Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/802

 SERVIA

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SERVIA

freedom. By the Treaty of Bucharest, in 1812, the Serbs were guaranteed complete amnesty and granted a measure of internal self-administration, but were obliged to remain under Turkish suzerainty. As the Turks did not keep their promises a new revolt broke out in 1815, the leader of which was Milosch Obreno- vitch, Karageorge having been assassinated. On 6 November, 1817, Milosch was proclaimed Prince of Ser\-ia at Belgrade by an assembly of Servian nobles and ecclesiastics, and was recognized bv the Porte in 1820. By the Peace of Adrianople (1829), Ser\'ia re- ceived the right to elect its own princes, the right of self-administration, in short internal autonomy, but was obhged to pledge itseK to pay a fixed yearly tribute to the Porte. The Treaty of Akerman (1826) and the Peace of Adrianople (1829) also granted the people of Ser\-ia freedom of worship and the right to elect their bishops. In 1832 a concordat was made with the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople which regulated the relation of the Servian to the Greek Orthodox Church; the Archbishop of Belgrade re- ceived the title of Metropolitan of Servia, and was henceforth to be elected without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople; the election, how- ever, must be announced to, and confirmed by, the patriarch, who had the privilege of confirming it and consecrating the new metropohtan. In 1830 Milosch was recognized by the Porte as hereditary prince; in 1834 the Turkish miUtary occupation of Servia was limited to Belgrade.

Influenced by Russia, Milosch ruled as an abso- lute prince without calhng any national assembly; he seized commercial monopolies for his owm benefit, and in this way so irritated the people that in 1835 a re- volt broke out. He was finally obliged to grant a con- stitution, which, however, the Turkish Government replaced, in 1838, by the Organic Statute (UsUiv). This statute, replacing the National Assembly with a senate provided with ex-tensive powers, satisfied neither the people nor the prince. Milosch swore to observ-e the Organic Statute, but did not keep his oath and, after a fresh uprising, in 1839, abdicated in favour of his eldest son Milan I. Milan died in three months and was followed by his incapable and tyran- nical brother Michael, who, in 1842, was forced by hi.s opponents to abdicate, and then fled to Austria. A national assembly convoked 11 September, 1842, elected the son of Karageorge, Alexander Karageorge- vitch. Prince of Servia. He was confirmed by the Bultan, but only with the title oi Beschbeg (overlord). In his homo policy he followed Austria and, influenced by Metternich, his government was rigidly conserva^ tive, which made him unpopular among the Serbs and in Russia. When, in 1858, the Senate wished to force him to retire, he sought protection with the Turkish garrison at Belgrafle. Then!Ui)on the National As- sembly (Skypfifttina) deposed him as a fugitive, and called to the throne Milosch Obrenovitch, now eighty years old, who had abdicated in 1839. Milosch was followed, in 1860, by his son Michael, who had been forced to abdicate in 1842. Under him the organiza- tion of the army was carried out, notwithstanding complaints from the Porte, and the efforts of the Serbs to become entirely independent of Turkey became constantly more evident. Urged by Austria, the Turks, in 1867, withdrew their last garrison, that of Belgrade, from the country, in order io allay the na^ tional excitement. Notwithstanding the success that had been attained, a conspiracy was formed against the niling prince, who was kilUd on 20 Junf, 1868, in the park of Toyjschider. Tlic; Skuy)sli1ina then chose as prince the sole surviving rnernb*T of the Obreno- vitch family, Milan II, then a student in Paris.

During Milan's minority a new constitution was granted to the country by the regent Ristitch. When, in September, 1874, the Christians of Bosnia and Herzegovina rose against the Turkish yoke, and

the revolt constantly spread, Milan believed the occa- sion favourable to gain the independence of the coun- try', while augmenting it with Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Old Servia, thus founding a Great Servia. In July, 1876, he began war against the Turks, without being able to gain any success in battle. Neverthe- less, when war broke out between Turkey and Russia in 1878, he joined Russia, and the Servian army in Bulgaria captured several places which the Turks were on the point of abandoning. In the Peace of San Stefano, Servia gained not only the recognition of its complete independence, but also considerable addi- tions to its territory, which was still further increased by the Congress of Berlin. In return it was obliged to grant unconditional equality to all denominations and assume a part of the Turkish national debt. On 21 August, 1878, the independence of the country was formally proclaimed. One of Milan's first acts v/as to obtain for the Servian Church complete indepen'^ence from the Greek Church and its release from the obliga- tions it had assumed in 1832. In 1879 he compelled the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople, Joachim III, to recognize the Servian Church as independent and self-governing, and to renounce all rights over it. Since then the relations between the two Churches have been friendly. On 6 March, 1882, Milan as- sumed the title of king. In 1884, to increase his ter- ritories, thinking to exploit the embarrassment of Bul- garia, which after the annexation of Eastern Rumelia was threatened by the Turks and deserted by Russia, he declared war on that principalitj% although ill pre- pared for it. Led by their courageous ruler, Alex- ander of Battenberg, the Bulgarians gained a brilliant victory over the Serbs at Slivnitza, and only the inter- ference of Austria, which hastily sent Count Kheven- hiiller to the Bulgarian head-quarters and checked Prince Alexander, saved Servia.

In his home policy, too, Milan sheltered himself un- der the protection of Austria and opposed his own peo- ple. The Serbs, greatly embittered by the Austrian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, became more and more favourable to the Radical and Russophile party, while the king's position was rendered increas- ingly difficult by the agitation of political party lead- ers who were under Russian influence, and the bad financial management of his cabinets. At last Mi- lan's quarrels with his wife Natalie, the daughter of a Russian colonel, led to the dissolution of the marriage by the metropolitan. When the Liberal party, which had been the support of Milan and Ris- titch, was defeated in the elections of 1888, and the Radicals forced a new and more democratic constitu- tion, Milan abdicated, 6 March, 1889, in favour of his only son Alexander, a minor, and then left the country. In 1892 he gave up his Servian citizenship. The sorely distracted country had still less internal i)oa(^e during Alexander's reign. The regency during his minority was carried on mainly by Ristitch. In 1S93 the im- pulsive king, although only sixteen years old, declared himself of age, and forced the regency to retire. Alex- ander recalled his father from Paris to help him against the Radicals and the menace of anarchy. Milan returned to Belgrade, 21 January, 1894, at once assumed control of the administration, did away with the democratic Constitution of 1889 by a coup d'ctnt. restored that of 1869, and limited the constitutional liberties and the suffrage. In 1897 he also assumed supreme control of the army.

However, the friendly relations between father and son were ruptured in 1900 by the marriage of Alex- ander, who was mentally somewhat abnormal, with a widow of ill repute named DragaMaschin. Milan broke off all connexion with his son and left the coun- try for good (d. at Vienna, 11 Ffibruary, 1901). After that, Alexander ruled despotically, contrary to the Constitution. By two political strategems a new con- stitution was forced on the country in 1901, but was