Foreign Royalty and Balkan Thrones in the 19Th Century – the Case Of
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2021-4234-HIS – 04 MAY 2021 th 1 "Foreign Royalty and Balkan Thrones in the 19 2 Century – The Case of Serbia" 3 4 This article will explore and explain the reasons and circumstances behind 5 this.The article describes several attempts in installing foreign monarchs in 6 Serbia. The modern Serbian monarchyexisted from 1804 to 1918, while in 7 Montenegro a secular monarchy which was strongly related to Serbian state 8 traditions was established in 1852 and dissolved after the end of WWI. 9 During the period of the existence of national monarchies in the Balkans 10 (during the 19th and first half of the 20th century),foreign dynasties were 11 installedon the thrones of all Balkan national states, save Serbia and 12 Montenegro.. The main hypothesisis that the interests and aspirations of 13 Austria-Hungary and Russia stopped all of the said attempts 14 15 16 Serbia and the Monarchy in the 19th Century 17 18 The status of Serbia was defined during the 19th century. Until the 19 Uprising against Ottoman rule in 1804, Serbs did not enjoy any kind of 20 autonomy. The rebel state and later the autonomous principality was 21 established in the Belgrade Pashalik, previously a military-administrative 22 territory at the Northern border of the Ottoman Empire, and had the same status 23 as other pashaliks. 1 During the First Serbian Uprising (1804-1813) the 24 Belgrade Pashalik and some neighbouring territories were united together in a 25 revolutionary state 2 in which ahereditary monarchy was established. Black 26 George (Karadjordje Petrovich3), the leader of the First Serbian Uprising, thus 27 became the first monarch of modern Serbia. 28 Defined by the constitutional laws in 1808 and 1811, the post of the 29 modern Serbian monarch was not overwhelmingly influenced from abroad – 30 even including from Russia, which was a protector of the Serbian uprising.4 31 The institution of monarchy, however,was abolished after the uprising had 32 failed. The later autonomy of Serbia - instigated following the victory of the 33 Holy Alliance (which was spearheaded by Russia) and the Second Serbian 34 Uprising (1815) – was, however, based on the ideas of the uprising as well as 35 on the concepts defined during the last decade of the 18th century. The 36 foundation of the autonomy –based on experiences following the long 37 negotiations which coincided with the Greek War for Independence, the 38 internationalisation of the Eastern Question and the imposing of the reforms to 39 the Ottoman Empire - was the institution of the monarch as the chief of state. 1Roger Viers Paxton, Russia and the First Serbian Revolution: A Diplomatic and Political Study. The Initial Phase, 1804–1807, (Stanford University: Stanford 1968), 11-13. 2Wayne S. Vucinich, The First Serbian Uprising, 1804–1813, (Social Science Monographs, Brooklyn College Press, 1982), 21-27 3(Karadjordje Petrovich, KaraĊorĊe Petrović, Карађорђе Петровић). 4Miloš Blagojević, "Arhiepiskop Sava - vožd otaĉastva". u: Ćirković S. [ur.] Sveti Sava u srpskoj istoriji i tradiciji - Međunarodni naučni skup, (SANU: Beograd, 1998), 64-73. 1 2021-4234-HIS – 04 MAY 2021 1 The autonomy of the Serbian Principality that had been defined by the 2 Sultans hatti-sherifs decreed from 1829 to 1838, had the institution of Prince as 3 its main pillar. Since 1830, the Obrenovich5 dynasty was established6 and its 4 ruling members carried the title of prince. 5 The principality of Serbia thus had two dynasties - the ruling and 6 pretending one- which fought over the throne until 1903. 7 8 9 National Dynasties, Foreign Candidates 10 11 Except for Serbia, all other nations in the Balkans in the 19th century were 12 ruled by foreign dynasties. 13 From 1832, Greece was ruled by the Wittelsbach dynasty, and 30 years 14 later by the Glücksburgdynasty7. Following the unification of Wallachia and 15 Moldavia, the rule of elected princes from the ranks of the Constantinople 16 Phanariots was abolished. Initially, the Romanian AlexandruIoanCuza was the 17 ruler, but was toppled in the 1860s and replaced by Prince Karl of 18 Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 8 The autonomous Bulgarian principality was 19 founded following the 1878 Congress in Berlin, and ruled by Alexander of 20 Battenberg, who was replaced several years later due to his support for the 21 Plovdiv Coup. He was succeededby Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 22 Even in Albania, which was proclaimedas an independent state in 1912, 23 Wilhelm of Wied was erected as its prince. 24 Therefore, out of the six national states established in the Balkans, four 25 had foreign dynasties and only two – which were, at the time, predominantly 26 inhabited by Serbs – had their own. The reasons for this are not explicitly 27 explained in historiography. 