Misplaced Pages

Mihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 11:55, 23 August 2018 editDejvid (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users7,661 editsm →Life in exile: he didn’t← Previous edit Latest revision as of 10:01, 18 December 2024 edit undoPidgeCopetti (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users10,025 editsm Clean-up. 
(267 intermediate revisions by 79 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Prince of Serbia (1839–1842, 1860–1868)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Refimprove|date=April 2009}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox monarch {{Infobox royalty
| native_name = Михаило Обреновић III
| name = Prince Mihajlo Obrenović
| title =
| image = Knez Mihajlo III Obrenovic.jpg | image = Knez Mihajlo III Obrenovic.jpg
| succession = ] | succession = ]
| reign = 8 July 1839 – {{nowrap|14 September 1842}} | reign = 8 July 1839 – 14 September 1842
| predecessor = ] | predecessor = ]
| successor = ] | successor = ]
| reign1 = 26 September 1860 – {{nowrap|10 June 1868}} | reign1 = 26 September 1860 – 10 June 1868
| predecessor1 = ] | predecessor1 = ]
| successor1 = ] | successor1 = ]
Line 16: Line 15:
| father = ] | father = ]
| mother = ] | mother = ]
| issue = ] (illegitimate) <br> ] (adopted)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1823|9|16|df=y}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1823|9|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = ] | birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1868|6|10|1823|9|16|df=y}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1868|6|10|1823|9|16|df=y}}
| death_place = ] | death_place = ], Principality of Serbia
| signature = Mihailo obrenovic signature.jpg | signature = Mihailo obrenovic signature.jpg
| religion = ]
}} }}
'''Mihailo Obrenović''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Михаило Обреновић|Mihailo Obrenović}}; 16 September 1823 – 10 June 1868) was the ruling ] from 1839 to 1842 and again from 1860 to 1868.
{{Infobox royal styles

|image = ]
His first reign ended when he was deposed in 1842, and his second ended when he was assassinated in 1868. He is considered to be a great reformer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arhiva.nedeljnik.rs/velike-price/portalnews/kako-bi-izgledala-srbija-da-je-knez-mihailo-preziveo-atentat/|title=Kako bi izgledala Srbija da je knez Mihailo preživeo atentat|website=Nedeljnik|access-date=December 12, 2019|archive-date=December 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212200443/https://arhiva.nedeljnik.rs/velike-price/portalnews/kako-bi-izgledala-srbija-da-je-knez-mihailo-preziveo-atentat|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the most enlightened ruler of modern Serbia,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cmjp.rs/velimir-teodorovic-obrenovic-zaboravljeni-srpski-princ/|title=Velimir Teodorović Obrenović – zaboravljeni srpski princ|last=Ugrica|first=Luka|date=August 16, 2019|website=CMJP|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.volimsrbiju.com/2019/04/04/knez-mihailo-obrenovic-ubijen-je-u-strasnoj-zasedi-na-kosutnjaku-a-poslednje-sto-je-rekao-bile-su-ove-tri-reci/|title=Knez Mihailo Obrenović UBIJEN je u strašnoj zasedi na Košutnjaku, a poslednje što je rekao bile su OVE TRI REČI|last=VolimSrbiju|website=Volim Srbiju|language=en-US|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> as one of the European ]. He succeeded in negotiating a withdrawal of Ottoman troops from Serbian soil, while retaining certain Serbian ties to Constantinople. He advocated the idea of a ] against the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcns.org.rs/agora/knez-mihailo-obrenovic-tragicni-zatocenik-srpske-drzavotvorne-misli/|title=Кнез Михаило Обреновић - трагични заточеник српске државотворне мисли|date=November 28, 2017|website=Културни центар Новог Сада|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/69464422/Knez-Mihailo-%C4%8Duvar-Balkanske-kapije-feljton-Novosti|title=Knez Mihailo-čuvar Balkanske kapije-feljton Novosti|website=Scribd|language=en|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|royal name = Mihailo Obrenović (III), Prince of Serbia
|dipstyle = ]
|offstyle = Your Serene Highness
|altstyle = Sir
}}
'''Mihailo Obrenović''' ({{lang-sr| Mihajlo Obrenović}}; 16 September 1823 – 10 June 1868) was ] from 1839 to 1842 and again from 1860 to 1868. His first reign ended when he was deposed in 1842, and his second when he was assassinated in 1868. He is considered to be the most enlightened ruler of modern Serbia. He advocated the idea of a ] against the ].


