Serb grounds before the arrival of Serb (until VIIe century)

It is initially the installation of the Illyriens (1200-500), contemporary of that of Doriens in Greece, and which brings the age of iron. These tribes, which spoke a language Illyrien, are not a branch of the family of the Indo-Europeans. The Age of late iron left traces of the Culture of Hallstatt and culture Tène (illyro-Celt).

Celtic or " populate field of the urnes" , penetrated on the Croatian ground around -500, that is to say while imposing itself militarily (where the autochtones resist: ruin of the " Halstatt-Kultur" of Glasinac), that is to say peacefully by intense commercial relations (the " Halstatt-Kultur" of Ripač).

Auguste completed the pacification of Illyrie while subjecting definitively into -35 Iapodes and -34 Delmates; in -27 it gave Illyrie to the Senate of Rome.

After the extension of the Roman conquest to the Danube, under Auguste, the Roman province of Illyrie (Illyricum) was created into -9. Into 10, this province was divided and the term Illyrie fell in disuse. The area was completely pacified into 27.

After the division of the Romain Empire by the emperor Théodose, in 395, the current territories szebes were located in the Roman Empire of the East.

At the time of the Great invasions cruel, the control of these provinces passed to the Huns, with the Avars, the Ostrogoths and the Gépides. The current Serb areas pass under domination of Byzance (). The first populations Slaves settle there at the beginning of,

Origins

The origin even of the Serbes is not established with certainty. The root of the name “Srbi” is probably not resulting from the old dialects Slaves. Various theories were born to explain it, being pressed on the very rare written documents mentioning the presence of people of the the Caucasus, with the whole beginning of our era, called “Serboï” or “Serbi”. The majority of these theories stipulate that these proto-Serb people were not Slavic stock, but of origin Caucasien or Sarmate. It would thereafter have dominated certain Slavic tribes after a migration towards the west, probably in Transcarpathie. Mixed with the Slavic of these tribes, theSerb ones “would have been gradually assimilated”, to leave only their name to their old Slavic subjects.

At all events, which is certain, it is which between and the 4th century of our era, the Serbes left the original hearth of the Slaves to be established in Moravie septentrional, more exactly between the Elba and the Saale (current Germany), in an area called “white Serbia” (the white symbolizes the west at the Slavic ones). They remained there until the 7th century, when the Byzantine Emperor Héraclius asked for the assistance of Slavic north, in particular of the Serbes, to drive back the Avars out of the territories of the Byzantine Empire.

The first center of the Serb settlement in the Balkans was an area located in the valley Morava, that their chief (which one does not know the name) negotiated with Héraclius in recognition of their important contribution in the defeat of the Avars. Later on exchanges of populations took place: part of the Serbes remained in north joined those already installed in Balkans, while Valaques of this area left in Moravie septentrional, in the area which was to be called thereafter “Moravian Valachie” (western of current the Czech Republic). The valley Morava was then the source even of the Serb expansion in the peninsula of Balkans.

Militarily organized better than the Slavic tribes of the first wave of invasion, the Serbes also dominated of the neighbouring areas, in particular the Dioclée (which took later the name of Zeta, and still well later Montenegro), the Bosnia, the coastal regions of Paganie (also called Neretva ) and Zachlumie (corresponding both, today, with a certain part of the Dalmatie) as well as the Travounie (roughly the south-west of current the Herzégovine). The first attempts at Baptême of Serb took place as of this time, but the faith Chrétienne was very slow to settle on their premises and in fact, nearly two centuries later, when had place the second and principal baptism, the majority of the Serbes were still pagan.

Installed mainly in the Serb plains and valleys, and the Slavic tribes having preceded them indicated the autochtones romanized by the term of Valaques (into Serb: Vlah in the singular, Vlaši in the plural). Those went down mainly from the populations illyriennes and thraces, Latinized by Rome a few centuries before. Primarily present in the mountains and on the littoral, they were gradually slavisés during the centuries which followed, and it only remains about it very little at present, especially in Kraïna Eastern (area of the Iron Doors). The term of Valaque took at the Serbes an often pejorative connotation, being used to appoint the shepherds transhumants, who they are Slaves or really Valaques. Only the Latin autochtones of the littoral, because of a greater impregnation of the Roman traditions, managed to preserve their autonomy tardily, until the Moyen-âge, but were to pay a tribe with their suzerains Slaves. They also finished however them by being comparable by the Slaves of the back-country.

