The Austro-Serbian Convention of 1881 was a secret

bilateral treaty A bilateral treaty (also called a bipartite treaty) is a treaty strictly between two subjects of public international law, generally either sovereign states or international organisations established by treaty. It is an agreement made by negotiat ...

that was signed in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

on 28 June 1881 by Gabriel Freiherr Herbert-Rathkeal on behalf of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

and by

Čedomilj Mijatović Count Čedomilj Mijatović ( sr-Cyrl, Чедомиљ Мијатовић; 17 October 1842 – May 14, 1932) was a Serbian statesman, economist, historian, writer and diplomat. Mijatović served as the Ministry of Finance (Serbia), Minister of Fi ...

″Austro-ugarsko-srpska tajna konvencija g. 1881.″ //

Hrvatska Enciklopedija The ''Croatian Encyclopedia'' () is a Croatian general encyclopedia (with the national component), published in 1999–2009 by the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography. Overview The project began in 1999, and it represents a fifth itera ...

, Zagreb: Naklada Konzorcija Hrvatske Enciklopedije (

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

), 1941, Vol. I, p. 784. on behalf of the

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia () was an autonomous, later sovereign state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was negotiated first through an unwritten agre ...

. The convention effectively turned Serbia into a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...

state of Austria-Hungary, which meant its accession by proxy to the subsequent

Triple Alliance (1882) The Triple Alliance was a defensive military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. It was formed on 20 May 1882 and renewed periodically until it expired in 1915 during World War I. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been closel ...

. Serbia then received Austrian support during the

Serbo-Bulgarian War The Serbo-Bulgarian War or the Serbian–Bulgarian War (, ''Srăbsko-bălgarska voyna'', , ''Srpsko-bugarski rat''), a war between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Principality of Bulgaria, erupted on and lasted until . Despite Bulgaria's statu ...

. The

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with 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 throug ...

had been divided into spheres of influence, with Austria taking the western part (including Serbia) and

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

taking the eastern part (including

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

). The treaty came after the railway convention of 6 April 1881 for the construction of the

–

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...

section of the

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

–

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

railway, and the trade treaty of 6 May 1881 which made Austria-Hungary virtually the sole market for agricultural products from Serbia and thereby dominant. After the

Treaty of Berlin (1878) The Treaty of Berlin (formally the Treaty between Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire for the Settlement of Affairs in the East) was signed on 13 July 1878. In the aftermath of the R ...

, Serbia chose to accept Austria as its patron since Russia had become a protector of Bulgaria. Nevertheless, the conclusion of the convention was met with resentment and opposition from Russophile sections of the political class in Serbia, including opposition on the part of the Prime Minister

Milan Piroćanac Milan Piroćanac ( sr-cyr, Милан Пироћанац; 7 January 1837 – 1 March 1897) was a Serbian jurist, politician, Prime Minister and the leader and founder of the Serbian Progressive Party (historical), Progressive Party. Early life ...

. Under the treaty, Austria-Hungary pledged to support the Obrenović dynasty, recognised the Serbian prince as king and acknowledged Serbia's southward territorial claims. In return, Serbia undertook not to allow any agitation or military activity inimical to Austro-Hungarian interests, which notably included those in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and

Sanjak of Novi Pazar The Sanjak of Novi Pazar (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Novopazarski sandžak, Новопазарски санџак; ) was an Ottoman sanjak (second-level administrative unit) that was created in 1865. It was reorganized in 1880 and 1902. The Ottoman rule ...

, and all foreign treaties of Serbia were to obtain

's prior approval.

References

Sources

* * * * * 1881 treaties Treaties of Austria-Hungary Treaties of the Principality of Serbia Military alliances involving Austria Military alliances involving Serbia 19th century in Austria-Hungary 19th century in Serbia Austria-Hungary–Serbia relations Economy of the Kingdom of Serbia {{Treaty-stub

See also

References

Sources