==Early life== ==Early life==
Mihailo was the son of Prince ] (1780–1860) and his wife ] (1788–1843, ]). He was born in ], the second surviving son of the couple. He spent his childhood in Kragujevac, then in Požarevac and Belgrade. Having finished his education in Požarevac, Mihailo left Serbia with his mother to go to Vienna. His elder brother ] was born in 1819 but was frequently in poor health. {{ref|britannica}} Mihailo was the son of ] (1780–1860) and his wife, ] (1788–1843, ]). He was born in ], the second surviving son of the couple. In 1823, he became the first person in Serbia to be ], which took away the lives of three of his siblings: Petar, Marija and Velika.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kragujevacke.rs/DRUSTVO/ISTORIJA-VAKCINACIJA-U-SRBIJI/|title=Prvo vakcinisanje u Kragujevcu}}</ref> He spent his childhood in Kragujevac, then in Požarevac and Belgrade. Having finished his education in Požarevac, Mihailo left Serbia with his mother to go to Vienna. His elder brother by four years, ], born in 1819, was frequently in poor health.{{ref|britannica}}
] members at the first meeting on 8 June 1842.]]


==First reign== ==First reign==
] members at the first meeting on 8 June 1842.]]
]
] (1835-1905), Mihailo's first love]]
Initially, Prince Miloš abdicated in favour of his firstborn Milan Obrenović II, who was by then terminally ill and died after just month of rule. So Mihailo came to the throne as a minor, having been born in 1823, and acclaimed prince on 25 June 1839 upon the abdication of his father and death of his elder brother.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Michael Obrenovich III. |volume=18 |page=360 |first=Chedomille |last=Mijatovich |short=1}}</ref> He was declared of full age the following year. Few thrones appeared more secure, and his rule might have endured throughout his life but for his want of energy and inattention to the signs of the times. In his first reign he showed himself to be a very inexperienced ruler. Mihailo didn’t cope well with the complicated situation in which Serbia found itself at the time.
]
In 1842 his reign came to a halt when he was overthrown by a rebellion led by ], which enabled the ] to take the Serbian throne.
Initially, Prince Miloš abdicated in favour of his firstborn son, Prince Milan Obrenović II, who was by then terminally ill and died after just one month of rule. After the death of his elder brother, Mihailo came to the throne as a minor, having been born in late 1823, and proclaimed prince on 25 June 1839.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Michael Obrenovich III. |volume=18 |page=360 |first=Chedomille |last=Mijatovich |short=1}}</ref> He was declared of full age the following year. Few thrones appeared more secure, and his rule might have endured throughout his life but for his want of energy and inattention to political developments. During his first reign, on 19 November 1841 he has founded ], but his inexperience meant he did not cope well with some other important challenges Serbia faced.
On 14 September 1842, his reign was ended by a rebellion led by ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prviprvinaskali.com/clanci/recju/autori-i-izdanja-kragujevca/gospodar-vucic-1842-sa-metinog-brda-bombardovao-kragujevac.html|title=Gospodar Vučić 1842. sa Metinog Brda bombardovao Kragujevac|website=Prvi Prvi na Skali|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> which enabled the ] to assume power and stay on the throne for another sixteen years.


==Life in exile== == Life in exile, forbidden love, marriage==
After the overthrow, Prince Mihailo withdrew from Serbia with around one thousand of his sympathizers across Sava and Danube. His destiny was decided by Austria and Turkey. Prince Mihailo was directed to the estate of his sister Savka Nikolić, while Princess Ljubica was sent to Novi Sad. She died there in 1843. Mihailo organized her burial at Krušedolo monastery. After the overthrow, Prince Mihailo withdrew from Serbia across the rivers of ] and ] with around one thousand of his adherents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://srbskenovine.com/knez-mihailo-obrenovic/|title=Кнез Михаило Обреновић|date=September 5, 2018|website=Србске Новине|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> His destiny was decided by Austria and Turkey. Prince Mihailo was directed to the estate of his sister, Princess Jelisaveta Obrenović, Baroness Nikolić de Rudna (1818-1848), while his mother, Princess Ljubica was sent to ]. She died there alone in 1843. Mihailo organized her burial at ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.royalhouseofobrenovic.org/en/serbian-lady/ | title=First Serbian Lady }}</ref>


He wrote to Vučić in 1853 to say that he did not want to recover the throne by violence. The prince later moved to Vienna, where he lived with his father in Palais Salm, bought by them in 1852.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gtokg.org.rs/srb/srb/knez-mihailo-obrenovic/|title=Кнез Михаило Обреновић|last=GTOKG|website=gtokg.org.rs|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> There he managed his father's large estate. At that time, he wrote the poem "''Što se bore misli moje''{{-"}} ("''Why do my thoughts torture me''{{-"}}). It was dedicated to his first love, Princess Maria Josefa von und zu ] (1835-1905), the youngest daughter of Prince Karl Joseph of ] (1790-1865) and his wife, Countess Franziska von Würben und Freudenthal (1799-1863). He asked for her hand, but her father initially declined, as Mihailo was an ] and she was a staunch ]. Furthermore, Karl Joseph thought that Maria Josefa was a too good catch for a deposed Prince, member of the ], an upstart vassal dynasty whose wealth came from trading. At the time, Obrenović family were living in ], while Serbia has been ruled by the rival ]. After being rejected and insulted, Mihailo, broke all social contacts with this line of the ], who were also living in Vienna. Princess Maria Josepha later married Prince Ferdinand Bonaventura ] (1834-1904) and is ancestor of many royals, including the ruling Prince ].<ref>http://www.berne.mfa.gov.rs/odrzavanje/stampa.php?id=1550502816&archive=</ref>
He addressed Vučić through a letter in 1853 saying that he didn’t want to take the throne back by violence. The prince later moved to Vienna with his father, Prince Miloš Obrenović, and everybody who knew him. There he disposed of large father's estate. He traveled Europe looking for a wife. At that time he wrote, Što se bore misli moje. At Vienna Mihailo married Countess Júlia Hunyady de Kéthely (26 August 1831 – 19 February 1919), the daughter of Count Ferenc Hunyady de Kéthely and Countess Júlia Zichy de Zich and Vásonkeő. The marriage was childless, although he did have at least one illegitimate child by a mistress whose identity has not been ascertained.