Medieval Serb States

The emergence of the first Serb States

Isolated by the partitioning from the relief, the various Slavic tribes were organized in Joupas ( Župa ), each one directed by a chief called joupan ( župan ). Under Byzantine authority, the Serb ones were freed gradually from the latter, with more or less of success according to the area, in particular in the valley of the Morava, hearth of settlement of Serb, known later under the name of Rascie. In this stronghold, the first attested Serb sovereign was the prince ( knez ) Višeslav, postpones grandson of the unknown chief who had carried out the Serb ones in Balkans, at the 7th century. Contemporary of Charlemagne, Višeslav reigned towards the end of the 8th century, and succeeds in preserving the autonomy conceded with his ancestor by the emperor Héraclius. Because of rupture between Byzance and the Bulgarian, its heirs had more problems, but also succeeded in safeguarding their independence. In first half of the 9th century, Vlastimir, postpones grandson of Višeslav, founded its own dynasty, the House of the Vlastimirović. And it was during second half of the 9th century, under the reign of his/her son Mutimir (who reigned until 891), that the Serb ones accepted their first official Baptême. At that time, the Byzantine Empereur was Basile {{Ier}} the Macedonian, and the Patriarche of Constantinople, Photios Ier, had granted its blessing to the brothers Cyrille and Méthode in their company of christianization of the Slaves of the Byzantine Empire. The development of the Christianisme at the Serb ones was entrusted to the religious centers of Sirmium (today Sremska Mitrovica) and of Split. It is as from this time that the Serb sovereigns started to carry Christian first names, like Stefan , youngest wire of Mutimir, or Petar ( Pierre ), wire of his/her Gojnik brother.

Of 924 with 927, the central Serb territories were subjected to the Bulgares, but were released by a descendant of Vlastimir, Časlav Klonimirović, which benefitted from dead from the emperor Siméon to escape from the Bulgarian prisons. With the assistance of Byzance, it restored the Serb State, which included, in addition to the central area of Rascie, the territories of Bosnia, Travounie and Paganie. Only the Dioclée and the Zachoumlie, allied of the Bulgarian , remained independent. The territories dominated by Časlav Klonimirović, the Serbia itself, resisted the attack of the Hungarian on Bosnia, with the support of the Byzantine Empereur Constantin VII Porphyrogénète. After death in 950 of Časlav Klonimirović during a battle, the Serbia did not resist the attacks of the Hungarian and the Bulgares. Its Western part, located at the west of the Drina (Bosnia), was reorganized and placed under the local direction of a Ban , which recognized the authority of the States neighborhood (Croatia, Hungary, Dioclée and Byzantine Empire). The Eastern Serbia, in other words the Rascie, was placed under Byzantine supervision, as a topic of Serbia ( thema Servia ).

Little time afterwards, the Dioclée, which had managed to remain more or less autonomous Large Joupa of Rascie, managed to consolidate its independence under the reign of leaders such as Jean Vladimir ( Jovan Vladimir , 960 - 1016), who made Skadar (current Shkodër in Albania) the capital of his Kingdom. But the emperor Samuel ( Samuil ) of Bulgaria annexed the Dioclée and Jean Vladimir was made prisoner. Acceptor to marry the girl of Samuel, the Kossara princess, Jean Vladimir was authorized to turn over to control the Dioclée, but as vassal of the Bulgarian emperor. After the assassination in 1016 of Jean Vladimir, organized by the Bulgarian emperor Jean Vladislav, Dioclée was incorporated by Byzance in the topic of Serbia. In this time, Dioclée was still primarily dominated by the Latin rite, because of late subsistence of the Roman traditions practiced by the autochtones of the littoral. But gradually, the influence of Byzance strongly established the Eastern rite, until the last populations practitioner the Latin rite are subjugated.

