years. | |
| Alexander I 16 August 1921 9 October 1934 ' | 16 December 1888 Cetinjeson of Peter I and Princess Zorka of Montenegro | Maria of Yugoslavia 8 June 1922 3 children | 9 October 1934 Marseilles aged 45 | son of the preceding | Changed title to "King of Yugoslavia" in 1929. Assassinated in Marseilles. | |
| Paul 9 October 1934 27 March 1941 ' | 27 April 1893 Saint Petersburgson of Prince Arsen of Yugoslavia and Aurora Pavlovna Demidova | Olga of Greece and Denmark 22 October 1923 3 children | 14 September 1976 Paris aged 83 | cousin of the preceding | Prince Regent for Peter II. | |
| Peter II 9 October 1934 29 November 1945 ' | 6 September 1923 Belgradeson of Alexander I and Maria of Yugoslavia | Alexandra of Greece and Denmark 20 March 1944 1 child | 3 November 1970 Denver aged 47 | son of the preceding | Prince Paul acted as regent until ousted on 27 March 1941; exiled on 17 April 1941 and deposed on 29 November 1945. |
SFR Yugoslavia
After the German invasion and fragmentation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, partisans formed the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia in 1942. On 29 November 1943 an AVNOJ conference proclaimed the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, while negotiations with the royal government in exile continued. After the liberation of Belgrade on 20 October 1944, the Communist-led government on 29 November 1945 declared King Peter II deposed and proclaimed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.From 1945 to 1953, the President of the Presidium of the National Assembly was the office of the Yugoslav head of state. The post was held by Ivan Ribar.
From 1953 to 1963, Josip Broz Tito simultaneously held the offices of the President of the Republic and the President of the Federal Executive Council. The 1963 Constitution renamed the state as Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and divided the office of the President of the Republic from the Presidency of the Federal Council, even if the President of the Republic retained the power to preside over the Government when it met, on the French model.
The 1974 Constitution provided for a collective federal presidency, consisting of representatives of the six republics, the two autonomous provinces within Serbia and the President of the League of Communists, with a Chairman in rotation. Notwithstanding, this constitutional provision was suspended because Tito was declared President for Life, thus chaired the collective presidency on a permanent basis. After his death in 1980, one member was annually elected President of the Presidency and acted as head of state.