The brave action of young King Peter II played a vital role in influencing the outcome of World War II, causing Germany’s defeat at the hands of the Allies. –Peter II Karađorđević of Yugoslavia was only 11 years old when he became heir apparent to the thrown upon the death of his father, King Alexander in 1934. Because of Peter’s youth, his father’s cousin Prince Paul was named Regent. – -Wishing to avoid Germany’s war machine that was ravaging Europe, on March 25, 1941, Regent Prince Paul agreed to join the Axis Tripartite Pact, joining Germany, Italy and Japan. In a defiant move only two days later, Peter, then 17, was proclaimed of age and had himself declared King. He refused to capitulate to Hitler. This prompted the subsequent German invasion of Yugoslavia that diverted the German army and caused an unplanned 6-week delay in the start of Operation Barbarossa–the Nazi invasion of Russia. This delay resulted in Germany’s defeat at the hands of the Russian winter. –This Yugoslavia 10 dinara, KM-22, issued in 1938, features the right- facing portrait of Peter II, the boy king, on its obverse. On the reverse is the denomination and date within crowned wreath.
(Limit: 5)
