n.
born Dec. 4, 1888, Cetinje, Montenegro
died Oct. 9, 1934, Marseille, France
King of Yugoslavia (192134).
After commanding Serbian forces in World War I, Alexander succeeded his father, Peter I , as king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1921. In 1929 he abolished the constitution and established a royal dictatorship. As part of his efforts to unify his subjects, he changed the name of the country to Yugoslavia; outlawed political parties based on ethnic, religious, or regional distinctions; reorganized the state; and standardized legal systems, school curricula, and national holidays. In 1934 he was assassinated by an agent of Croatian separatists.