The development of the Serb States

An Empire succeeded this first kingdom at the end of, under the dynasty of the Nemanjić. The territorial apogee of medieval Serbia was reached at the 14th century, under the reign of the emperor Stefan Dušan. This empire was going to disappear under the blow from the Othoman invasions .

In the second quarter of the 11th century, the decline of Byzance made it possible Serb to carry out several successive risings, which led in 1037 to the release of their territories. The Dioclée was released as of 1036 by a revolt carried out by Serb prince Vojislav, originating in Travounie, after several unfruitful attempts, which led it to be made prisoner with Constantinople, from which it succeeds in escaping. Vojislav drove out Theophilos Erotikos, the last Stratège of the Thème of Serbia, and gained the nickname of Stefan (of the Greek Stephanos , meaning crowned ). Releasing thus at the same time the Dioclée, the Rascie as well as portions of the Travounie and Zachoumlie, it consequently founded occasion its own line, the dynasty of Vojislavjević.

The Dioclée then became the Serb State most powerful, countering successfully several attempts at annexation by the Byzantine Empereur Constantin IX. Stefan Vojislav finishes despite everything by recognizing the authority of the Byzantine emperor. In 1052, his/her son Mihailo Vojislavjević renewed his declaration of vassalage to Byzance, but took the title of large joupan of Rascie. Eager to establish a autonomous Archbishop's palace in its territories, he sought support at Rome and of the pope Gregoire VII, which crowned it in 1077 king of Slavic and Dioclée , and his territories took the denomination of Kingdom of Serbia. Mihailo Vojislavjević indicated him even by the title of king of Serb and the Tribales , and after its annexation of Croatian territories to the town of Knin, it was also indicated by the title of king of Dioclée and Dalmatie . In spite of its relations with Rome, Mihailo did not wish that the Dioclée be controlled by the priests Catholiques. On a side, it consolidated its bonds with Rome to free itself from the Byzantine authority but with the other, it reinforced the Eastern rite closely connected to avoid any Latin domination.

The son of Mihailo, Konstantin Bodin Vojislavjević, was recognized as an emperor of the Bulgares in 1072, under the name of Pierre III. After the death of his father, it was also crowned king of Serbia in 1082. It extended its kingdom to the Rascie and the Bosnia. The pope Clément III granted to him the creation of an archbishop's palace of Dioclée in 1089, which also recovered dioceses of Rascie, of Bosnia and Travounie. After its death in 1101, the Dioclée declined because of absence of powerful sovereign.

The Dioclée on the decline, it was the Rascie which became the new center for the emancipation of Serb of the Byzantine supervision. Vukan, in the past courtier of king Bodin, became joupan of Rascie in 1083, whereas this territory belonged to the Kingdom of Serbia directed by Bodin. At that time, Vukan started to integrate into the Rascie fragments of the Kosovo and current Métochie. Its territory extended gradually towards South-east, until it seizes the imperial old city of Lipljan in 1093. At the end of the 11th century, the Rascie was without question the Serb State of first importance, so much so that after the death of Bodin in 1101, Vukan intervened directly in the interior matters of the Dioclée. After the death of Vukan in 1115, the Rascie was weakened and the Byzantine emperor Jean II Comnène reconquered the country at the beginning of his reign. In spite of a short release of 1127 with 1129, the Rascie was under Byzantine domination during most of the 12th century. Byzance then had any latitude to name the joupans with its liking. Bosnia, which had escaped him in 1138 with the profit of the Hungarian, returned under its supervision after a decisive victory over the latter, just as the Croatia, the Dalmatie and the Dioclée.

