Milovan Đ. Milovanović also Milija Milovanović ( sr-cyr, Милован Ђ. Миловановић) (17 February 1863 – 18 June 1912) was a

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

politician, diplomat, writer and constitutional lawyer, who served as 45th Prime Minister of Serbia.

Early life and education

Milovan Đ. Milovanović was born in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

on 17 February 1863 as the second son of Đorđe Milovanović, a renowned judge, former Minister of Justice and member of the State Council (''Državni savet''). Milovanović finished high school in

and went to

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 ...

Law School in 1881, on a state scholarship approved in 1882 by the Minister of Education Stojan Novaković. Milovanović graduated from Paris Law School in 1884 and received a doctorate from the same university in 1888, with the thesis ''Les Traités de garantie au XIXe siècle''. His thesis was awarded the golden medal the same year.

Scholarly career

In February 1888, Dr. Milovanović became a professor at the University of Belgrade's

Law School A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

, which was called the Belgrade Higher School at that time, where he taught state law and constitutionalism. Although young, he was nominated by King Milan Obrenović in 1888 as the secretary of

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

's Constitutional Committee, and travelled to

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

to study their constitutional experience. Milovanović became the Committee's most active member and became renowned for drafting the most liberal of all of Serbia’s constitutions, that of December 1888 (January 1889, new style) which introduced modern parliamentarism, as well various other laws related to the new constitution. Milovanović wrote numerous articles on foreign policy and the national question in various

Radical Radical may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change *Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...

dailies and journals, like ''Echo'' (''Odjek'') and ''Self-Government'' (''Samouprava''), including the influential fortnightly review ''Work'' (''Delo''), that he founded with other radical intellectuals in 1892. Milovanović argued for closer collaboration with

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

and

Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...

with the slogan “

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

to the Balkan nations“, and was an ardent supporter of a Franco-Russian alliance. His genuine idea was to achieve a rapprochement between the Balkan nations followed hopefully by an alliance (between

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, and

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

), that would be linked to the

Entente Entente, meaning a diplomatic "understanding", may refer to a number of agreements: History * Entente (alliance), a type of treaty or military alliance where the signatories promise to consult each other or to cooperate with each other in case o ...

powers and stand firmly against the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

policy of ''Drang nach Osten'' pursued by

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

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Moderate on national standpoints, Milovanović was often accused of accepting compromises, criticized for lack of national fervour towards achieving the sacred goal of Serbian unification.

Political career

Milovanović, at first closer to the Progressive Party, embraced Serbian Radicalism, which, in its moderate form of the 1890s, was quite close to French Radicalism. Milovanović left the

Great School The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-ba ...

in 1891 and joined the National Radical Party. Fired by the Liberals from the Foreign Ministry in 1892, Milovanović ran for member of Parliament in 1893 and was elected. He returned to the Foreign Ministry again in 1893, only to be fired again in 1894, during the era of ”neutral ministries“, under the control of young king

Aleksandar Obrenović 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 Serbian ...

. Milovanović served as Minister of Justice in the Radical cabinet of

Đorđe Simić Đorđe S. Simić (28 February 1843, in Belgrade – 11 October 1921, in Zemun), was a Serbian politician and diplomat. He was twice Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia. Biography Đorđe S. Simić was the son of Stojan Simić and the ...

(17 December 1896 to 11 October 1897, old style), and worked actively in preparing the Compromise (''Ugodba'') with the

(1897) concerning bilateral relations of the two nations. In 1899, for campaigning against the autocratic rule of King

abroad, Milovanović was sentenced, in absentia, to two years in prison. Milovanović returned to

after the King pardoned the exiled Radicals in 1900, and then served shortly as envoy to

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 ...

and eventually became Finance Minister in the governments of Aleksa Jovanović (1900–1901) and

Mihailo Vujić Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило) or Mihajlo () is a Serbian language, Serbian male, masculine given name, a variant of the Hebrew name ''Michael (given name), Michael''. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname. It may refer t ...

