Milan Obrenović ( sr-cyr, Милан Обреновић, Milan Obrenović; 22 August 1854 – 11 February 1901) reigned as the
prince of Serbia
This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia.
The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knyaz ...
from 1868 to 1882 and subsequently as
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
from 1882 to 1889. Milan I unexpectedly abdicated in favor of his son,
Alexander I of Serbia
Alexander I ( sr-cyr, Александар Обреновић, Aleksandar Obrenović; 14 August 187611 June 1903) reigned as the king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903 when he and his wife, Draga Mašin, were assassinated by a group of Royal Serbia ...
, in 1889.
Early years
Birth and infancy in exile
Milan Obrenović was born in 1854 in
Mărășești
Mărășești () is a small town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It administers six villages: Călimănești, Haret, Modruzeni, Pădureni, Siretu and Tișița.
Geography
The town is located in the eastern part of the county, on th ...
,
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
where his family had lived in exile ever since the 1842 return of the rival
House of Karađorđević
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
to the
Serbian throne when they managed to depose Milan's cousin Prince
Mihailo Obrenović III
Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило) or Mihajlo () is a Serbian masculine given name, a variant of the Hebrew name '' Michael''. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname. It may refer to:
* Mihailo Vojislavljević ( fl. 1050 ...
.
Milan was the son of
Miloš Obrenović
Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Given name
Sportsmen
* Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower
* Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer
* Miloš Budaković, Serbian f ...
(1829–1861) and his Moldavian wife
Marija Obrenović
Elena Maria Catargiu-Obrenović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Елена Марија Катарџи-Обреновић; 1831 Iași – 16 July 1876 or 28 June 1879, Dresden), known in Serbia as Marija Obrenović, was by birth a Moldavian and United Pr ...
, née Elena Maria
Catargiu
The House of Catargiu () is the name of an old and influential Moldavian noble family of the Tupilați region, whose members played important political role in the history of Wallachia, Moldavia and Romania.
Notable members
* Alexandru Ștefa ...
. Milan's paternal grandfather (Miloš's father) was
Jevrem Obrenović
Prince Jevrem Teodorović Obrenović (18 March 1790 - 20 September 1856) was a Serbian politician and revolutionary. He was the younger brother of Prince Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia, the founder of the Obrenović dynasty.
Early life
Jevrem' ...
(1790–1856), brother of
Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia
Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Given name
Sportsmen
* Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower
* Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer
* Miloš Budaković, Serbian f ...
. Milan was therefore Prince Miloš's grandnephew. He had only one sibling — sister Tomanija.
Shortly after Milan's birth, his parents divorced. Several years later on 20 November 1861, at the age of seven, Milan's father Miloš died fighting the Turks near
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
as a foreign mercenary in the Romanian Army, meaning that his mother Marija got a legal custody. Marija, however, lived a lavish aristocratic lifestyle, soon becoming Romanian ruler
Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (Ruler) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as prince of Moldavia on 5 Januar ...
's mistress and bearing him two sons —
Alexandru Al. Ioan Cuza (nicknamed Sașa) and Dimitrie. As a result, she showed little interest in her children from the previous marriage with Miloš. Therefore, an agreement was reached for young Milan to get legally adopted by his cousin
Mihailo Obrenović
Prince Mihailo Obrenović III of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Михаило Обреновић, Mihailo Obrenović; 16 September 1823 – 10 June 1868) was the ruling Principality of Serbia, Prince of Serbia from 1839 to 1842 and again from 1860 to 1868. ...
, who in the meantime, following the 1858 expulsion of the
Karađorđevićs, had returned to Serbia where he became the ruling prince in 1860.
Arriving in Serbia
Milan was brought to
Kragujevac
Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Serbia, and is situated on ...
by Prince Mihailo Obrenović III who also arranged for a
governess
A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...
to raise the youngster. Decades later, once Milan became a king, details of his mother's personal life were often used by his political opponents, notably
People's Radical Party
The People's Radical Party ( sr, Народна радикална странка, Narodna radikalna stranka, abbr. НРС or NRS) was the dominant ruling party of Kingdom of Serbia and later Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from the l ...
(NRS) leader
Stojan Protić
Stojan Protić ( sr-cyrl, Стојан Протић; 28 January 1857 – 28 October 1923) was a Serbian politician and writer. He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes between 1918 and 1919, and again in 1920, ...
who went as far as making an untrue accusation in his paper ''Samouprava'' that King Milan's father is actually Alexandru Ioan Cuza, referring to King Milan pejoratively as Kuzić instead of Obrenović.
