Independent State of Montenegro

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Montenegro existed as a separate occuppied territory during World War II under the Kingdom of Italy (1941 - 1943) and later under Nazi Germany (1943 - 1944. After the invasion of Yugoslavia, Sekule Drljević, leader of the Montenegrin Federalists in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, established the Provisional Administrative Committee of Montenegro. The Committee attempted to collaborate with the Italians. On July 12, 1941, its rule was inauagurated, but the country soon broke into civil war as Yugoslav Partisans, Chetniks, Montegrin Federalists and Axis forces fought a complicated civil war. In regards to the nation's borders, much of the Sandžak region was included in the state.

Among the Montenegrin federalists, Krsto Žrnov Popović returned from exile in Italy to attempt to lead the Greens (Zelenaši) who supported the reinstatement of the Montegrin monarchy. These forces were called the Lovćen brigade. Also active within Montenegro were the 2nd Serbian Volunteer Corps.

By October of 1941, Drljević was exiled from Montenegro. He eventually formed the Montenegrin State Council from the Independent State of Croatia in 1944, which attempted to act as a government in exile. The Montenegrin People's Army was later formed out of former Chetnik forces.

[edit] Governors

• Mihajlo Ivanović (nominal) (17 May 1941 - 23 July 1941)
• Serafino Mazzolini (19 April 1941 - 23 July 1941)
• Alessandro Pirzio Biroli (23 July 1941 - 13 July 1943)
• Curio Barbasetti di Prun (13 July 1943 - 10 September 1943)
• Theodor Geib (10 September 1943 - 1 June 1944)
• Wilhelm Keiper (1 June 1944 - 15 December 1944)

[edit] External links

• Crnogorski zelenaši (Montenegrin Greens)