While in exile he learned French and German fluently.
On 1 August 1853, Mihailo married ]<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Jovanović |first1=Jelena |last2=Kovčić |first2=Tijana |last3=Nikolić |first3=Jelena|date=2018|title=Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza|url=https://www.arhiv-beograda.org/images/publikacije_elektronske_pdf/Katalog_Mihajlo_Obrenovic_res_50.pdf|publisher=Istorijski Arhiv Beograda }}</ref> (26 August 1831 – 19 February 1919) in the ] in Vienna. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Count Ferenc ] (1804–1882) by his wife, Countess Julia ] (1808–1873). The marriage proved to be unhappy and childless, although Mihailo had one illegitimate child, a son ] by his former ]n mistress Maria ] (1831-1863). While living in exile, he spoke French and German fluently.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gtokg.org.rs/srb/srb/knez-mihailo-obrenovic/|title=Кнез Михаило Обреновић|last=GTOKG|publisher=gtokg.org.rs|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


==Second reign and assassination== ==Second reign and assassination==
] in ].]] ]
].]] ], Mihailo's cousin and mistress, daughter of ]]]
]]]
Finally, Mihailo was accepted back as Prince of Serbia in September 1860, after the death of his father who had regained the throne in 1858. For the next eight years he ruled as an ]. During his second reign the People's Assembly was convened just three times, in 1861, 1864 and 1867. Prince Mihailo's greatest achievement was in persuading the Turkish garrisons to leave Serbia, in 1862 (when the Ottoman Army left the fortresses of Užice and Soko Grad) and 1867 (when the Turks left their fortifications in Belgrade, Šabac, Smederevo and Kladovo). This was done with major diplomatic support from Russia and Austria. In 1866 Mihailo began campaign of forging ] by signing the series of agreements with other Balkan entities in period 1866-68.
Mihailo was accepted back as Prince of Serbia after 18 years in exile, in September 1860, after the death of his father who had regained the throne in 1858. For the next eight years, he ruled as an ].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cox|first=John K.|title=The History of Serbia|year=2002|location=Westport, Connecticut|publisher=Greenwood Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U765FGDfbPoC|page=44|isbn=9780313312908}}</ref>
Mihailo sought to reduce the authority and immunity of Serbian senators.{{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=647}} During his second reign, the ] was convened just three times.


Prince Mihailo's greatest achievement was achieving a complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Serbia in 1862.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ratković-Kostić|first=Slavica|date=1998|title=Prince Mihailo Obrenović|url=http://scindeks.ceon.rs/article.aspx?artid=0042-84269801210R|journal=Vojno Delo|volume=50|issue=1|pages=210–234|issn=0042-8426}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcns.org.rs/agora/knez-mihailo-obrenovic-tragicni-zatocenik-srpske-drzavotvorne-misli/|title=Кнез Михаило Обреновић - трагични заточеник српске државотворне мисли|date=November 28, 2017|website=Културни центар Новог Сада|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> The Turkish presence had previously been restricted to a few fortresses and a designated neighborhood in ]. {{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=647}} Serbians were eventually allowed into the Turkish neighborhood with altercations sometimes reaching the point of major disturbances. After one such riot in the wake of the ] in June, 1862, which threatened the Turkish ], the Turks responded by bombarding the city. A Turkish inquiry ensued and the Great Powers which had allowed a Turkish presence in Serbia during the settlements of the Crimean War, summoned a conference at ] in order to broker a conference between Serbs and Turks. {{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=647}}
Mihailo wished to divorce his wife Julia in order to marry his young mistress, ], who was the daughter of his first cousin, ]. Both resided at the royal court at his invitation. His plans for a divorce and subsequent remarriage to Katarina met with much protest from politicians and clergy, as well as the general public. His astute and gifted Prime Minister ] was dismissed from his post in 1867 for daring to voice his opposition to the divorce. However, his divorce from Julia never took place.
] in Belgrade.]]
While Prince Mihailo Obrenović was gradually introducing ] in the country, a conspiracy was formed against him. The main organizers and perpetrators of the conspiracy were the brothers Radovanović, who wanted to avenge Ljubomir Radovanović who was in prison. Kosta Radovanović, the main perpetrator of the murder, was a wealthy and respected merchant. His brother, Pavle Radovanović, was with him during the assassination attempt, and the third of the brothers was Djordje Radovanović.