After bringing his nephew to Serbia, Prince Mihailo also took care of the youngster's education, sending him to
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (), also referred to simply as Louis-le-Grand or by its acronym LLG, is a public Lycée (French secondary school, also known as sixth form college) located on rue Saint-Jacques in central Paris. It was founded in the ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
where young Milan reportedly displayed considerable maturity.
Prince of Serbia (1868–1882)
![KraljMilanObrenovic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/KraljMilanObrenovic.jpg)
On 10 June 1868, when Milan was only fourteen years of age, Prince Mihailo Obrenović III was assassinated. As the late prince did not have any male heirs, the question of who was to succeed him on the Serbian throne became a pressing one. In the post-assassination chaos and the resulting power vacuum, influential senior statesman
Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin ( sr-cyr, Илија Гарашанин; 28 January 1812 – 22 June 1874) was a Serbian statesman who served as the prime minister of Serbia between 1852 and 1853 and again from 1861 to 1867.
Ilija Garašanin was conservati ...
re-emerged in Serbian political life, despite only eight months earlier being removed by the late prince from the post of
Prime Minister of Serbia
The prime minister of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, премијерка Србије, premijerka Srbije; masculine: премијер/premijer), officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, председница Влад ...
and replaced with
Jovan Ristić
Jovan Ristić ( sr-Cyr, Јован Ристић; 16 January 1831 – 4 September 1899) was a Serbian politician, diplomat and historian.
Biography
Born at Kragujevac, he was educated at Belgrade, Heidelberg, Berlin and Paris. After failing to ob ...
. While consolidating forces within the state to prevent the conspirators from taking over the power, Garašanin also reportedly contemplated solving the throne issue by starting a third royal dynasty. General political consensus was that the new ruler should be selected by the Visoka narodna skupština (Grand National Assembly). However, cabinet minister
Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac
General Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac (16 May 1824, in Blaznava – 5 April 1873, in Belgrade) was Serbian soldier and politician who served as the president of the ministry of Serbia from 1872 to 1873.
Biography
Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac fin ...
was rapidly increasing his power and influence. He had managed to consolidate his control over the army and stage a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
. So when Blaznavac suggested the young Milan as the successor to Prince Mihailo, Garašanin had no choice but to yield to the more powerful authority.
Regency of Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac
As Milan was still underage to rule on his own, a regency was established to rule in Milan's name. The three-man council was headed by Blaznavac. Statesman and historian Jovan Ristić and
Jovan Gavrilović, a politician and historian from a wealthy merchant family rounded out the trio.
Young Milan was brought back to Serbia from Paris and enthroned in front of the Topčider assembly while the Blaznavac-controlled army surrounded the building just in case. Furthermore, prominent Serb
nobleman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...
from
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
,
Medo Pucić
Orsat "Medo" Pucić, ( it, Orsatto Pozza, ; 12 March 1821 – 30 June 1882) was a Republic of Ragusa, Ragusan writer and an important member of the Catholic Serbs, Catholic Serb movement.
Biography
Orsat Pucić was born on in Dubrovnik, then in ...
, was brought to Belgrade to serve as teacher and adviser to the prince.
Under Blaznavac's tutelage, both personally and politically, the prince deferred to the head of the regency council in all matters of state. Prince Milan did not benefit from a large inheritance from his wealthy family as all of Prince Mihailo's vast property went to Mihailo's sisters (Prince Miloš's daughters) Petrija's and Savka's children.
[Milan i Artemiza](_blank)
''Vreme'', 26 March 2009 The only property young Prince Milan did inherit was his late father's compound in Mărășești that had an overwhelming amount of debt associated with it.
On 2 January 1869, the third Serbian constitution, mostly Ristić's creation, was promulgated.
In 1871, the prince faced two separate incidents although it is unclear as to whether these were genuine attempts on his life. In May as he exited the
National Theatre building, a bomb exploded a couple of hundred metres away on
Terazije
Terazije ( sr-Cyrl, Теразијe) is the central town square and the surrounding neighborhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Stari Grad.
Today, Terazije has primarily function of the main transit square, surrounded ...
. Buried under a footpath, the exploded device didn't cause anyone injuries. At the time and there was speculation in Serbia that it was Blaznavac who had organised the explosion in order to scare and confuse the young prince who was nearing his
age of majority
The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...
into remaining reliant on Blaznavac. The event became known as the (Terazije Bomb) in the Serbian historiography.
![Kralj Milan I Obrenović 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Kralj_Milan_I_Obrenovi%C4%87_05.jpg)
Several months later, on 6 October, Prince Milan was involved in another incident, this time during a visit to
Smederevo
Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
According to ...
