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XXXXVI Army Corps (motorized) General der Panzertruppen Heinrich von Vietinghoff gennant Scheel. 8th Panzer Division (Generalmajor Erich Brandenberger) 14th Panzer Division, (Generalmajor Friedrich Kuhn) 16th Infantry Division (motorized), (Generalmajor Sigfrid Henrici) Second Army Reserve. LII Army Corps General der Infanterie Kurt von Briesen
The Balkans campaign of World War II began with the Italian invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940. In the early months of 1941, Italy's offensive had stalled and a Greek counter-offensive pushed into Albania. Germany sought to aid Italy by deploying troops to Romania and Bulgaria and attacking Greece from the east.
During World War II, several provinces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia corresponding to the modern-day state of Serbia were occupied by the Axis Powers from 1941 to 1944. Most of the area was occupied by the Wehrmacht and was organized as separate territory under control of the German Military Administration in Serbia.
The German Campaigns in the Balkans (Spring 1941): A Model of Crisis Planning. Department of the Army Pamphlet No. 20–260. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. OCLC 16940402. CMH Pub 104-4. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Jowett, Phillip S. (2000). The Italian Army 1940–45 (1): Europe 1940–43.
The Battle of Serbia was a joint Allied effort with the aim of establishing a strong foothold and mastering the central communication area of the German forces on the Balkans, i.e. Army Group F, during World War II. Actions on the ground were carried out by the NOVJ, and the Allies provided combat assistance, supplies and air support.
On 28 July, Hitler reviewed the operational planning: the "Konstantin" and "Alarich" plans were combined into a single plan for the occupation of Italy and the Balkans, which was called "Achse". On 5 August, on the advice of Admiral Ruge and because of the strengthening of the Italian defenses of Rome, the "Schwartz" plan was abandoned.
The First Army took part in the Bulgarian Army's advance northwards into the Balkan Peninsula with logistical support and under the command of the Red Army. The First Army, advanced into Serbia, Hungary and Austria in the spring of 1945, despite heavy casualties and bad conditions in the winter.
At the same time, Hitler, recalling Serbia's excellent military performance in the Balkan Wars and World War I, was concerned that the Royal Yugoslav Army was strong, and defeating it would necessitate the expenditure of considerable effort.