28 Placing national candidates on the thrones of the other four states was not 29 rejected in principle. AlexandruIoanCuza thus became the first ruler of the 30 united Romanian state, while the first head of modern Greece was a Russian 31 diplomat of Greek origins - IoannisAntoniosKapodistrias. He was the 32 "governor" of Greece, which at its beginnings was classified as a republic. 33 Kapodistrias remained at that post for less than four years (1828-1831) when 34 was assassinated. He was succeeded by his brother Augustinos Kapodistrias 35 who managed to sustain the “first republic” for another six months. 36 The international status of those states was also not an issue. The 37 Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha would rule as the 38 Ottoman tributaries for decades. The latter would, together with the title of 5(The Obrenovich, Obrenovići, Обреновићи). 6'Obrenović dynasty, Serbian family', Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/ topic/Obrenovic-dynasty, (visted on 21 April 2021). 7John Van der Kiste, Kings of the Hellenes, (Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1994), 9-13. 8Carol I or Charles I of Romania (20 April 1839 – 27 September [O.S. 10 October] 1914). see. Keith Hitchins, Rumania 1866–1947 (Oxford University Press, 1994), 31-37. 2 2021-4234-HIS – 04 MAY 2021 1 prince of autonomous Bulgaria, bear the post of sultan's general-governor of 2 the Autonomous Province of Eastern Rumelia. 3 Curiously, only German princes were brought as rulers of the Balkan 4 thrones during the 19th century. It is believed that the reasoning behind this was 5 that just princes of the former Holy Roman Empire were perceived as fit and 6 deserving to wear the crowns of “newly” established states. 7 There are two possible reasons why this was never the case in Serbia and 8 Montenegro. The first lies in the interests of the Habsburg monarchy. The 9 second comes down to the fact that Serbia was – in name - included in the title 10 of the Hapsburg monarch. In 1914 the title read: 11 Seine Kaiserliche und KöniglicheApostolischeMajestätvonGottes Gnaden 12 Kaiser von Österreich;König von Ungarn und Böhmen, von Dalmatien, 13 Kroatien, Slawonien, Galizien, Lodomerien und Illyrien;König von Jerusalem 14 etc.;Erzherzog von Österreich;Großherzog von Toskana und Krakau;Herzog 15 von Lothringen, von Salzburg, Steyer, Kärnten, Krain und der Bukowina; 16 Großfürst von Siebenbürgen, Markgraf von Mähren; Herzog von Ober- und 17 Niederschlesien, von Modena, Parma, Piacenza und Guastalla, von Auschwitz 18 und Zator, von Teschen, Friaul, Ragusa und Zara;Gefürsteter Graf von 19 Habsburg und Tirol, von Kyburg, Görz und Gradisca;Fürst von Trient und 20 Brixen;Markgraf von Ober- und Niederlausitz und in Istrien;Graf von 21 Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg etc.;Herr von Triest, von Cattaro 22 und auf der WindischenMark;Großwojwode der WoiwodschaftSerbienetc., etc9 23 In English: 24 25 His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty,By the Grace of 26 God Emperor of Austria,King of 27 Hungary and Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria and Ill 28 yria; 29 King of Jerusalem, etc.;Archduke of Austria;Grand Duke of 30 Tuscany and Cracow; 31 Duke of Lorraine, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and Bukovina;Grand 32 Prince of Transylvania, Margrave of Moravia;Duke of Upper and Lower 33 Silesia, of Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, of Auschwitz and Zator, 34 of Teschen, Friaul, Ragusa and Zara;Princely Count of Habsburg and Tyrol, 35 of Kyburg, Gorizia and Gradisca;Prince of Trento and Brixen;Margrave of 36 Upper and Lower Lusatia and in Istria;Count of 37 Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg etc.; 38 Lord of Trieste, of Cattaro and on the Windic March;Grand Voivode of the 39 Voivodeship of Serbiaetc., etc. 40 41 This title, therefore, also included the ruling rights over Serbia. The 42 Austrian Archduke, who was until 1806 also the Emperor, since 1527 had the 9J. H. W. Verzijl, International Law in Historical Perspective, Volume VI: Juridical Facts as Sources of International Rights and Obligations, (Leiden: A. W. Sijthoff, 1973), 173. 3 2021-4234-HIS – 04 MAY 2021 1 title of the king of Hungary which also included Serbia. During the 15th century 2 this title read (*in English): 3 "By the grace of God, king of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, 4 Rama, Serbia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Romania, and Bulgaria, Duke of Silesia and 5 Luxemburg and Margrave of Moravia and Lusatia, for the everlasting memory 6 of the matter. It is fitting that kings and princes who by heavenly decree are 7 placed at the summit of the highest office, be adorned not only by arms but also 8 by laws and that the people subjected to them, as well as the reins of authority, 9 are restrained by the strength of good and stable institutions rather than by the 10 harshness of absolute power and reprehensible abuse."10 11 Following the Revolutions of 1848, the revolutionary government in 12 Hungary denied any political rights to Serbs who lived in the southern parts of 13 the realm.