. At some point, he went to an
outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet, but other forms of dry toilet, dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered. The term may als ...
to relieve himself and while above the pit toilet, the wooden floor caved in under his weight and he fell into the pit. As he was armed at the time, the prince began shooting from his pistol in order get the attention of his entourage who rescued him. Historical accounts of the nature of this event differ. Historian
Slobodan Jovanović
Slobodan Jovanović ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Јовановић; 3 December 1869 – 12 December 1958) was a Serbian and Yugoslav writer, historian, lawyer, philosopher, literary critic, diplomat, politician and one of the most prominent int ...
thinks the occurrence was "likely coincidental".
[Kralj umalo doživeo bizaran kraj](_blank)
''Blic'', 31 October 2010 On the other hand, historian Leontije Pavlović in his book ''Smederevo u XIX veku'' (Smederevo in the Nineteenth Century) states the conspirators doused the wooden floor with
nitric acid
Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...
that ate away at the planks. However, these claims couldn't be confirmed as he based them on an item from the historical archives that has since disappeared.
The entire episode is known as the (double meaning: The Smederevo Furniture or the Smederevo Setup).
Prince reaches the age of majority
On 22 August 1872, Milan was declared of age, and he took government into his own hands. He soon demonstrated great intellectual capacity, coupled with a passionate headstrong character.
Eugene Schuyler
Eugene Schuyler (February 26, 1840 – July 16, 1890) was a nineteenth-century American scholar, writer, explorer and diplomat. Schuyler was one of the first three Americans to earn a Ph.D. from an American university; and the first American tra ...
, who observed him about this time, found him to be a very remarkable, singularly intelligent and well-informed young man. The Principality of Serbia was still a ''de jure'' part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
though in reality it already had long functioned as a semi-independent state whose politics and economy was much more dependent on other Great Powers, particularly
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
and
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, than on its formal ruler, the declining Ottomans. Milan carefully manoeuvred between the
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
and
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
geopolitical interests in Serbia, with a judicious leaning towards the former.
When Serbs from the neighbouring
Bosnia Vilayet (also part of the Ottoman Empire though a lot more integrated and loyal one due to its large Muslim population) began an
uprising
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
in July 1875 on the outskirts of
Nevesinje
Nevesinje ( sr-cyrl, Невесиње) is a town and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,162 inhabitants, while the municipality has 12,961 inhabitants.
Geograp ...
, protesting the tax system as well as harsh treatment under local
bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
s and
aghas
Agha ( tr, ağa; ota, آغا; fa, آقا, āghā; "chief, master, lord") is an honorific title for a civilian or officer, or often part of such title. In the Ottoman times, some court functionaries and leaders of organizations like bazaar or ...
, Prince Milan condemned the uprising and refused to take part in it. The rival House of Karađorđević, whose members lived in exile across Europe, had a different approach, taking part in organising and implementing the uprising. Their actions included the 31-year-old
Petar Karađorđević going to the Herzegovina region in order to fight under the pseudonym Petar Mrkonjić. As the uprising grew, spreading to the rest of Herzegovina and soon engulfing the entire Bosnia Vilayet, domestic pressure in the Serbian principality increased on young Prince Milan to help his Serb brethren.
Marriage
![King Milan and Queen Natalie of Serbia with their son, Prince Alexander297525-1340965335](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/King_Milan_and_Queen_Natalie_of_Serbia_with_their_son%2C_Prince_Alexander297525-1340965335.jpg)
Milan married
Natalie Keschko on at the
St. Michael's Cathedral, Belgrade
The Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel ( sr-Cyrl, Саборна Црква Св. Архангела Михаила, Saborna Crkva Sv. Arhangela Mihaila) is a Serbian Orthodox cathedral church in the centre of Belgrade, Serbia, situat ...
, Serbia. Natalie, sixteen years of age, was the daughter of
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
n nobleman Petre Ivanovich
Keschko, who served as a
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in
Russian Imperial Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
. Natalie's mother, Pulcheria, was by birth Princess
Sturdza
The House of Sturdza, Sturza or Stourdza is the name of an old Moldavian noble family, whose origins can be traced back to the 1540s and whose members played important political role in the history of Moldavia, Russia and later Romania.
Political ...
, meaning that the couple were fairly close second cousins because Milan's mother Elena and Natalie's father Petre were the children of two sisters, meaning that Milan and Natalija shared a set of great-grandparents.
