Attack on Yugoslavia

Field Marshal von Brauchitsch stuck to his plan to attack Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941. By then, the people had learned of their betrayal by Prince Paul and his followers, along with some of the military. This apparently demoralized most of the people, so there was only piecemeal resistance to the German attack. The Germans took Skopje by 7 April and had overcome resistance in the south by 8 April. One armoured division moved on Salonika, while the Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler had turned left and moved into the Monastir valley. The Yugoslav fortress troops put up a stiff resistance, unlike most of the army. The forts were gradually taken over the 6th, 7th, and 8th. Salonika fell on 9 April. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.