How did the Serbian revolution start?

Answer 1

Serbian revolution is somehow a tentative term, usually describing wars and diplomatic efforts towards independence from Ottoman (and other foreign) rule in 19. century. It is, however, also a revolution, because a political system has been changed from apsolutism and feudalism, towards parliamentary monarchy and capitalism.

Although there are some disagreements between historians about its end (some of them even place it in 1918, after WWI is concluded, others in 1815, most of them in 1878 when the Berlin Congress was held), the beginning is very precise: February 15, 1804, and that date is today celebrated as a National day in Serbia. However, its background dates back some century prior to it: some two and a half centuries after losing their independence (in 15th century) Serbs massively migrated from Smederevo Sandzak, popularly known as Belgrade Pashaluk, to southern Hungarian provinces of Syrmia, Banat and Backa. This was a part of Habsburg strategy for defending its own borders from Ottomans and other enemies. Some two centuries later, after WWI, these territories populated by Serbs were ceeded to Yugoslavia, and today, they form the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.

However, in 18th century, southern Hungary was a base for all military actions against the Ottomans, most notably, the Belgrade region has been temporarly taken by Habsburgs in the first half of century, and in the 1790s, most of what is today Serbia was occupied by so called "Freikorps", comprised mostly of Serbs. However, Vienna Government gave up the occupation, and their forces withdrew. Some of "Freikorps" soldiers, however, remained in Belgrade Pashaluk (including the later leader of the First Uprising, Djordje Petrovic- Karadjordje). Soon, sultan decided to gain some sympathies from Serbs, so he named mild and liberal Hadzi-Mustapha Pasha to be the administrator of Belgrade Pashaluk. The idea paid off, Serbs were soothed. However, soon, janisseries in the Pashaluk rised up against sultan. Serbs, fighting along side with Ottoman forces, lost this battle, and soon, janissaries established their own Government in Belgrade Pashaluk: years of despotism have begun.

At the very begenning of their rule, Serbs did have some political autonomy: their local leaders, so called knezovi(this term could be translated as "dukes", although in Serbian language, it evolved to aristocratic title much later) were allowed to collect the taxes, in order to avoid unpleasant meetings between two nations. Turkish population remained in cities, Serbian in villages. However, the number of road-rebels and incidents became pretty large, and Janissary leadership, so called Dahijebecame well awared that national rebellion might errupt. In the autumn and winter of 1803, they decided to act preventively, and ordered a massacre of dukes ("seča knezova"), to break the Serbian moral. Those leaders that survived this massacre (including Karadjordje, who managed to kill his executors) gathered on February 15th, 1804 in the village of Orašac (in what is today Šumadija region) and decided to rise against janissaries. Karadjordje was elected for a leader. Already on February 16th, rebels attacked the janissary posts in all nearby villages, and in a matter of days, Dahije were well aware of the size of rebellion.

Fast as a forest fire, the uprising widened throughout whole Belgrade Pashaluk. At the end of 1804, dahije tried to escape, but they were captured and executed.

At first, the uprising was accepted with symphaties in Istanbul, because Serbs fought only against rebellious janissaries, however, when sultan sent his troops led with Hafis-pasha to take the control, Serbs resisted and killed pasha (in Ivankovac battle). Officially, it became the uprising against the empire and a war for independence. A large battles spread out in 1806. Rebels took Belgrade in 1807, and a cease fire was soon negotiated, as well-known Serbian trader appointed by Karadjordje, Ilija Ičko, visited Istanbul. Russian forces, that were at the war with Ottomans at that time, entered eastern Serbia and established their bases, as well as diplomatic delegation in Belgrade. Some of Serbian intelectuals, that lived outside pashaluk, came to help with the establishment of the national institutions. Despite the cease-fire, Turks continued with sporadic interventions in order to regain Serbia, however, before 1813, it was without much success.

And than, first discords appeared between different Serbian leaders: some were russophilic, some austrophilic, and some, led by Karadjordje, for the full independence. Russians signed a peace agreement with Otomans in 1812, in order to gather troops against Napoleon. This treaty guaranteed the political autonomy of Serbs, however, Turks never showed any sign of will to respect it. Ottoman army surrounded Serbia in 1813, and after only a couple of battles, they regained the control of Belgrade pashaluk. Jihad followed.

Although most of the Uprising leaders were killed, or went to exile (as Karadjordje), as soon as in 1814, the new rebellion broke out, led by a trader Hadži-Prodan. However, people were pacified by one of the former Uprising leaders, Milos Obrenovic, who surrendered to Turks and switched sides. However, already in 1815, Milos (who apperantly played a double-game) switched sides again, and was elected as a leader of Second Serbian Uprising. After only a couple of battles, he initiated negotiations with Ottomans, what resulted with a certain degree of Serbian autonomy, and creation of some kind of dependent monarchy with Milos as a duke. When Karadjordje returned to Serbia in 1817, with the idea of commencing a Third Uprising, Milos ordered his murder. This was condemned by the most Serbs, especially because Karadjordje was Milos`s best man, and this relation has a special place in Serbian tradition. It also opened a century long rivalry between dinasties of Obrenovic and Karadjordjevic (Karadjordje`s descendants), which would end only in 1903, when the Obrenovic royal couple was assasined by officers which were loyal to Karadjordje`s grand son, who immediatly gained the throne.

Diplomacy paid off in decades following the Second uprising, as Serbia became de facto independent in 1867, and internationally recognized in 1878. After Balkan Wars in 1912-13, almost all Serbian historical territories were under a control of this country, and eventually, Serbia became the most important part of Yugoslavia. However, in Yugoslav wars, Balkan region turned to be unstable once again- what is today Serbia is comprised mostly of former Belgrade Pashaluk, only some territories south of it, as well as Vojvodina province in Central Europe (Kosovo is, nevertheless, still claimed by Serbia and contained in its 2006 constitution).