Government of National Salvation (Serbia)

Government of National Salvation
Влада Hародног Cпаса / Vlada Narodnog Spasa Regierung der Nationalen Rettung
Puppet government of Nazi Germany
1941–1944
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem Oj Srbijo, mila mati/Ој Србијо, мила мати Oh Serbia, Dear Mother
The territory of Serbia within Europe, circa 1942.
Capital		Belgrade
Languages		Serbian, German
Religion		Serbian Orthodox
Government		Puppet government
Prime minister
•	1941–44	Milan Nedić
Historical era		World War II
•	Occupation of Yugoslavia	29 August 1941
•	Evacuation to Austria	October 1944
Population
•	est.	4,500,000
Currency		Serbian dinar

The Government of National Salvation (Serbian: Влада народног спаса, Vlada narodnog spasa; German: Regierung der nationalen Rettung), also referred to as the Nedić regime, was the second Serbian puppet government, after the Commissioner Government, established on the Territory of the (German) Military Commander in Serbia during World War II. It was appointed by the German Military Commander in Serbia and operated from 29 August 1941 to October 1944. The GNS enjoyed some support. The Prime Minister throughout was General Milan Nedić. The Government of National Salvation was evacuated from Belgrade to Kitzbühel, Austria in the first week of October 1944 before the German withdrawal from Serbia was complete.

Nedić himself was captured by the Americans when they occupied Austria, and was subsequently handed over to the Yugoslav communist authorities to act as a witness against war criminals, on the understanding he would be returned to American custody to face trial by the Allies. The Yugoslav authorities refused to return Nedić to United States custody. He died on 4 February 1946 after jumping or falling out of the window of a Belgrade hospital under circumstances which remain unclear.

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 decided to 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. However, 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.