On September 4, 1862, the conference reached an agreement in which it was decreed that all Muslim inhabitants should be withdrawn from Serbia with the exceptions of existing garrisons in Belgrade, ], ], and ]. Prince Michael meanwhile continued to negotiate for all Turkish troops to be withdrawn from the country. Prince Michael wrote a letter to ] ], emphasizing the lack of national interest the Ottomans had in maintaining troops in Serbia, and expounding upon the importance that the Serbs placed in the departure of all foreign troops.{{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=647}}
On 10 June 1868 Mihailo was travelling through the park of ] in a carriage, near his country residence on the outskirts of ], with Katarina and her mother Princess Anka,<ref>Celia Hawkesworth, ''Voices in the Shadows: Women and Verbal Art in Serbia and Bosnia'', Google Books, 2000, retrieved June 16, 2010</ref> when they were shot by assassins.
In the park appeared Pavle and Kosta Radovanović in formal black suits, and with a loaded gun pointed in the direction of the Prince's carriage. Kosta approached the carriage. Prince Mihailo Obrenović recognized him, because of a dispute over his brother Ljubomir. The last words of the Prince, which Kosta himself admitted when on trial were: "Well, it's true." Mihailo and Anka were both killed, and Katarina was wounded. The plot behind the assassination has never been clarified; the sympathizers of the ] were suspected of being behind the crime, but this has not been proven.


The Sultan did not permit complete Serbian independence, but Serbian troops in service of the Ottoman government were permitted to replace Turkish troops at the garrisons, and the Serbian flag was allowed to fly over the fortresses alongside that of the Turkish flag. {{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=648}}
Anka's granddaughter ] was married in 1902 to the Montenegrin Prince ] (1879–1918), whose sister ] had married ] in 1883.


This was not viewed as a sufficient concession by Serbian nationalists and partisans of the ], still viewing the prince with enmity at having displaced their preferred royal family.{{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=648}}
], ] ({{coord|42|40.440|N|23|18.521|E|region:BG_type:landmark}})]]

In 1866–68, Mihailo forged ] by signing the series of agreements with other Balkan entities.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

During his rule, the first modern Serbian coins were minted.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Pantelić|first=Svetlana|date=2014|title=Monument of the Serbian freedom and progress|url=https://www.ubs-asb.com/Portals/0/Casopis/2014/2/UBS-Bankarstvo-2-2014-Novac.pdf|journal=Bankarstvo|volume=2|pages=2}}</ref> He was also the first in modern Serbian history to declare ] the official capital city of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.infokg.rs/info/stari-kragujevac-premestanje-prestonice.html|title=STARI KRAGUJEVAC- Premeštanje prestonice|last=InfoKG|website=InfoKG - Mesto gde se informišem|language=sr-RS|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref>

Mihailo wished to divorce his wife, Julia, in order to marry his young mistress, ],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jovanović|first1=Jelena|last2=Kovčić|first2=Tijana|last3=Nikolić|first3=Jelena|date=2018|title=Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza|url=https://www.arhiv-beograda.org/images/publikacije_elektronske_pdf/Katalog_Mihajlo_Obrenovic_res_50.pdf|publisher=Istorijski Arhiv Beograda}}</ref> the daughter of his first cousin, ]. Both resided at the royal court at his invitation. His plans for a divorce and subsequent remarriage to Katarina met with much protest from politicians, clergy and the general public. His astute and gifted Prime Minister ] was dismissed from his post in 1867 for daring to voice his opposition to the divorce. However, the actual divorce never took place.

While Prince Mihailo Obrenović was gradually introducing ], a conspiracy was formed against him. The main organizers and perpetrators were the brothers Radovanović, who wanted to avenge their brother, Ljubomir Radovanović, who was in prison. Kosta Radovanović, the main perpetrator, was a wealthy and respected merchant. His brother, Pavle Radovanović, was with him during the assassination, and the third of the brothers, Đorđe Radovanović, was also involved.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=637892|title=O čemu se nije smelo govoriti|website=Nedeljnik Vreme|date=June 4, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> Prince Mihailo Obrenović was also member of the masonic lodge.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nenezić |first1=Zoran D. |title=Freemasonry in Yugoslavia |url=http://www.skirret.com/papers/freemasonry_in_yugoslavia.html |website=www.skirret.com |access-date=21 September 2023}}</ref>