(1901–1902). Milovanović was instrumental to drafting the new 1901 constitution promulgated in April (''Aprilski Ustav'') that introduced the Upper chamber of the Serbian National Assembly, as well as laws concerning the economy. He was considered one of the creators of the

Progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

coalition that made possible the formation of the Vujuć government. Milovanović left the Vujić cabinet in May 1902, after failed attempts to ensure a new foreign loan for

. In early 1903 Milovanović was appointed as Serbian envoy to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

where he engaged in wide diplomatic activity in order to increase the role of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

in the reform efforts of the

Great Powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...

in Ottoman-held

Old Serbia Old Serbia ( sr, Стара Србија, Stara Srbija) is a Serbian historiographical term that is used to describe the territory that according to the dominant school of Serbian historiography in the late 19th century formed the core of the S ...

and Macedonia. He stayed in Rome until 1907. In 1907 he represented Serbia at the second

Hague Peace Conference The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 are a series of international treaties and declarations negotiated at two international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands. Along with the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Conventions were amon ...

. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of

Petar Velimirović Petar Velimirović also known as Pera Velimirović (16 January 1848 – 23 December 1911) was a Serbian politician and one of the founders of the People's Radical Party in Serbia. Biography Velimirović was born in Sikole, Negotin. He gradu ...

(7 July 1908 to 11 February 1909, old style). Until his sudden death in June 1912, Milovanović remained in charge of the foreign ministry of Serbia, including the period in 1912 when he was the Prime Minister. As Foreign Minister in the 1909 all-party government of Stojan Novaković (11 February 1909 to 11 October 1909, old style), Milovanović played an important role in the Annexation Crisis provoked by the annexation of Bosnia & Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary proclaimed in October 1908. In contrast to public opinion in Serbia, which resulted in organized public protests against

demanding a war for the liberation of Bosnia, and party leader Nikola Pašić, who was in favour of strong political resistance to the annexation, Milovanović proposed instead territorial compensation to Serbia in the Sanjak of Novi Bazar - an idea that was not accepted by the

. In March 1909 Milovanović visited

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

, asked for support against

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and offered a partition of Slavic-inhabited Macedonia, in order to end the old strife between Serbia and

. On the other hand, the Bulgarians preferred a Slavic Macedonia intact and autonomous, as a first step to a complete annexation of the territory by Bulgaria. Milovanović remained as a foreign minister in the next cabinet led by Nikola Pašić (11 October 1909 to 25 June 1911, old style). After becoming Prime Minister in 1911 (he held the office until 1912), Milovanović crafted the Serbo-Bulgarian alliance (negotiated with Bulgarian Minister Geshov and monitored by Russian diplomats), signed on 13 March 1912 a key bilateral agreement that led to the formation of the Balkan Alliance (Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro) against

Ottoman Turkey 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) ...

. The provisions of the Serbo-Bulgarian alliance called for a joint action against any power (i.e. Austria-Hungary) that might try to “annex, occupy, or event temporarily to invade with its arms” the Ottoman-held Balkan provinces. A secret annex to the treaty of the alliance considered the contested and non-contested zones in Slavic Macedonia, with the contested zone of northwestern Macedonia (the region between the Šar Mountain and Lake Ohrid) left up to the arbitration of the

Russian Emperor The emperor or empress of all the Russias or All Russia, ''Imperator Vserossiyskiy'', ''Imperatritsa Vserossiyskaya'' (often titled Tsar or Tsarina/Tsaritsa) was the monarch of the Russian Empire. The title originated in connection with Russia' ...

, and the uncontested southeastern zone (east of the Lake Ohrd–

Kriva Palanka Kriva Palanka ( mk, Крива Паланка ) is a town located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 14,558 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality which has almost 21,000 inhabitants. ...

line) intended to become part of Bulgaria, free of any Serbian claims. Milovanović died on 18 June 1912, just several months before the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

against the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

that started in October 1912 and led to the liberation of the Balkan nations from Ottoman domination. He was awarded the Russian Order of the White Eagle with brilliants.

Selected works

*''Les Traités de garantie au XIXe siècle'', Paris 1888. *''Naša ustavna reforma (Our Constitutional Reform)'', Begrad 1888. *''Srbi i Hrvati (Serbs and Croats)'', Beograd 1895. *''Srbi i Bugari (Serbs and Bulgarians)'', Beograd 1898. *''Jedan ili dva doma (One or Two Chambers)'', Beograd 1901. *''Državno pravo (State Law)'', Filip Višnjić, Beograd 1997, 310 p.

References

External links