List of heads of state of Yugoslavia
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This is a List of Heads of State of Yugoslavia from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the end of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
In the history of the country, no Yugoslav head of state was democratically elected. Royal Yugoslavia was ruled as a constitutional monarchy by the House of Karađorđević from 1918 until the Second World War. Second Yugoslavia was ruled by Josip Broz, head of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia from the Second World War until his death, when the state presidency rotated until its end. With republican democratic reforms in 1990, individual republics elected their own governments, but the nation's head of state continued to rotate among unelected representatives of the republics until the county's dissolution.
[edit] Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1945)
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was created by the merger of the Kingdom of Serbia and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs on 1 December 1918. It was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.
| King | Lifespan | Rule | House | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter I | 1844–1921 | 1 December 1918- 16 August 1921 |
Karađorđević | Prince Alexander acted as regent |
| Alexander | 1888–1934 | 16 August 1921- 9 October 1934 |
Karađorđević | proclaimed King of Yugoslavia in 1929 assassinated |
| Peter II | 1923–1970 | 9 October 1934- 29 November 1945 |
Karađorđević | Prince Paul acted as regent until ousted on 27 March 1941; Peter was exiled by the German invasion on 17 April 1941 and declared deposed on 29 November 1945. |
[edit] Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945-1991)
After the German invasion and fragmentation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, partisans formed the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) in 1942. On 29 November 1943 a AVNOJ conference proclaimed the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, while negotiations with the royal government in exile continued. After the liberation of Belgrade, the Communist-led government on 29 November 1945 declared King Petar II deposed and proclaimed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1963, the state was renamed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
| President | Lifespan | Term | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Ribar | 1881 - 1968 | 29 December 1945 - 14 January 1953 | Communist Party/League of Communists of Yugoslavia |
| Josip Broz Tito | 1892 - 1980 | 14 January 1953 - 16 May 1974 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia |
Since 1974, Yugoslavia was headed by a collective presidency, consisting of representatives of the six republics, the two autonomous provinces within Serbia and (until 1988) the President of the League of Communists. The collective was first chaired by Tito, who was President for life. After his death in 1980, one member was annually elected Chairman of the Presidency and acted as head of state.
For other leading officials of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, see List of leaders of SFR Yugoslavia.