On 10 June 1868 Mihailo was travelling with Katarina and Princess Anka in a carriage through the park of ] near his country residence on the outskirts of ].<ref>Celia Hawkesworth ''Voices in the Shadows: Women and Verbal Art in Serbia and Bosnia'', Google Books, 2000, retrieved June 16, 2010</ref>
In the park appeared Pavle and Kosta Radovanović in formal black suits, and pointing a loaded gun at the Prince, Kosta approached the carriage. Prince Mihailo Obrenović recognized him, because of a dispute over his brother Ljubomir. The last words of the prince, which Kosta himself admitted when on trial, were: "Well, it's true." Mihailo and Anka were shot dead, and Katarina wounded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=637892|title=O čemu se nije smelo govoriti|website=Nedeljnik Vreme|date=June 4, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> Further details of the plot behind the assassination have never been clarified; the sympathizers and cousins<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jovanović|first1=Jelena|last2=Kovčić|first2=Tijana|last3=Nikolić|first3=Jelena|date=2018|title=Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza|url=https://www.arhiv-beograda.org/images/publikacije_elektronske_pdf/Katalog_Mihajlo_Obrenovic_res_50.pdf|publisher=Istorijski Arhiv Beograda}}</ref> of the Karađorđević dynasty were suspected of being behind the crime, but this has not been proven.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} The National Assembly declared the House of Karađorđević perpetually excluded from ruling and proclaimed Prince Michael's fourteen year old cousin ] as the legitimate heir to the Serbian throne. {{sfn|Ward|Prothero|Leathes|1921|p=648}}

Anka's granddaughter ] was married in 1902 to the Montenegrin Prince ] (1879–1918), whose sister ] had previously married ] in 1883, who later became ]. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.geni.com/people/Natalija-Petrovi%C4%87-Njego%C5%A1/6000000001319727529 | title=Natalija Petrović-Njegoš | date=April 27, 2022 }}</ref> Natalija's granddaughter is ], a French stylist.

Prince Mihailo was awarded ], ], ],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Acović|first=Dragomir|title=Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima|year=2012|location=Belgrade|publisher=Službeni Glasnik|pages=544}}</ref> ], ], ], ], ] and ].{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Seal of Mihailo Obrenovic.jpg|Prince Michael's official seal
File:Jovan Popović, Prince Mihailo Obrenović 1841.jpg|Portrait of Prince Michael by ], 1841
File:Michael Obrenowitsch III. Litho.jpg|A lithography of Prince Michael by Josef Kriehuber, 1843
File:Mihailo Obrenović III portrait.jpg|Portrait of Prince Michael by Johann Böss, ca. 1860
File:Michael Obrenovic - foto van Anastas Jovanovic (1817-1899).jpg|A photo of Prince Michael by ], 1856
File:Knez Mihailo Obrenović.jpg|A photo of Prince Michael, ca. 1860
File:Đura Jakšić - Knez Mihailo na odru, 1868‒1869, Narodni muzej.jpg|"Knez Mihailo na odru" by ], 1868‒1869
File:GraveMihailoIIIObrenovic.jpg|Michael Obrenović's grave at ] in Belgrade.
File:Prince Mihailo monument.jpg|The statue of Prince Michael on ] in ].
File:Паметник на сръбския княз Михайло Обренович в Южния парк в София.JPG|Statue of Michael Obrenović in ], ]
</gallery>

==Properties==
<gallery>
File:Beograd_-_Stari_Dvor_(29994124437).jpg|Old palace, Prince's residence in ]
File:Belgrade_–_Ballroom_of_the_Royal_Palace_(W_Le_Queux).jpg|Ballroom in ], ]
File:Palais_Salm-Vetsera.JPG|Palais Salm-Vetsera in ], owned by Prince Mihailo Obrenović
File:Kaštieľ_a_kostol_v_Ivanke.JPG|], Mihailo's residence in ]
File:Park_Bukovičke_banje_5.jpg|Prince Michael's summer residence in ].
File:Konak_kneza_Milosa_Topcider.jpg|Mihailo's residence in ], nearby where he was assassinated
File:Knez_Mihailov_konak_u_Kragujevcu_01.jpg|Prince Mihailo's residence in ]
File:Поглед_на_Конак_кнегиње_Љубице_ноћу.jpg|], where Prince Mihailo lived until 1842
File:Летњиковац_Обреновића_на_Плавинцу_код_Смедерева_2.jpg|Prince Mihailo's summer residence in ]
File:Letnjikovac_Obrenovića_na_Plavincu_kod_Smedereva,_salon_01.jpg|Interior of summer villa in Smederevo
({{coord|42|40.440|N|23|18.521|E|region:BG_type:landmark}})
</gallery>


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
{{Commons category|Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia}}
*] * ]
*]


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia}}
*{{cite book |date=1921 |editor-last=Ward |editor-first=A.W. |editor-last2=Prothero |editor-first2=G.W. |editor-last3=Leathes |editor-first3=Stanely |title=The Cambridge Modern History |publisher=Cambridge University Press|volume=10 |isbn=}}
* {{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/balkan/obren.html |title= Obrenovic family |publisher= Genealogy.EU}} * {{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/balkan/obren.html |title= Obrenovic family |publisher= Genealogy.EU}}
*{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Michael Obrenovich III. |volume=18 |page=360 |first=Chedomille |last=Mijatovich}} * {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Michael Obrenovich III. |volume=18 |page=360 |first=Chedomille |last=Mijatovich}}


{{s-start}} {{s-start}}
Line 83: Line 125:
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=1860–1868}} {{s-ttl|title=]|years=1860–1868}}
{{s-aft|after=]}} {{s-aft|after=]}}
{{end}} {{s-end}}


