Abolition of monarchy self-proclaimed King Zog and instated their own King Victor Emmanuel III as its new monarch. Italy, along with the eastern European monarchies of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania joined with Germany in World War II against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Western allies and the Soviet Union. As the Axis powers came to a defeat in the war, communist partisans in occupied Yugoslavia and occupied Albania seized power and ended the monarchies. Communists in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania removed their monarchies with strong backing by the Soviet Union, which had many troops and supporters placed there during the course of the
Coronation of the Thai monarch returned to Switzerland, not to return until 1950. During his absence, political crises gripped the country, precipitating a coup d'état in 1947, when the military seized power from the civilian government. Despite entreaties for the King to return to Bangkok, he refused several times. In October 1948 the King was seriously injured in a car accident near Lausanne. In early 1950 he eventually returned for the cremation ceremony of his brother, King Rama VIII. Afterwards, the King celebrated his wedding to Sirikit Kitiyakara, and the date of his coronation was set for 5 May 1950. As the first Thai monarch