In June 1868, the Prince of Serbian hegemony Michael Obrenovic was assassinated by followers of the Karagiorgis family. The members of the two dynamic houses of Serbian They competed almost throughout the 19th century for sovereignty in the country. As Michael was childless, the grandson of the Serbian leader Milos Obrenovic, Milan, Milan, who was a minor, was the grandson of Serbian prince Milos Obrenovic.
A three -member regent was then formed, consisting of liberal Jovan Ristic, Minister of War Milivoge Blanavac and intellectual Jovan Gavrilovic. The main concern of the Regency was the drafting of a new constitution, which would respond to the liberal spirit of the time.
The new Serbian hegemony Constitution was voted in in 1869. It envisaged the establishment of a parliament (scope), whose members would be elected by the people and ¼ would be selected by the ruler. Parliament exercised the legislative power, while the ruler/prince exercised the executive, in cooperation with the Council of Ministers, which he himself appointed. Although it did not guarantee a lot of freedoms and was characterized as conservative, The Constitution of 1869 was a step towards parliament for Serbia.
Milan’s taking over the hegemony coincided with the change in the correlation of forces in Europe.
Milan became adults in 1872 and took power himself. Having grown up abroad and in particular in Paris, he was not familiar with Serbian reality. In addition, he was unstable as a character, having deeply influenced by the separation of his parents in childhood. Serbia’s taking over the hegemony of him coincided with the change in the correlation of forces in Europe, the marginalization of France and the increase in Russia’s influence on Balkans. Under the pressure of Russia, Serbia did not stand by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the issue of the Bulgarian Exarchate, accepting its establishment on the condition that its jurisdiction would not extend to areas of Old Serbia (Vilayti Kosovo).
During the great eastern crisis of 1875-1878, Serbia was actively involved in developments, declaring war on the Ottoman Empire in 1876. The Serbian army, however, proved to be unprepared to face the renewed after the reforms of the Tanzimat Ottoman army. The Ottomans quickly crossed the counterattack and reached the brink of Belgrade. Their advance was interrupted after Russia’s intervention.
Serbia has turned into a politically economically and therefore political country by Austria.
The Serbian issue was discussed in the work of the Berlin Conference in June-July 1878. Both Serbia and Romania and Montenegro were recognized as independent states. In the years after the Berlin Congress, Serbia turned into an economically and therefore political country by Austria. Vienna absorbed the Serbian agricultural and livestock products, but preventing the development of domestic industry. At the same time, it invested in the development of the rail network in Serbia to expand its influence in the wider Balkans. In 1881, Milan signed a ten-year secret contract with Austria-Hungary, according to which Vienna would support Serbian claims in Macedonia in return for their resignation from the Bosnia-Herzegovina claim.
On March 6, 1882, Milan received the title of King and Serbia, now independent, became a kingdom. Milan ruled authoritarian, with the allies mainly the pro -Austrian progressive party and the liberal party, which were founded only in 1881. The greatest influence on society, however, had the Radical Party of Nikola Pasic, which was criticized. The king was forced to grant a new Constitution in 1888 and shortly thereafter resigned from the throne in favor of Alexander’s son.
Column: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poumenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
