In the late summer of '39, after the conclusion of the Russo-German pact and the invasion of Poland, Vice-Premier Machek began to urge upon Prince-Regent Paul an idea that came close to being statesmanship from the point of view of Yugoslavia's predicament at that time. He wanted Yugoslavia (seek) a military alliance with Russia, and thought Russia (want) it. He (feel) such a treaty (have) a profound and immediate influence on Bulgaria, (cause) her shortly to seek the same sort of pact with the Soviet.
If it (do) nothing else, argued Machek, such a step would at least keep the Axis from (gobble) up the Balkan countries one by one before Hitler (attack) Russia. When he (attack) again in the east, he (have to) attack simultaneously Russia and the Balkans.
But Paul (have) none of this idea. He (hate) the Soviet too much. He (go) too far in his pro-Axis policy.
And on his side, (get) the Croatian Sporazum from him, Machek (too deeply/involve) with Paul to come out openly for a Russo-Yugoslav military pact. In fact only a handful of people in Yugoslavia knew that he (favour) it. ... In a small country, statesmanship (have) a diffcult time getting started. ...
When war (hit) Yugoslavia in '41, its army (be) unprepared: it (stand) still while time and Hitler raced on. Most of its personnel under the rank of colonel (be) excellent. But its organization was never quite as good as King Alexander, its creator, and the French general staff (think) it was. Alexander (be) old fashioned in his military thinking. The soldiers and the younger officers (have) a powerful fighting tradition. But this was not enough; in the light of the blitz which (hit) Poland in '39 and Western Europe in '40, it was practically nothing at all.

-Adapted from My Native Land by Louis Adamic, Harper & Brothers, 1943