This relation meant that their marriage had to be specifically approved by the church, namely Metropolitan Mihailo Jovanović, the
Metropolitan of Belgrade
The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
, however, this wasn't done.
A son,
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, was born to Natalija and Milan in 1876, but their relationship showed signs of friction right from the start.
At the end of the
Serbo-Turkish War (1876–78) The term Serbian-Turkish War or Serbian-Ottoman War may refer to:
* Serbian-Turkish War (1371)
* Serbian-Turkish War (1389)
* Serbian-Turkish War (1804-1813)
* Serbian-Turkish War (1815)
* Serbian-Turkish War (1876-1877)
* Serbian-Turkish War (187 ...
, Europe's powers induced the
Porte
Porte may refer to:
*Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire
*Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy
*John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator
*Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...
to acknowledge Serbian independence at the
Treaty of Berlin.
King of Serbia (1882–1889)
On 6 March 1882, Principality of Serbia was declared a kingdom and Milan was proclaimed King of Serbia.
Acting under Austrian influence, King Milan devoted all his energies to the improvement of the means of communication and the development of natural resources. However, the cost of this, unduly increased by reckless extravagance, led to disproportionately heavy taxation. This, coupled with increased military service, rendered King Milan and the Austrian party unpopular.
![Pecat kralja milana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Pecat_kralja_milana.jpg)
Milan's political troubles were further increased by the defeat of the Serbians in the
war against Bulgaria from 1885–1886. In September 1885, the union of
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia ( bg, Източна Румелия, Iztochna Rumeliya; ota, , Rumeli-i Şarkî; el, Ανατολική Ρωμυλία, Anatoliki Romylia) was an autonomous province (''oblast'' in Bulgarian, ''vilayet'' in Turkish) in the Otto ...
and Bulgaria caused widespread agitation in Serbia. Milan promptly declared war upon the new Bulgarian state on 15 November. After a short, decisive campaign, the Serbs were utterly routed at the
Battle of Slivnitsa
The Battle of Slivnitsa ( bg, Битка при Сливница, sr, Битка на Сливници) was a victory of the Bulgarian army over the Serbians on 17–19 November 1885 in the Serbo-Bulgarian War. It solidified the unification ...
and at the
Battle of Pirot
The Battle of Pirot ( bg, Битка при Пирот sr, Битка код Пирота) took place during the Serbo-Bulgarian War between the 26th and 27 November, 1885 near the town of Pirot, Serbia.The battle opposed the Bulgarian Western ...
. Milan's throne was only saved by the direct intervention of Austria-Hungary. Domestic difficulties now arose which rapidly assumed political significance.
In his personal life, Milan was anything but a faithful husband, having an affair with most notably
Jennie Jerome
Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Early ...
(wife of
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. Churchill was a Tory radical and coined the term 'Tory democracy'. He inspired a generation of party managers, created the National Union of ...
and mother to
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
) among others, while Queen Natalija was greatly influenced by Russian sympathies. In 1886, the couple, mismatched both personally and politically, separated after eleven years of marriage.
Natalija withdrew from the kingdom, taking with her the ten-year-old Prince Alexander (later King Alexander I). While she was residing at
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
in 1888, King Milan succeeded in recovering the crown prince, whom he undertook to educate. In reply to the queen's remonstrances, Milan exerted considerable pressure upon the metropolitan, and procured a divorce, which was afterwards annulled as illegal. King Milan now seemed master of the situation.
On 3 January 1889, Milan adopted a new constitution much more liberal than the existing one of 1869. Two months later, on 6 March, thirty-four-year-old Milan suddenly abdicated the throne, handing it over to his twelve-year-old son. No satisfactory reason was assigned for this step. Milan settled in Paris as a private individual.
In 2020 a number of letters written in French by king Milan were discovered. In the letter Milan I of Serbia advised his son how to rule and gave critical comments on political figures of his time, such as PM
Nikola Pašić
Nikola Pašić ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Пашић, ; 18 December 1845 – 10 December 1926) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat who was a leading political figure for almost 40 years. He was the leader of the People's Radical P ...
.
Post-monarchical role
In February 1891, a Radical ministry was formed. Queen Natalija and the ex-Metropolitan Mihailo returned to Belgrade, and Austrian influence began to give way to Russian. Fear of a revolution and of King Milan's return led to a compromise, by which, in May 1891, the queen was expelled, and Milan was allowed a million francs from the civil list, on condition of not returning to Serbia during his son's minority.
In March 1892, Milan renounced all his rights and even his Serbian nationality. The situation altered dramatically, however, after the young Alexander I had effected his ''
coup d'etat'' and taken government into his own hands in April 1893. Serbian politics began to grow more complicated, and Russian influence was rife. In January 1894, Milan suddenly appeared in Belgrade, and his son gladly welcomed his experience and advice.