{{Serbian monarchs}} {{Serbian monarchs}}
{{Heads of state of Serbia}}

{{Authority control}} {{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrenovic, Mihailo}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Milailo Obrenovic, Prince of Serbia}}
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
] ]
]
] ]

Latest revision as of 10:01, 18 December 2024

Prince of Serbia (1839–1842, 1860–1868)

Mihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia
Prince of Serbia
Reign8 July 1839 – 14 September 1842
PredecessorMilan Obrenović II
SuccessorAlexander Karadjordjević
Reign26 September 1860 – 10 June 1868
PredecessorMiloš Obrenović I
SuccessorMilan Obrenović IV
Born(1823-09-16)16 September 1823
Kragujevac, Principality of Serbia
Died10 June 1868(1868-06-10) (aged 44)
Belgrade, Principality of Serbia
SpouseJúlia Hunyady de Kéthely
IssueVelimir Mihailo Teodorović (illegitimate)
Milan Obrenović IV (adopted)
HouseObrenović
FatherMiloš Obrenović I
MotherLjubica Vukomanović
ReligionSerbian Orthodox
SignatureMihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia's signature

Mihailo Obrenović (Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Обреновић, romanized: Mihailo Obrenović; 16 September 1823 – 10 June 1868) was the ruling Prince of Serbia from 1839 to 1842 and again from 1860 to 1868.

His first reign ended when he was deposed in 1842, and his second ended when he was assassinated in 1868. He is considered to be a great reformer and the most enlightened ruler of modern Serbia, as one of the European enlightened absolute monarchs. He succeeded in negotiating a withdrawal of Ottoman troops from Serbian soil, while retaining certain Serbian ties to Constantinople. He advocated the idea of a Balkan federation against the Ottoman Empire.

Early life

Mihailo was the son of Miloš Obrenović, Prince of Serbia (1780–1860) and his wife, Ljubica, Princess of Serbia (1788–1843, Vienna). He was born in Kragujevac, the second surviving son of the couple. In 1823, he became the first person in Serbia to be vaccinated against smallpox, which took away the lives of three of his siblings: Petar, Marija and Velika. He spent his childhood in Kragujevac, then in Požarevac and Belgrade. Having finished his education in Požarevac, Mihailo left Serbia with his mother to go to Vienna. His elder brother by four years, Milan Obrenović II, born in 1819, was frequently in poor health.

First reign

Prince Mihailo speaks to the Society of Serbian Scholarship members at the first meeting on 8 June 1842.
Princess Maria Josefa of Liechtenstein (1835-1905), Mihailo's first love
Princess Julia Obrenović

Initially, Prince Miloš abdicated in favour of his firstborn son, Prince Milan Obrenović II, who was by then terminally ill and died after just one month of rule. After the death of his elder brother, Mihailo came to the throne as a minor, having been born in late 1823, and proclaimed prince on 25 June 1839. He was declared of full age the following year. Few thrones appeared more secure, and his rule might have endured throughout his life but for his want of energy and inattention to political developments. During his first reign, on 19 November 1841 he has founded Society of Serbian Letters, but his inexperience meant he did not cope well with some other important challenges Serbia faced. On 14 September 1842, his reign was ended by a rebellion led by Toma Vučić-Perišić, which enabled the Karađorđević dynasty to assume power and stay on the throne for another sixteen years.

Life in exile, forbidden love, marriage

After the overthrow, Prince Mihailo withdrew from Serbia across the rivers of Sava and Danube with around one thousand of his adherents. His destiny was decided by Austria and Turkey. Prince Mihailo was directed to the estate of his sister, Princess Jelisaveta Obrenović, Baroness Nikolić de Rudna (1818-1848), while his mother, Princess Ljubica was sent to Novi Sad. She died there alone in 1843. Mihailo organized her burial at Krušedol monastery.

He wrote to Vučić in 1853 to say that he did not want to recover the throne by violence. The prince later moved to Vienna, where he lived with his father in Palais Salm, bought by them in 1852. There he managed his father's large estate. At that time, he wrote the poem "Što se bore misli moje" ("Why do my thoughts torture me"). It was dedicated to his first love, Princess Maria Josefa von und zu Liechtenstein (1835-1905), the youngest daughter of Prince Karl Joseph of Liechtenstein (1790-1865) and his wife, Countess Franziska von Würben und Freudenthal (1799-1863). He asked for her hand, but her father initially declined, as Mihailo was an Orthodox and she was a staunch Catholic. Furthermore, Karl Joseph thought that Maria Josefa was a too good catch for a deposed Prince, member of the House of Obrenovic, an upstart vassal dynasty whose wealth came from trading. At the time, Obrenović family were living in exile, while Serbia has been ruled by the rival Karadjordjevic dynasty. After being rejected and insulted, Mihailo, broke all social contacts with this line of the Liechtenstein family, who were also living in Vienna. Princess Maria Josepha later married Prince Ferdinand Bonaventura Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1834-1904) and is ancestor of many royals, including the ruling Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein.

