Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/803

 SERVIA

735

SERVIA

set aside after two years. The king lost whatever sympathy was still felt for him on account of the un- dignified manner in which the queen, in 1901, deceived the country into expecting an heir to the throne. When at last the queen formed a plan to have one of her brothers, Lieutenant Nikodem Lunjevitza, who was hated in the army, made heir to the throne, a re- volt broke out. In the night of 10-11 June, 1903, a number of officers, who had formed a conspiracy under the leadership of Colonel Mischitch, entered the pal- ace and murdered the king and queen, the queen's two brothers, and three ministers. The following day the army proclaimed Peter Karageorgevitch, son of the former Prince Alexander Karageorgevitch, king, and the National Assembly confirmed the choice on 1.5 June, after restoring the Constitution of 1889.

Even under the new dynasty the country has not yet (1911) found peace and economic development. Peter's position was from the beginning made more difficult by the fact that he was rightly regarded as an accessory to the murder of his predecessor, and was, moreover, completely controlled by the assassins dur- ing the early years of his reign. These murderers claimed the chief positions in the army and the civil service; on account of his connexion with them Peter's administration was only recognized by the Powers after the lapse of some time, the last power to recognize him being Great Britain (1906). The coun- try was kept in disorder by the constant struggles be- tween political parties, while cabinet changes and dis- solutions of the Chamber followed in rapid succession. In foreign affairs, Servia was soon involved in an eco- nomic and poUtical dispute with Austria-Hungarj-, with which it carried on its main export trade. When Servia formed a customs union with Bulgaria, in 1906, a customs war with Austria-Hungary began, which in- flicted severe damage on the economic life of the coun- try. Relations with Austria-Hungary were still fur- ther strained by the zealous agitation for a Great Servia carried on among the related peoples of Mon- tenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, and even Croatia. In October, 1908, Austria completed the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; this brought the anti-Aus- trian feeling in Servia to fever-heat, as the Serbs be- lieved they had a moral claim on these countries in- habited by related peoples. The Servian Govern- ment, in a note addressed to thesignatory Powers, pro- tested against what it alleged to be an infringement of the Treaty of Berlin of 1878. It also formed an alliance with Montenegro, called out the reserves, and set about raising a war loan. Servia was openly sup- ported by Russia, and secretly encouraged by Great Britain. It demanded from Austria-Hungary the cession of a strip of territory to connect Servia, by way of the Sandjak of Novi Bazar and Bosnia, with Montenegro and the Adriatic; it also demanded the autonomy of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the su- pervision of the European Powers.

In the spring of 1909 war seemed inevitable. How- ever, the stand taken by Germany, which declared itself ready to support Austria-Hungary with arms if the latter were attacked by Russia in a war with Ser- via, led Russia to change its position and forced Servia to yield. Servia was obliged to acknowledge formally the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to renounce economic and territorial compensation, and to express the desire to renew friendly relations with the dual monarchy. At the same time the Crown Prince George was obhged to renounce his right to the succession in favour of his brother Alexander. George had had a large share in urging a war and was greatly disliked by the Serbs on account of his wild behaviour, his extravagance, and brutal conduct. Since then the relations between Servia and Austria- Hungary have become more friendly, and the cus- toms war was settled in the early part of 1911 by a commercial treaty.

II. Actual Conditions. — Servia has an area of 18,650 square miles; on 31 December, 1900, the popu- lation was 2,492,882. Of this number 2,331,107 were by language Serbs, 89,873 Rumanians, 7494 Germans, 2151 Albanians, 1956 Magyars. Divided by religions, 2,460,515 belonged to the Serbo-Orthodox Church, 10,423 were Roman Cathohcs, 1399 Protestants, 3056 Turkish Mohammedans, 11,689 Mohammedan Gyp- sies, while 71 belonged to various other religions. At the beginning of 1910 the population was estimated at 2,855,660. According to the Constitution of 2 Janu- ary, 1889, Servia is a constitutional monarch}^, heredi- tary by primogeniture in the male line in the Kara- georgevitch family. The king shares the legislative power with a national assembly, the Skupshtina; this consists of 160 deputies elected for four years. The right of suffrage is exercised by every Servian citizen who is twenty-one years of age and pays a national tax of at least 15 pence, as well as all members of sadrugas who have reached their majority, irrespect- ive of taxation. Those voters are eligible as depu- ties who are thirty years old and pay an annual state tax of 30 pence. A "Great Skupshtina", consisting of twice the ordinary number of deputies, is elected for certain special occasions, as for making changes in the Constitution, electing a king when there is no heir to the throne, etc.

The national rehgion of Servia is that of the Ortho- dox Greek Church. All denominations permitted by the Government enjoy complete freedom and protec- tion, so far as their exercise does not contravene morals and public order. However, all attempts to influ- ence the members of the State Church to adopt other creeds are forbidden. All church organizations are under tlie supervision of the Ministry of Worship and Education, which also watches the correspondence of all Servian with foreign ecclesiastical authorities. The control of the Orthodox Church is in the hands of a synod consisting of the five bishops of the country under the presidency of the metropolitan, the Arch- bishop of Belgrade. This synod elects all the bishops, issues all the edicts for the guidance of the Church, and has a share in drawing up all laws referring to the Church and clergy. The metropolitan is elected by a special synod consisting of the active bishops, all archimandrites and arch-priests of the subdivisions of Servia, the head of the ecclesiastical seminary of St. Saba, and several lay adherents of the Orthodox Church. The choice of this synod requires the con- firmation of the king. In 1907 there were 750 churches and chapels, 54 monasteries, 1042 priests, and 98 monks. The Orthodox Church is supported partly by the revenues of the church lands, partly by additional sums granted by the State. The value of the church lands is nearly 345 million marks; that of the monastery lands makes an additional 250 miUion marks.

Since 1848 the Cathohc Serbs, who are in large part subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, have been under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop of Diakovo, in Slavonia. Although freedom of religion was constitutionally guaranteed by the Congress of Berlin, the position of the Cathohc Church is a dis- advantageous one, as the Orthodox clergy put various difficulties in the way of parochial work. In the course of the nineteenth century negotiations were several times begun for the erection of a Latin bishop- ric in Servia. Bishop Strossmayer, of Diakovo, es- pecially, tried repeatedly to attain this end, but all efforts were in vain. In 1890 the Holy See gave its consent to the erection of a bishopric for Servia, but the movement has failed on account of the opposition of the Servian Government and other difficulties. There are only three parochial stations for the Catho- lics of Servia, and the expenses of these are largely borne by the Austro-Hungarian Government. The title of Catholic Primate of Servia is borne by the