Ambassador of the United States to Yugoslavia | |
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![]() Seal of the United States Department of State | |
Incumbent None | |
Nominator | The President of the United States |
Inaugural holder | Henry Percival Dodge as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary |
Formation | July 17, 1919 |
Abolished | February 4, 2003 (as Yugoslavia) February 29, 2004 (as Serbia and Montenegro) |
The nation of Yugoslavia was formed on December 1, 1918 as a result of the realignment of nations and national boundaries in Europe in the aftermath of World War I. The nation was first named the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. The kingdom occupied the area in the Balkans comprising the present-day states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and most of present-day Slovenia and Croatia. The United States recognized the newly formed nation and commissioned its first envoy to the kingdom on July 17, 1919. Previously the U.S. had had an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary who was commissioned to Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia while resident in Bucharest, Romania. Towards the end of the 1930s, the diplomatic relations between Belgrade and Washington were raised from ministerial to the ambassadorial level.
At the beginning of World War II, the government of Yugoslavia fled Belgrade and formed a government in exile in London and later in Cairo. During that time the U.S. ambassadors continued to represent the United States in London and Cairo. The embassy was transferred back to Belgrade in 1945.
Between 1943 and 1992 the nation was known by various names, including the Democratic Federative Yugoslavia (1943), the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (1946), and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1963).
After the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992, the remnants of the nation, comprising the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, constituted a new state known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On May 21, 1992, the United States announced that it did not recognize the Federal Republic. The ambassador had left Belgrade one week earlier. A series of chargés d'affaires represented the U.S. government until 1999, when the embassy was closed.
In 2001 the United States recognized the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commissioned an ambassador to Belgrade.
In 2003 the parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ratified the Constitutional Charter, establishing a new state union and changing the name of the country from Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro. The U.S. ambassador continued in his post as the ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro.
For ambassadors to Serbia before and after Yugoslavia, see United States Ambassador to Serbia.
U.S. diplomatic terms |
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Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". |
Image | Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
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![]() | Henry Percival Dodge [1] – Career FSO | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | July 17, 1919 | October 5, 1919 | March 21, 1926 | |
![]() | John Dyneley Prince [2] – Political appointee | February 23, 1926 | May 5, 1926 | August 31, 1932 | ||
Charles S. Wilson [3] [4] – Career FSO | August 3, 1933 | September 11, 1933 | July 28, 1937 | |||
![]() | Arthur Bliss Lane – Career FSO | August 9, 1937 | October 23, 1937 | May 17, 1941 [5] | ||
![]() | Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. [6] [7] – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 30, 1941 | October 3, 1941 | September 28, 1943 [8] | Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 1942 |
Lincoln MacVeagh [9] [10] – Political appointee | November 12, 1943 | December 9, 1943 | March 11, 1944 [11] | |||
![]() | Richard C. Patterson, Jr. [12] – Political appointee | September 21, 1944 | November 17, 1944 | Left Belgrade October 25, 1946 | ||
Cavendish W. Cannon – Career FSO | April 10, 1947 | July 14, 1947 | October 19, 1949 | |||
![]() | George V. Allen [13] – Career FSO | October 27, 1949 | January 25, 1950 | March 11, 1953 | ||
![]() | James Williams Riddleberger – Career FSO | July 31, 1953 | November 16, 1953 | January 11, 1958 | ||
![]() | Karl L. Rankin [14] – Career FSO | December 13, 1957 | February 19, 1958 | April 22, 1961 | ||
![]() | George F. Kennan – Career FSO | March 7, 1961 | May 16, 1961 | July 28, 1963 | ||
![]() | Charles Burke Elbrick – Career FSO | January 29, 1964 | March 17, 1964 | April 28, 1969 | ||
William Leonhart [15] – Career FSO | May 1, 1969 | June 30, 1969 | October 18, 1971 | |||
![]() | Malcolm Toon – Career FSO | October 7, 1971 | October 23, 1971 | March 11, 1975 | ||
![]() | Laurence H. Silberman - Political appointee | May 8, 1975 | May 26, 1975 | December 26, 1976 | ||
![]() | Lawrence S. Eagleburger – Career FSO | June 8, 1977 | June 21, 1977 | January 24, 1981 | ||
David Anderson – Career FSO | July 27, 1981 | August 19, 1981 | June 26, 1985 | |||
![]() | John Douglas Scanlan [16] – Career FSO | July 12, 1985 | July 26, 1985 | March 6, 1989 | ||
![]() | Warren Zimmermann – Career FSO | July 11, 1988 | March 21, 1989 | May 16, 1992 | The United States announced on May 21, 1992, that it would not recognize the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, as the successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. | |
![]() | Robert Rackmales | Chargés d'affaires ad interim | May 1992 | N/A | July 1993 | |
![]() | Rudolf V. Perina | July 1993 | N/A | February 1996 | ||
![]() | Lawrence Butler | February 1996 | N/A | August 1996 | ||
![]() | Richard M. Miles | August 1996 | N/A | March 1999 | The embassy was closed March 23, 1999. Miles and the last Embassy personnel left March 24, and NATO armed forces began military action against Serbia-Montenegro that evening. | |
![]() | William Dale Montgomery [17] – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 26, 2001 | January 4, 2002 | February 29, 2004 | The United States again recognized the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 2001 and posted an ambassador to that nation. |
Montgomery was the last ambassador sent by the U.S. to a state known as Yugoslavia. Hereafter ambassadors in Belgrade were commissioned to Serbia and Montenegro until 2006, and then to Serbia onward. For subsequent ambassadors in Belgrade, see United States Ambassador to Serbia.
Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 to 1992. It came into existence following World War I, under the name of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from the merger of the Kingdom of Serbia with the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and constituted the first union of South Slavic peoples as a sovereign state, following centuries of foreign rule over the region under the Ottoman and Habsburg empires. Peter I of Serbia was its first sovereign. The kingdom gained international recognition on 13 July 1922 at the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris. The official name of the state was changed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 3 October 1929.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" was its colloquial name due to its origins. The official name of the state was changed to "Kingdom of Yugoslavia" by King Alexander I on 3 October 1929.
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs became merged with the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro to form the nation of Yugoslavia in 1918. The formation of Yugoslavia began with the formation of the Yugoslav Committee, a collection of mostly Croats, then Serbs and later Slovenes, whose goal was to form a single south Slavic state. In October 1918 the Croatian Parliament declared the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia as an independent state, which, in December that same year, incorporated into the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, merged with Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Montenegro and created the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The kingdom would be renamed to Yugoslavia in 1929, and ruled by Serbian Karađorđević dynasty till Second World War. After the formation of Yugoslavia, Serbia attempted to create a "Greater Serbia" by using police intimidation and vote rigging to establish a Serbian controlled Yugoslavia. From 1929-1941 Serbian controlled Yugoslavia established control over Croatia through Royal Yugoslav police force brutality and assassinations of important Croatians.
After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart, but the unresolved issues caused a series of inter-ethnic Yugoslav Wars. The wars primarily affected Bosnia and Herzegovina, neighbouring parts of Croatia and, some years later, Kosovo.
The prime minister of Yugoslavia was the head of government of the Yugoslav state, from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.
Yugoslavia was a state concept among the South Slavic intelligentsia and later popular masses from the 19th to early 20th centuries that culminated in its realization after the 1918 collapse of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I and the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. However, the kingdom was better known colloquially as Yugoslavia ; in 1929 it was formally renamed the "Kingdom of Yugoslavia".
Teams from Yugoslavia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1920. Previously, several athletes from Croatia, Slovenia and northern Serbian province Vojvodina had competed for Austria or Hungary when those countries were part of the Empire of Austria-Hungary. A small team of two athletes had competed distinctly for Serbia at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia is the ministry in the government of Serbia which is in the charge of maintaining the consular affairs and foreign relations of Serbia. The current minister is Marko Đurić, in office since 26 October 2022.
The flag of Yugoslavia was the official flag of the Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the Pan-Slavic movement, which ultimately led to the unification of the South Slavs and the creation of a united south-Slavic state in 1918.
Montenegrin nationalism is the nationalism that asserts that Montenegrins are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Montenegrins.
Czechoslovakia–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, both of which are now-defunct states. Czechoslovakia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes were both created as union states of smaller Slavic ethnic groups. Both were created after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, itself a multinational empire unable to appease its Slavic populations or implement a trialist reform in its final years.
Albania–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Albania and now broken up Yugoslavia. With occasional periods of friendly relations or efforts to improve relations, the two countries predominantly maintained cold or openly hostile relations. The period of close relations developed right after the end of World War II when Yugoslavia pushed for socioeconomic integration of Albania into Yugoslavia within the Balkan Federation, but they turned into sharp antagonism after the 1948 Tito–Stalin split.
Egypt–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Egypt and now break-up Yugoslavia. Both countries were founding members and prominent participants of the Non-Aligned Movement. While initially marginal, relations between the two Mediterranean countries developed significantly in the aftermath of the Soviet-Yugoslav split of 1948 and the Egyptian revolution of 1952. Belgrade hosted the Non-Aligned movement's first conference for which preparatory meeting took place in Cairo, while Cairo hosted the second conference. While critical of certain aspects of the Camp David Accords Yugoslavia remained major advocate for Egyptian realist approach within the movement, and strongly opposed harsh criticism of Cairo or proposals which questioned country's place within the movement.
Turkey–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Turkey and now broken up Yugoslavia.