Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/400

LEFT SERBIA 344 SERFS Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 Serbia took up arms against Turkey, and ob- tained full recognition of its independence. It was erected into a kingdom in 1882. In 1889 Milan abdicated in favor of his son Prince Alexander, born Aug. 14, 1876, who became the ruler of the country as Alexander I. Alexander married Countess Draga, who was unpopular with the people. On June 11, 1903, soldiers forced their way into the palace and bayoneted King Alex- ander, Queen Draga, and her two brothers. Prince Peter Karageorgevitch was then proclaimed King of Serbia, under the name Peter I. Following the accession of King Peter, the idea of a Greater Ser- bia, which had long been cherished by the Serbian people, became intensified. The hostile feeling toward Austria-Hun- gary was increased by the tariff policy adopted by the dual monarchy. Bitter- ness of feeling increased by Austria's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. The Serbian Government retaliated by passing restrictive tariff measures and encouraged war-like preparations. Through the offices of Russia, however, the tension was relieved. In 1912 Serbia entered the Balkan alliance with Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro and helped to precipitate the Balkan War (q. v.) of 1912 and 1913. As a result of the vic- tory over Turkey in this war, Serbia nearly doubled her territory and increased her population by more than one-half. These gains were chiefly at the expense of Bulgaria and the dissatisfaction of that country led to the second Balkan War. Bitterness toward Austria was re- vived by the action of the latter in com- pelling the Serbs to surrender Durazzo and other territory to the newly created principality of Albania. This hatred of Austria came to a crisis when the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Hapsburg throne, was assassinated on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, by a Serbian patriot. This act was the direct cause of the World War. The first military operation in the war was the attempted invasion by Austria undertaken in the last days of July, 1914. This ended in disaster to the Austrian forces, as did a second attempt at in- vasion undertaken in September. The Serbian troops fought with great heroism and forced back the Austrians with great losses. The final invasion of Serbia was accomplished only by the combined force of Austrian, German, and Bulgarian troops and this was not undertaken until September, 1915. The Serbian Army was overwhelmed and was compelled to re- treat, although it fought with the greatest bravery as long as there was a possibility of resistance. The army escaped, al- though with great losses, and Serbia was overrun by hostile armies. Over 700,000 civilians fled before the advancing armies of the enemy, and of these a large por- tion died during their flight. The Ser- bians reached Avlona or Durazzo and were taken to the island of Corfu, where after reorganization, they again took their place in the battle line and ren- dered most brilliant and effective service. For more detailed account of Serbia in the war, see World War. The active command of the Serbian Army was in the hands of the Prince Regent. For the history of Serbia following the forma- tion of the Jugoslavian State, see Jugo- slavia. SERENADE, music performed in the open air at night; often, an entertainment of music given in the night by a lover to his mistress under her window; or music performed as a mark of esteem and good-will toward distinguished per- sons. The name is also given to a piece of music characterized by the soft repose which is supposed to be in harmony with the stillness of night. The Italian name Serenata is now applied to a cantata hav- ing a pastoral subject, and to a work of large proportions, in the form to some extent of a symphony. SERES, a town of Greece, in the for- mer vilayet of Saloniki; on a tributary of the Struma or Karassu; 45 miles N. E, of Saloniki; lies in a wide and fertile plain containing upward of 300 villages; is the seat of a Greek archbishop; and is the most important trading town in the interior of Macedonia. It has a castle, numerous mosques, Greek churches, baths, benevolent institutions, manufactures woolen and cotton goods, gourd-shaped water flasks, and exports cotton, rice, to- bacco, and grain. SERETH, an important affluent of the Danube. It rises in the Carpathians in Bukowina, flows through Rumania, and joins the Danube 5 miles above Galatz after a course of 300 miles. Parts of the regions through which it flows saw much fighting between the Russian and Austro- German armies during the World War. SERFS, a term applied to a class of laborers existing under the feudal sys- tem, and whose condition, though not exactly that of slaves, was little removed from it. Under this system, from the vassals of the king downward, the whole community was subject to certain de- grees of servitude, and it was only on condition of specific services to be ren- dered to his superior that any individual held his fief. In the case of the lower classes this servitude amounted to an al-