Milan I of Serbia

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Milan I of Serbia : biography

August 22, 1854 – February 11, 1901

Milan Obrenović (Cyrillic: Милан Обреновић; 22 August 1854 – 11 February 1901), was the ruler of Serbia from 1868 to 1889, first as prince (1868-1882) and as king (1882-1889).

King of Serbia (1882–1889)

In 1882, 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. 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 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 and at the Battle of Pirot. Milan’s throne was only saved by the direct intervention of Austria-Hungary. Domestic difficulties now arose which rapidly assumed political significance.

In October 1875, Milan had married Natalija Keşco, the sixteen-year old daughter of Piotrj (Petre) Ivanović Keşco. Keşco (Keshko), a Moldavian boyar, was also a colonel in the Russian army. Keşco’s wife, Pulcheria, was by birth a Sturdza (of the princely Sturdza family). A son, Alexander, was born to Natalija and Milan in 1876, but the king and queen’s relationship showed signs of friction. Milan was anything but a faithful husband, having an affair with most notably Jennie Jerome (wife of Lord Randolph Churchill and mother to Winston Churchill) among others, while Queen Natalija was greatly influenced by Russian sympathies. In 1886, the couple, mismatched both personally and politically, separated.

Natalija withdrew from the kingdom, taking with her the ten-year old Prince Alexander (later King Alexander I). While she was residing at Wiesbaden 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, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne in favor of his son. No satisfactory reason was assigned for this step. Milan settled in Paris as a private individual.

Prince of Serbia (1868–1882)

In 1868, when Milan was only fourteen years of age, Mihailo Obrenović III was assassinated. On suggestion from cabinet minister Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac, underage Milan succeeded Mihailo to the throne under a regency. The regency was a three-man council consisting of Blaznavac, statesman and historian Jovan Ristić, and Gavrilović. Furthermore, prominent Serb nobleman from Dubrovnik, Medo Pucić, was brought to Belgrade to serve as teacher and adviser to the underage prince. On 2 January 1869, the third Serbian constitution, mostly Ristić’s creation, was promulgated.

In 1872, Milan was declared of age, and he took government into his own hands. He soon manifested great intellectual capacity, coupled with a passionate headstrong character. Eugene Schuyler, who saw him about this time, found him a very remarkable, singularly intelligent, and well-informed young man.

Milan carefully balanced the Austrian and Russian parties in Serbia, with a judicious leaning towards Austria-Hungary. At the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878, Prince Milan induced the Porte to acknowledge his independence at the Treaty of Berlin.

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.