![Grob kralja Milana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Grob_kralja_Milana.jpg)
On 29 April, a royal decree reinstated Milan and Natalija, who in the meantime had become ostensibly reconciled, in their position as members of the royal family. On 21 May, the constitution of 1869 was restored, and Milan continued to exercise considerable influence over his son. The queen, who had been residing chiefly at
Biarritz
Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...
, returned to Belgrade in May 1895, after four years of absence, and was greeted by the populace with great enthusiasm. At this, the ex-king again left the country.
After reconciliation with his son, Milan returned to Serbia in 1897, to be appointed as commander-in-chief of the Serbian army. In this capacity he did some of the best work of his life, and his success in improving the Serbian military system was very marked. His relations with the young king also remained good for a time. The Serbian pro-Democratic opposition blamed him for the increasingly authoritarian rule of the young King, and a member of the Radical Party attempted to kill him on 6 July 1899 (24 June OS), on the Orthodox holiday of Ivanjdan (Birth of St. John the Baptist).
The good relations between father and son were interrupted, however, by the latter's marriage to
Draga Mašin
Draginja "Draga" Obrenović ( sr-cyr, Драгиња "Драга" Обреновић; 11 September 1867 – ), formerly Mašin (Машин), was the Queen consort of Serbia as the wife of King Aleksandar Obrenović. She was formerly a lady-in-wa ...
in July 1900. Milan opposed the match to the point that he resigned his post as commander-in-chief. Alexander subsequently banished Milan from Serbia. Milan left Serbia to
Karlsbad, then to
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
and finally retired to
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. On 11 February 1901, Milan died unexpectedly. He was buried in
Krušedol monastery
The Krušedol Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Крушедол, Manastir Krušedol, ) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on the Fruška Gora mountain in the Syrmia region, northern Serbia, in the province of Vojvodina. The monastery is the lega ...
, next to his grandaunt Princess Ljubica, Prince Miloš's wife.
Honours
He received the following orders and decorations:
In popular culture
*In 1983 film ''
Timok Rebellion
The Timok Rebellion ( sh, Timočka buna; ro, Răscoala Timoceană) was a popular uprising that began in eastern Serbia (now the region of the Timok Valley) on 28 September 1883, led by the People's Radical Party. It has been called the most impor ...
'', Milan I was portrayed by actor Danilo Lazović.
*In 1995
TV miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''
The End of Obrenović Dynasty'', Milan I was portrayed by actor
Aleksandar Berček
Aleksandar Berček ( sr-cyr, Александар Берчек; born 4 September 1950) is a Serbian actor. He performed in more than one hundred films since 1971. He graduated at the Academy for theater, film, radio and television. He was the dir ...
.
*In 2003 TV film ''Ilka'', Milan I was portrayed by actor Ljubomir Bandović.
*In 2008
TV miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''
The Last Audience'', Milan I was portrayed by actor Boris Milojević.
*''
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...
'', a television film based on the biography of Milan I and directed by Filip Cholovitch, was produced in 2011 by the Serbian broadcasting service
RTS
RTS may refer to:
Medicine
* Rape trauma syndrome, the psychological trauma experienced by a rape victim
* Revised Trauma Score, a system to evaluate injuries secondary to violent trauma
* Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome, a condition characterized by ...
.
[ TV Film]
References
Sources
* , The original source for the text of this article
* Armour, Ian D. "“Like the Lord Lieutenant of a county”: the Habsburg monarchy and Milan Obrenović of Serbia 1868–1881." ''Canadian Slavonic Papers'' 55.3-4 (2013): 305-342
Online* Trivanovitch, Vaso. "Serbia, Russia, and Austria during the Rule of Milan Obrenovich, 1868-78." ''Journal of Modern History'' 3.3 (1931): 414-440
Onlineh2>
In other languages
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Milan 01 Of Serbia
1854 births
1901 deaths
People from Mărășești
Obrenović dynasty
Kings of Serbia
Eastern Orthodox monarchs
Eastern Orthodox Christians from Serbia
Serbian people of Romanian descent
Obrenovic IV, Milan
Modern child rulers
Monarchs who abdicated
People of the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni
People of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
Deaths from pneumonia in Austria-Hungary
Burials at Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches
Army general (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Takovo
Grand Crosses of the Order of St. Sava
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
Grand Crosses of the Order of Franz Joseph
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kalākaua
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
2
2
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class