In 1163, the emperor entrusted the stronghold of Dubočica to Etienne Nemanja, lord of a princely field of Rascie Eastern, surroundings of the valley of Toplica. It granted occasion consequently to him the right to reign like joupan. That conferred to him an unquestionable advantage compared to his/her three brothers, all lords of other fields of the Serb territories. After political upheavals, large the joupan of Rascie, Desa, was driven out in 1165, and it was Tihomir, brother of Nemanja, which succeeded to him. However, the autonomy of the territories of Nemanja to him been worth the opposition of his/her brothers, who captured it. Having succeeded in fleeing, Nemanja gathered its partisans and drove out his/her brothers in 1166, proclaiming large joupan of Rascie. Helped by Byzance, Tihomir tried to reconquer Rascie, but failed and perishes in 1168 during a battle. Nemanja then tried to be freed from the Byzantine domination, but private of the assistance of the Hungary, it had to await the death of Manuel Ier, in 1180, for gradually releasing Rascie and gathering the other Serb territories, in particular the Dalmatie and the Dioclée. At the end of the 12th century, Byzance was obliged to recognize the independence of the Serbia in 1185. Nemanja will be then the first representative, of the dynasty of the Nemanjić, with the glorious destiny. Under its reign, Serbia increases its its territory towards the south, with Zeta (Montenegro), Pirot and the Kosovo. He will abdicate in 1196 withdrew himself with the Mont Athos (where will found the Monastère of Hilandar with his/her son Saint Sava). He will die there three years later.

Another of its sons, Stefan Ier Nemanjić, succeeds to him as a joupan. In fight against the Patriarch of Constantinople, it calls upon the Pope Honorius III which recognizes it like “King de Serbie” in 1217, and the fact courroner by one of its Légat S. His brother Saint Sava, who founded the Serb church autocéphale in 1219, will crown it one second time, according to the orthodoxe rite in 1221.

The reign of Stefan Ier Nemanjić ended in 1227, and these successors knew various fortunes, related to the internal wars.

In 1371, one of kings de Serbie, Vukasin Mrnjavcevic, lost, against the Turks, the Bataille of Maritza, which involved the vassalisation of its grounds and the tender of his/her son Marko Kraljevic. In 1381 took place the first battle opposing on the grounds of the Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović the Serb ones and the Turks; it was held with Dubravica and ended in a Serb victory. In 1386, Lazar Hrebeljanović itself intercepted one second army, led by the Sultan Murad Ier in person; the troops clashed close to the river Toplica, not far from Plocnik. It was a new defeat for the Othoman Turks. “Murad is afraid, it flees”, brings back a Serb chronicler of the time. Serbia of Lazar crumbled at the time of the Bataille of Kosovo Polje in 1389; prince Lazar lost the life there.

The country was definitively annexed by the Othoman after the fall of Smederevo, in 1459.

The Serb ones under the Ottoman Empire

Between 1459 and 1804, Serbia undergoes the occupation of the Ottoman Empire like three unfruitful Austrian invasions to drive out the Turks of Serbia.

Principality with the Kingdom of Serbia (1804-1918)

In 1804, Djordje Petrovitch, carried out the insurrection against the Turks, was elected hereditary Prince of Serb in 1808 but ends up being beaten. In 1815, Miloch Obrenovitch, directed a revolt against the Turks and sent the head of Kara-Djordje to the sultan. It obtained a broad autonomy for Serbia. Throughout the 19th century, Karadjordjevitch and Obrenovitch followed one another the capacity.

The Serb revolution

A first revolt of Serb took place between 1804 and 1813. It was directed by Georges Petrović - called by the Turks " Kara-Djordje" (Georges Black); merchant of pigs, it was elected hereditary Prince of Serb in 1808. Karageorges founded the dynasty of Karađorđević (or Karageorgévitch). This first rebellion is concluded by a resumption in hand from Serbia by the Sublime Door. Karageorges took refuge in Austria in 1813.

From 1815 to 1817, Miloch Obrenovitch, illiterate pig breeder, directed, in its turn, the revolt against the Turks. It killed Kara-Djordje, sunken to Serbia, and sent its head to the sultan; this will engandra qurelle permanent between the two families throughout.

The principality of Serbia (1815-1882)

One second revolt took place in 1815, under the control of Miloš Obrenović, founder of the dynasty of Obrenović (or Obrénovitch). This revolt leads to the autonomy of Serbia. Miloch Obrenovitch was elected Prince de Serbie in 1818, and was recognized hereditary Prince by the Serb National Assembly in 1827.

In 1878, the Congress of Berlin granted its independence to Serbia and, in 1882, prince Milan IV Obrenović became king de Serbie under the name of Milan Ist.

The kingdom of Serbia (1882-1918)

Karadjordjevitch ended up overriding Obrenovitch, with the accession with the throne of Pierre Ier in 1903.