On 1 August 1853, Mihailo married Countess Júlia Hunyady de Kéthely (26 August 1831 – 19 February 1919) in the Russian chapel in Vienna. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Count Ferenc Hunyady de Kéthely (1804–1882) by his wife, Countess Julia Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő (1808–1873). The marriage proved to be unhappy and childless, although Mihailo had one illegitimate child, a son Velimir Mihailo Teodorović by his former Styrian mistress Maria Berghaus (1831-1863). While living in exile, he spoke French and German fluently.

Second reign and assassination

Litography of V. Katsler illustrating the assassination of serbian prince Mihailo Obrenovic and his cousin Anka in 1868
Photo of Katarina Konstantinović, Mihailo's cousin and mistress, daughter of Princess Anka Obrenović
Mihailo's sister, Princess Jelisaveta Obrenović, Baroness Nikolić of Rudna (1818-1848) by Miklós Barabás

Mihailo was accepted back as Prince of Serbia after 18 years in exile, in September 1860, after the death of his father who had regained the throne in 1858. For the next eight years, he ruled as an enlightened monarch. Mihailo sought to reduce the authority and immunity of Serbian senators. During his second reign, the People's Assembly was convened just three times.

Prince Mihailo's greatest achievement was achieving a complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Serbia in 1862. The Turkish presence had previously been restricted to a few fortresses and a designated neighborhood in Belgrade. Serbians were eventually allowed into the Turkish neighborhood with altercations sometimes reaching the point of major disturbances. After one such riot in the wake of the Čukur Fountain incident in June, 1862, which threatened the Turkish Belgrade Fortress, the Turks responded by bombarding the city. A Turkish inquiry ensued and the Great Powers which had allowed a Turkish presence in Serbia during the settlements of the Crimean War, summoned a conference at Constantinople in order to broker a conference between Serbs and Turks.

On September 4, 1862, the conference reached an agreement in which it was decreed that all Muslim inhabitants should be withdrawn from Serbia with the exceptions of existing garrisons in Belgrade, Fetislam, Šabac, and Smederevo. Prince Michael meanwhile continued to negotiate for all Turkish troops to be withdrawn from the country. Prince Michael wrote a letter to Grand Vizier Mehmed Fuad Pasha, emphasizing the lack of national interest the Ottomans had in maintaining troops in Serbia, and expounding upon the importance that the Serbs placed in the departure of all foreign troops.

The Sultan did not permit complete Serbian independence, but Serbian troops in service of the Ottoman government were permitted to replace Turkish troops at the garrisons, and the Serbian flag was allowed to fly over the fortresses alongside that of the Turkish flag.

This was not viewed as a sufficient concession by Serbian nationalists and partisans of the Karađorđević dynasty, still viewing the prince with enmity at having displaced their preferred royal family.

In 1866–68, Mihailo forged The First Balkan Alliance by signing the series of agreements with other Balkan entities.

During his rule, the first modern Serbian coins were minted. He was also the first in modern Serbian history to declare Belgrade the official capital city of the country.

Mihailo wished to divorce his wife, Julia, in order to marry his young mistress, Katarina Konstantinović, the daughter of his first cousin, Princess Anka Obrenović. Both resided at the royal court at his invitation. His plans for a divorce and subsequent remarriage to Katarina met with much protest from politicians, clergy and the general public. His astute and gifted Prime Minister Ilija Garašanin was dismissed from his post in 1867 for daring to voice his opposition to the divorce. However, the actual divorce never took place.

While Prince Mihailo Obrenović was gradually introducing absolutism, a conspiracy was formed against him. The main organizers and perpetrators were the brothers Radovanović, who wanted to avenge their brother, Ljubomir Radovanović, who was in prison. Kosta Radovanović, the main perpetrator, was a wealthy and respected merchant. His brother, Pavle Radovanović, was with him during the assassination, and the third of the brothers, Đorđe Radovanović, was also involved. Prince Mihailo Obrenović was also member of the masonic lodge.

On 10 June 1868 Mihailo was travelling with Katarina and Princess Anka in a carriage through the park of Košutnjak near his country residence on the outskirts of Belgrade. In the park appeared Pavle and Kosta Radovanović in formal black suits, and pointing a loaded gun at the Prince, Kosta approached the carriage. Prince Mihailo Obrenović recognized him, because of a dispute over his brother Ljubomir. The last words of the prince, which Kosta himself admitted when on trial, were: "Well, it's true." Mihailo and Anka were shot dead, and Katarina wounded. Further details of the plot behind the assassination have never been clarified; the sympathizers and cousins of the Karađorđević dynasty were suspected of being behind the crime, but this has not been proven. The National Assembly declared the House of Karađorđević perpetually excluded from ruling and proclaimed Prince Michael's fourteen year old cousin Milan as the legitimate heir to the Serbian throne.

Anka's granddaughter Natalija Konstantinović was married in 1902 to the Montenegrin Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš (1879–1918), whose sister Zorka had previously married Prince Petar Karađorđević in 1883, who later became King of Serbia. Natalija's granddaughter is Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, a French stylist.

