What if Peter II of Yugoslavia doesn’t flee the country?

JSchafer

Banned
Currently reading about WW2 in Yugoslavia and was wondering what would happen and what effect it could have if Peter of Yugoslavia didn’t flee the country but rather led the guerrilla war against the axis power? How would Allies see and what attitude would they have towards a 17 year old royal who broke the tripartite pact in a coup to support the allies and then staid and took part in the fighting directly. Would Yugoslavia avoid coming under communism? Would he be a popular figure for the allies etc. what effect would it have on the communists in the country and their fight against the axis? What changes could we see?
 
Certainly is a better outward face for the resistance than Draža Mihailović, who was just a butcher. But I don't know what was Petar II's personality, or even influence on others. Hard to see him actually controlling things.
 
I'm not sure Peter II is up to the task. He's going to have a constant target on his back and he's going to have to accept a MASSIVE decrease in his standard of living to even have a chance. From the moment he goes into hiding until he's killed, escapes, or the war is over, the Germans, Italians, Croatians, Albanians, Communists, and heck if he doesn't endorse the Greater Serbian plans of many Chetniks a good number of them too are going to be gunning for him.

Given his skills I'd agree with @Changundramon that he'd likely be a figurehead for Mihailovic. While this might boost the Chetniks' popularity in certain areas like Serbia proper, it's going to give the Communists a boost elsewhere as there will be even less distance between the Chetniks and the monarchy. The adulation of the Western Press if he does stay though is going to be out of this world.
 

JSchafer

Banned
I'm not sure Peter II is up to the task. He's going to have a constant target on his back and he's going to have to accept a MASSIVE decrease in his standard of living to even have a chance. From the moment he goes into hiding until he's killed, escapes, or the war is over, the Germans, Italians, Croatians, Albanians, Communists, and heck if he doesn't endorse the Greater Serbian plans of many Chetniks a good number of them too are going to be gunning for him.

Given his skills I'd agree with @Changundramon that he'd likely be a figurehead for Mihailovic. While this might boost the Chetniks' popularity in certain areas like Serbia proper, it's going to give the Communists a boost elsewhere as there will be even less distance between the Chetniks and the monarchy. The adulation of the Western Press if he does stay though is going to be out of this world.

He seemed the adventurous sort and was adored by the people in Serbia for his efforts in the anti-pact coup.

I'd agree with the target though, but so did Tito and he never came close to being captured. And his military skills were that of Austro Hungarian conscript and a locksmith. Could you elaborate on adulation of western press?
 
He seemed the adventurous sort and was adored by the people in Serbia for his efforts in the anti-pact coup.

I'd agree with the target though, but so did Tito and he never came close to being captured. And his military skills were that of Austro Hungarian conscript and a locksmith. Could you elaborate on adulation of western press?

I'm open to hearing about his "adventurous" tendencies and locksmith abilities, but let's not exaggerate his political aptitude at 17, his involvement in the coup was minimal at best. Also unless he has time travel powers he can't have been an Austro-Hungarian conscript. You must be thinking of someone else.

I would also disagree with your point about Tito. Let's not forget that the Germans almost got him in May 1944 and he was evacuated in June. The Germans are going to be going after Peter from April 1941 onward and he's not going to have the network that Tito did when the Germans started seriously going after him. Peter's also far less savvy an operator (again he's 17) and he's the embodiment of the status quo. Whereas Tito could derive immense popular legitimacy from his vision for a new Yugoslavia and his efforts at creating it in Partisan controlled areas, Peter can't offer that. All he can really offer is what the Chetniks offered in OTL: A Greater Serbia. Remember that a big factor in the coup was Serbian resentment against Paul's decision to grant Croatia greater autonomy. IMO this was the main reason Peter avoided the issue for the duration of his short reign in the country and why he only endorsed a federation after he fled into exile. If Peter retreats into the countryside he's probably going to have to functionally abandon Yugoslavism in favour of supporting the pro-Serbian views of the people keeping him alive (Mihailovic and others).

Given how lionized Mihailovic was, if Peter does stay and avoids an assassin's bullet I'd imagine that it'd be an order of magnitude greater. He's young, photogenic, and royalty. It's a propagandists' wet dream.
 

JSchafer

Banned
I'm open to hearing about his "adventurous" tendencies and locksmith abilities, but let's not exaggerate his political aptitude at 17, his involvement in the coup was minimal at best. Also unless he has time travel powers he can't have been an Austro-Hungarian conscript. You must be thinking of someone else.

I would also disagree with your point about Tito. Let's not forget that the Germans almost got him in May 1944 and he was evacuated in June. The Germans are going to be going after Peter from April 1941 onward and he's not going to have the network that Tito did when the Germans started seriously going after him. Peter's also far less savvy an operator (again he's 17) and he's the embodiment of the status quo. Whereas Tito could derive immense popular legitimacy from his vision for a new Yugoslavia and his efforts at creating it in Partisan controlled areas, Peter can't offer that. All he can really offer is what the Chetniks offered in OTL: A Greater Serbia. Remember that a big factor in the coup was Serbian resentment against Paul's decision to grant Croatia greater autonomy. IMO this was the main reason Peter avoided the issue for the duration of his short reign in the country and why he only endorsed a federation after he fled into exile. If Peter retreats into the countryside he's probably going to have to functionally abandon Yugoslavism in favour of supporting the pro-Serbian views of the people keeping him alive (Mihailovic and others).

Given how lionized Mihailovic was, if Peter does stay and avoids an assassin's bullet I'd imagine that it'd be an order of magnitude greater. He's young, photogenic, and royalty. It's a propagandists' wet dream.

Was talking about Tito not Peter when it comes to being locksmith and conscript. Sorry for misunderstanding.
 
I doubt the factors that led to Mihailovic’s leadership capabilities being paralyzed for the entire conflict would have vanished under little Peter. From what i can piece of it, the Chetnik movement was an utter clusterfuck in all areas ranging from ideology to strategy to morality. There’s just no way they can take over the lead of the Yugoslav resistance so long as Tito and his Partisans are available for the Allies.
 
I doubt the factors that led to Mihailovic’s leadership capabilities being paralyzed for the entire conflict would have vanished under little Peter. From what i can piece of it, the Chetnik movement was an utter clusterfuck in all areas ranging from ideology to strategy to morality. There’s just no way they can take over the lead of the Yugoslav resistance so long as Tito and his Partisans are available for the Allies.

It's not a bug it's a feature. The only way the Chetniks were able to survive as long as they did and gain as much influence as they did was because of their decentralized structure. That being said, a lot needs to be laid on Mihailovic's shoulders particularly from 1943-44. By prioritizing the ongoing civil war over fighting the Germans he lost the Allies' support which was clearly being offered to him. By that point he'd gained enough personal authority that the majority of the Chetnik bands would have followed him if he pushed hard enough. That being said, though the Third Reich was retreating everywhere in late 1943, it was still quite strong in the Balkans and was making strides particularly against the Chetniks. Without the advantage of foresight Mihailovic's decision to try and wait out the occupation while focusing on the Partisans is somewhat understandable.
 
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