This is a List of Heads of State of Yugoslavia from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the end of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a monarchy ruled by the House of Karađorđević from 1918 up until World War II. The SFR Yugoslavia was headed first by Ivan Ribar, the President of the Presidency of the People's Assembly (president of the parliament), and then by President Josip Broz Tito until his death in 1980, when the a collective federal presidency rotated the presidency among the republic representatives. With the reforms in 1990, individual republics elected their own heads of state, but the country's head of state continued to rotate among appointed representatives of the republics until the county's dissolution.
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The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was created by the union of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs with the Kingdom of Serbia on 1 December 1918. The Kingdom was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. All monarchs were members of the House of Karađorđević. Peter I, previously King of Serbia, was proclaimed King by representatives of South Slav states. The royal family continued through his son and his grandson.
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | Succession right | Royal house | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter I 1 December 1918– 16 August 1921 |
29 June 1844 Belgrade son of Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia and Persida Nenadović |
Princess Zorka of Montenegro 1883 5 children |
16 August 1921 Belgrade aged 77 |
previously King of Serbia, proclaimed King by representatives of South Slav states |
House of Karađorđević |
Held the title "King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes". Prince Alexander served as regent in his final years. | |
| Alexander I 16 August 1921– 9 October 1934 |
16 December 1888 Cetinje son of Peter I and Princess Zorka of Montenegro |
Maria of Romania 8 June 1922 3 children |
9 October 1934 Marseilles aged 45 |
son of the preceding | House of Karađorđević |
Proclaimed "King of Yugoslavia" in 1929. Assassinated in Marseilles. |
|
| Peter II 9 October 1934- 29 November 1945 |
6 September 1923 Belgrade son of Alexander I and Maria of Romania |
Alexandra of Greece and Denmark 20 March 1944 1 child |
3 November 1970 Denver aged 47 |
son of the preceding | House of Karađorđević |
Prince Paul acted as regent until ousted on 27 March 1941; exiled on 17 April 1941 and deposed on 29 November 1945. |
| President of Yugoslavia | |
|---|---|
| Former political post | |
| Standard of the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (used 1953-1992) | |
| Stjepan Mesić | |
| Predecessor | |
| Successor | Franjo Tuđman Dobrica Ćosić Alija Izetbegović Kiro Gligorov Milan Kučan |
| First officeholder | Ivan Ribar |
| Last officeholder | Stjepan Mesić |
| Political office started | 29 December 1945 |
| Political office ended | 3 October 1991 |
| Current pretender | None |
After the German invasion and fragmentation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, partisans formed the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) in 1942. On 29 November 1943 a AVNOJ conference proclaimed the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, while negotiations with the royal government in exile continued. After the liberation of Belgrade, the Communist-led government on 29 November 1945 declared King Petar II deposed and proclaimed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1963, the state was renamed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Since 1974, Yugoslavia was headed by a collective presidency, consisting of representatives of the six republics, the two autonomous provinces within Serbia and (until 1988) the President of the League of Communists. The collective was first chaired by Tito, who was President for life. After his death in 1980, one member was annually elected Chairman of the Presidency and acted as head of state. For other leading officials of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, see List of leaders of SFR Yugoslavia.
In 1963 the new Constitution renamed the state as Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and divided the office of the President from the Presidency of the Federal Council, even if the President of the Republic retained the power to preside over the Government when it met, on the French model.[1] In 1974, a new Constitution planned a collective presidency, consisting of representatives of the six republics, the two autonomous provinces within Serbia and (until 1988) the President of the League of Communists, with a Chairman in rotation. Notwithstanding, this constitutional provision was suspended because Tito was declared President for life. After his death in 1980, one member was annually elected President of the Presidency and acted as head of state. For other leading officials of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, see List of leaders of SFR Yugoslavia.
League of Communists of Yugoslavia Socialist Party of Serbia Croatian Democratic Union Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
| Order | Head of State | Lifespan | Took office | Left office | Party | Representing | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Presidency of the People's Assembly 1945-1953 |
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| N/A | Ivan Ribar | 1881–1968 | 29 December 1945 | 14 January 1953 | Communist Party of Yugoslavia (party renamed) |
N/A | As the President of the Presidency (speaker) of the Yugoslav People's Assembly, Ribar also served as the head of state 1945-1953. The Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) was reorganized and renamed into the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ) on November 2, 1952. | ||
| League of Communists of Yugoslavia (party renamed) |
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| President 1953-1974 |
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| 1 | Josip Broz Tito | 1892–1980 | 14 January 1953 | 16 May 1974 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | N/A | Office of the President of Yugoslavia instituted. | ||
| Presidents of the Presidency 1974-1992 |
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| 1 | Josip Broz Tito | 1892–1980 | 16 May 1974 | 4 May 1980 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | N/A | Collective head of state instituted: the Yugoslav Presidency headed by a President of the Presidency. Josip Broz Tito declared president for life. | ||
| 2 | Lazar Koliševski | 1914–2000 | 4 May 1980 | 15 May 1980 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Macedonia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 3 | Cvijetin Mijatović | 1913–1993 | 15 May 1980 | 15 May 1981 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Bosnia and Herzegovina | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 4 | Sergej Kraigher | 1914–2001 | 15 May 1981 | 15 May 1982 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Slovenia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 5 | Petar Stambolić | 1912–2007 | 15 May 1982 | 15 May 1983 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Serbia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 6 | Mika Špiljak | 1916–2007 | 15 May 1983 | 15 May 1984 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Croatia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 7 | Veselin Đuranović | 1925–1997 | 15 May 1984 | 15 May 1985 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Montenegro | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 8 | Radovan Vlajković | 1922–2001 | 15 May 1985 | 15 May 1986 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SAP Vojvodina | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 9 | Sinan Hasani | 1922–2010 | 15 May 1986 | 15 May 1987 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SAP Kosovo | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 10 | Lazar Mojsov | 1920–2011 | 15 May 1987 | 15 May 1988 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Macedonia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 11 | Raif Dizdarević | 1926– | 15 May 1988 | 15 May 1989 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Bosnia and Herzegovina | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 12 | Janez Drnovšek | 1950–2008 | 15 May 1989 | 15 May 1990 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | SR Slovenia | Chairman of the collective head of state. | ||
| 13 | Borisav Jović | 1928– | 15 May 1990 | 15 May 1991 | League of Communists of Yugoslavia (until January 1990) | Serbia | Chairman of the collective head of state. League of Communists of Yugoslavia dissolved into six separate parties. In Serbia the party was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Serbia. | ||
| Socialist Party of Serbia (from January 1990) |
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| N/A | Sejdo Bajramović (acting) |
1927–1994 | 16 May 1991 | 30 June 1991 | Socialist Party of Serbia | AP Kosovo | Acting | ||
| 14 | Stjepan Mesić | 1934– | 30 June 1991 | 3 October 1991 (formally resigned 5 December 1991) |
Croatian Democratic Union | Croatia | Chairman of the collective head of state. Last President of Yugoslavia. | ||
| N/A | Branko Kostić (acting) |
1939– | 3 October 1991 | 15 June 1992 | Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro | Montenegro | Acting president. Installed by Serbia and Montenegro. | ||
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