Prince Mihailo was awarded Order of Prince Danilo I, Order of the White Eagle (Russian Empire), Order of Saint Anna, Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky, Order of the Redeemer, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Order of the Medjidie, Order of Glory (Ottoman Empire) and Order of Leopold (Austria).

Gallery

Properties

See also

References

  1. "Kako bi izgledala Srbija da je knez Mihailo preživeo atentat". Nedeljnik. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. Ugrica, Luka (August 16, 2019). "Velimir Teodorović Obrenović – zaboravljeni srpski princ". CMJP (in Serbian). Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. VolimSrbiju. "Knez Mihailo Obrenović UBIJEN je u strašnoj zasedi na Košutnjaku, a poslednje što je rekao bile su OVE TRI REČI". Volim Srbiju. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. "Кнез Михаило Обреновић - трагични заточеник српске државотворне мисли". Културни центар Новог Сада (in Serbian). November 28, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. "Knez Mihailo-čuvar Balkanske kapije-feljton Novosti". Scribd. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. "Prvo vakcinisanje u Kragujevcu".
  7. Mijatovich, Chedomille (1911). "Michael Obrenovich III." . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). p. 360.
  8. "Gospodar Vučić 1842. sa Metinog Brda bombardovao Kragujevac". Prvi Prvi na Skali. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. "Кнез Михаило Обреновић". Србске Новине (in Serbian). September 5, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  10. "First Serbian Lady".
  11. GTOKG. "Кнез Михаило Обреновић". gtokg.org.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  12. http://www.berne.mfa.gov.rs/odrzavanje/stampa.php?id=1550502816&archive=
  13. Jovanović, Jelena; Kovčić, Tijana; Nikolić, Jelena (2018). "Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza" (PDF). Istorijski Arhiv Beograda.
  14. GTOKG. "Кнез Михаило Обреновић" (in Serbian). gtokg.org.rs. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  15. Cox, John K. (2002). The History of Serbia. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 44. ISBN 9780313312908.
  16. ^ Ward, Prothero & Leathes 1921, p. 647.
  17. Ratković-Kostić, Slavica (1998). "Prince Mihailo Obrenović". Vojno Delo. 50 (1): 210–234. ISSN 0042-8426.
  18. "Кнез Михаило Обреновић - трагични заточеник српске државотворне мисли". Културни центар Новог Сада (in Serbian). November 28, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  19. ^ Ward, Prothero & Leathes 1921, p. 648.
  20. Pantelić, Svetlana (2014). "Monument of the Serbian freedom and progress" (PDF). Bankarstvo. 2: 2.
  21. InfoKG. "STARI KRAGUJEVAC- Premeštanje prestonice". InfoKG - Mesto gde se informišem (in Serbian). Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  22. Jovanović, Jelena; Kovčić, Tijana; Nikolić, Jelena (2018). "Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza" (PDF). Istorijski Arhiv Beograda.
  23. "O čemu se nije smelo govoriti". Nedeljnik Vreme. June 4, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  24. Nenezić, Zoran D. "Freemasonry in Yugoslavia". www.skirret.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  25. Celia Hawkesworth Voices in the Shadows: Women and Verbal Art in Serbia and Bosnia, Google Books, 2000, retrieved June 16, 2010
  26. "O čemu se nije smelo govoriti". Nedeljnik Vreme. June 4, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  27. Jovanović, Jelena; Kovčić, Tijana; Nikolić, Jelena (2018). "Mihailo Obrenović: 150 godina od ubistva kneza" (PDF). Istorijski Arhiv Beograda.
  28. "Natalija Petrović-Njegoš". April 27, 2022.
  29. Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 544.

Further reading

Mihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia House of ObrenovićBorn: September 16 1823 Died: 10 June 1868
Regnal titles
Preceded byMilan Obrenović II Prince of Serbia
1839–1842 		Succeeded byAleksandar Karađorđević
Preceded byMiloš Obrenović I Prince of Serbia
1860–1868 		Succeeded byMilan Obrenović IV
Monarchs of Serbia
Principality of Serbia (early medieval), 641–969
Serbian Principality of Duklja, 998–1101
Grand Principality of Serbia, 1101–1217
Kingdom of Serbia, 1217–1346
Serbian Empire, 1346–1371
Moravian Serbia, 1371–1402
Serbian Despotate, 1402–1537
Second Serbian Empire and Duchy of Srem, 1526–1532
Revolutionary Serbia, 1804–1837
Principality of Serbia, 1837–1882
Kingdom of Serbia, 1882–1918
Heads of state of Serbia since 1804
 Revolutionary Serbia
(1804–1813)		 Standard of the President of Serbia
 Principality of Serbia
(1815–1882)
 Kingdom of Serbia
(1882–1918)
 Socialist Republic of Serbia
(1945–1992)
 Republic of Serbia
(1992–2006)
 Republic of Serbia
(since 2006)
Regents or interim presidents are in italics
Categories: