Supreme Command (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)

Supreme Command
Armijski đeneral Dušan Simović was the Yugoslav Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
Country	Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Engagements	Invasion of Yugoslavia
Commanders
Notable commanders	Milan Nedić Dušan Simović Danilo Kalafatović Draža Mihailović

The Supreme Command or High Command (Serbo-Croatian: Vrhovna komanda) was the highest headquarters of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during wartime. According to regulations, upon activation the general staff became the staff of the Supreme Command and the Chief of the General Staff became Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command (Načelnik štaba Vrhovne komande). While the king was at all times commander-in-chief of the armed forces, during wartime the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command was the de facto supreme commander.

The 5th Army and the 6th Army were directly subordinate to the Supreme Command and were not attached to one of the four army groups. Four heavy artillery batteries and twelve reserve divisions—Sumadijska, Ibarska, Dunavska, Sremska, Drinska, Cerska, Bosanska, Vrbaska, Unska, Lička, Hercegovačka and Dinarska—were also attached to the Supreme Command.

At the start of the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941 the Supreme Command was held by the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and Chief of the General Staff Armijski đeneral Dušan Simović. The Supreme Command began almost immediately to lose control of its armies and fall out of contact with their commanders. On the first day of the war, it ordered the capture of Rijeka (Fiume) from the Italians, but owing to disorders in the 4th Army this command was rescinded. That same day, Marko Natlačen formed a Slovenian national council with the intent of separating Slovenia from the kingdom. At the urging of the headquarters of the 1st Army Group, the Supreme Command ordered his arrest, but the order was never carried out. The Dinara Division (Dinarska divizija), which was part of the strategic reserve under control of the Supreme Command, disintegrated in a wave of desertions following a shootout between Croatian and Serbian officers at division headquarters.