Government of National Salvation
The Government of National Salvation (Serbian: Влада народног спаса, romanized: Vlada narodnog spasa; German: Regierung der nationalen Rettung, abbr. VNS), also referred to as Nedić's government or Nedić's regime, was the colloquial name of the second Serbian collaborationist puppet government established after the Commissioner Government 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 occupied Serbia was never accorded status in international law and did not enjoy formal diplomatic recognition of the Axis powers.
| Government of National Salvation | |
|---|---|
| Serbian: Министарски савет Србије, romanized: Ministarski savet Srbije) German: Ministerrat von Serbien (Council of Ministers of Serbia) | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 29 August 1941 |
| Dissolved | 4 October 1944 (Belgrade Offensive) |
| Polity | German-occupied territory of Serbia |
| Leader | Milan Nedić |
| Headquarters | Belgrade |
Although the regime was tolerated by many Serbs living in the occupied territory and even actively supported by a part of the Serb population, it 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.