Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/889

SERVIA. 809 SERVIAN LANGUAGE. gary and the Turks. In 14jtj Belgrade, whieh had been occupied l>y the Hungarians, was suc-euss- fuUy defended against tlic TurUs l)y the heroie .Joliu llunyady and a eiusadiug t'cuee, but in 1521 t^ultan Solyniau the .Magnilicent made himself jnaster of the eity. In 1718 Belgrade ami part ui Srvia were eeded to Austria, luit wvtf relro- eeded in 1739. Under the rule of the Turks Ser- via sutt'ered fearful oppression. The native no- hility became extinct and the Servians were re- duced to a race of peasants. In 1804 the people rose under Czerny tieorge (q.v.), or Kara tieorge. Assisted by Russia, the Servian leader was able to win for his people a partial autoninny. The Napoleonic wars, however, eompelleil Kussia to withdraw her assistance, and Servia was resnb- jected to the Ottoman yoke in KSlIi. In 181.5 Jlilosh Obrenovitch Ici.v.), who had served under Kara George, suddenly headed an- other revolt, which proved successful, and in 1817 he was elected by the chiefs and the elergj' Prince of Servia. After the disastrous war with Russia in 18".^-29 Turkey granted autonomy to Servia and recognized Milosli as hereditary Prince (1830). Turkey, however, retained the right of keeping garrisons in the country. Jlilosh abdicated in 183!) because Russia and Turkey in- sisted upon a constitution which practically |)Mt tile powers 'of government into the hands of a Senate. He was succeeded by his son Milan, who reigned but a few xeeks, and was succeeded by his brother Michael. A strong party opposed to the Obrenovitch dynasty deposed Michael in 1842 and made Alexander, son of Kara George, Prince. Alexander Karageorgevitch was wholly under the influence of Austria and the Porte, and was deposed in 18.58. The aged Milosh was recalled, and in 1860 died, being again succeeded bj" Michael, who developed the idea of uniting in one nation all the Serbs, who are the main body of the ])opulation in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro, as well as Servia. He secured the withdrawal of all Turkish garrisons from Ser- via in 1807, and was on the point of accomplisli- ing even more in the direction of nationalization and independence when he was assassinated by adherents of the rival house in 1868, As Jli- ehael had no direct heir, the Skupshtina or Senate proclaimed his nephew. Prince Milan, who at- tained his majority in 1872. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister Ristic (q.v.) Servia was given a constitutional organization, with a Coun- cil of State, and the Skupshtina was transformed into a Chamber of Deputies, elected by propor- tional representation. In .July, 1876, Servia de- clared war against Turkey, being joined by Mon- tenegro. The Servians, generally unsuccessful, notwithstanding the help of numerous Russian volunteers, were totally defeated at Biunis and Alexinatz in October. An armistice followed, and a treaty of peace was signed starch 1. 1877. In April Russia declared war against Turkey (see Ris.so-TURKISII War), but Servia did not ven- ture to take the field until the fall of Plevna had virtually decided the war. The complete in- dependence of Servia was established by the Treaty of Berlin ( see Berlin, Congrrss oe' ) , which also gave the country an increase of territory. In 1882 the principality was proclaimed a kingdom. In 188.5 war was declared against Bulgaria, but the Servian army, though larger and better equipped than that of the enemy, was defeated In the military genius of I'riiice .lexiinder of Bulgaria (q.v.). and Servia was invaded. I'eaee was secured through the intervention of the Great Powers. King .Milan, who bad sought to strengthen his position by proniulgiit jiig i liberal constitution, danuary, IK8'.I. dissatisliej with the democratic course of the radicals, ab- dicated March U, 1880, in favor of his son Alex- ander 1. (<[.v.), who dispensed with a regency in 1893. Alexander began at oni'c to act the auto- crat. In 1894 he rccalleil his father to assist him against his radical ministers, and by proclama- tion restored their full privileges t" his father and mother. Nilalie. On May 21st he aliolished the liberal Constitution of 188!), restoring that of 1809. In 1900 he married Draga .Masliin. in deliaiice of his father's wishes. The new (^uec^n was many years his senior, and had been dis- missed from the service of Queen Natalie beeause of her intrigues. Milan was once more exiled, and .lexander began a (leriod of highhanded per- sonal rule whieh aroused intense hostility among the most inlliicntial persons in the kingdom. The attempt of t,luccii Draga to Impose upon the peo- ple the belief that an heir to the throne was in prospect increased the pcqiular dislike. In .pril, 1903, King Alexander abrogated the Const it lit ion, changed the -Ministry and the laws, aiiil then restored the mutilated Constitution to operation. This was a process attended with some peril in a c'ountry where liberalism and even repuldican- ism had been growing. . conspiracy was formed by leading officers of the army, and on .lune 11th the palace was entered and the King, the l^ueen, two of her brothers, and two of the Cabinet, Premier Markovitch and .Minister of War Pav- lovitch, were assassinated. So far as any ex- ternal evidence was given, the King and Queen had hardly a friend in Servia. The people re- ceived the revolution with approval or stcdid in- difference. A provisional government of liberals was formed and the family of Karageorgevitch, the rivals of the House of Obrenovitch. was re- stored in the person of Prince Peter, then living in exile in Geneva. Sec Peteu I. Kab.c;koroe- VI Ten. Bibliography. Taillandier, La Serbie au XlXimp sicclc (Paris. 1872) : Reinach, La Serbie et le MoHlciK'firo (Paris. 1870): Kanitz. SrrhUn (Leipzig, 1808) ; Borchgrave, /,u Serbie, (itlmiii- isfrative. ccouomiqtie el conimerciate (Brussels, 1883) ; Jlilicevicf, The Kiiitidoin of Seniii. trans, from the Servian (Belgrade, 1884): Wiesner. Alts Scrbien and Buiijurien (Leipzig, l>iSO) : Laveleye. The Bnlkaii I'eninsiiln (London. 18S7) ; Mackenzie, Travels in the Slaronie Proriners of Tiirleij in Europe (3d ed., ib., 1887); Karic, La Serbie: Dcserii>tioii dii pays, du peuple et de I'etat (Belgrade. 1888): Millet. La Serbie reo- nomique et eonniiereiale (Paris. 1889) ; Coqnelle, Le roijaiime de Serbie (ib.. 1894) : Vivian. Servia (ib., 1897) : De (Jubernatis, La Serbie et lex fserbex (Paris. 1898) ; ^Tallat. La Serbie rontrin- poraine (ib., 1902) : Curtis. 77ie Tiirl: and His Loxt Provinces (New York. 1903) : Ranke. The Bistorii of Servia (Kng. trans.. London. 18.53) : id.. Serhien and die Serben (Berlin, 1878) : Kal- lay. dexrhiehte der S. rh. it ilVsth. 1877). SERVIAN LANGUAGE. See Serho-Croa- TiAN Language.