The Bulgarian and Serb territorial claims on Macedonia caused the Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913. In this conflict, the Kingdom of Serbia was combined in Greece against Bulgaria.

The following year, the double assassination of the François-Ferdinand archduke, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie Chotek, duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo, on June 28th, 1914 by Gabriel Princip, was the event pretexts which started the First World War. In 1915, the kingdom was invaded by the central powers at the time of the Countryside of Serbia. But the country was finally released in 1918 by the Serb army supported by the allied forces, of which the French army of the East.

Serbia within Yugoslavia (1918-2003)

Serbia within first Yugoslavia (1918-1941)

Serbia belonged to the first Yugoslavia, created in 1918 under the name of Royaume of Serb, the Croats and the Sloveniens, then renamed in 1929 Royaume of Yugoslavia; its first king was Alexandre Ier of Yugoslavia.

During the Second world war, the Royaume of Yugoslavia remained neutral until in 1941. This year, wishing to come to assistance of the Italian Armed in difficulty in Greece, the Germany required a right-of-way for its troops. The the regent Paul had adhered to the tripartite pact but a vast popular rising took place with Belgrade, orchestrated by Serb soldiers; regency was reversed and the heir to the throne, Pierre II, was installed with the capacity; the agreement with the Axe was denounced what caused the fury of Hitler and the invasion of the Royaume of Yugoslavia by the Germany.

The king left in exile; the country capitulated and was dismantled at once.

The Serb State (1941-1945)

A collaborator Serb State was founded with, at its head, the general Milan Nedić.

A double resistance movement was organized; that of the in favor Communists, initially present in Bosnia-Herzégovine, developed under the direction of the Croatian Josip Broz, known as Tito, while an other resistance, makes the first resistance armed in Europe, that of the Tchetniks, organized better in Serbia, developed of it around the personality of Draža Mihailović, a Serb royalist, called the " general of Balkans". The Tchetniks took part in the release of Serbia in 1944, but after the war, they will be disparaged like " fascists and collaborateurs" by the communist and related press. On their side, the partisans, hitherto far from present in Serbia, also took part in the release of the country with the support of the English. Victorious, they reverse the Monarchie and made carry out thousands of tchetniks, by showing them of collaboration with the Nazis. Draža Mihailović was carried out. It had however taken part, with its men, with the release of approximately 600 allied pilots.

See also Yugoslavia during the Second world war

Serbia within second Yugoslavia (1945-1992)

A new Yugoslavia, Communist, was formed in 1945, Serbia constituting one of its République S federate.

Serbia within Yugoslavia de Tito

Serbia and the dislocation of Yugoslavia

After the death of Tito in 1980, the tensions were done day, characterized by the rise of the Nationalisme in the various federated republics, nationalism a long time contained and channeled by the central capacity.

Slobodan Milošević, then number two of the Yugoslav mode, benefitted from the rise of the tensions to the Kosovo to be made elect president of Serbia in May 1989.

It concentrated the capacities in Serbia, by removing the autonomy of the autonomous provinces of Voïvodine and of the Kosovo.

In 1990, the first free elections and pluralist proceeded in Bosnia-Herzégovine, in Macedonia, in Serbia, in Slovenia and Croatia, following in that the movement of democratization engaged in Europe of the East one year before. Except Serbia, where the Serb Radical party of Vojislav Šešelj was minority, all the other Republics chose Presidents openly nationalist or independence.

While Slobodan Milošević sought to preserve the Yugoslav unit and exploited the Serb nationalism, the Slovenia, controlled by Milan Kučan, and the Croatia, controlled by Franjo Tuđman, sought to obtain their independence.

In reaction, the Slovenia and the Croatia declared to them Indépendance the June 25th 1991. The federal armed (JNA), intervened against the two republics secessionists. Followed short the wars as Slovenia and another, the longer and more loophole, in Croatia.

End 1991, the Bosnia-Herzégovine and the Macedonia proclaimed in their turn their independence, which started a war three year old in Bosnia-Herzégovine, between the three principal Ethnies of the country, the Croatian Serbes, and the Bosnian . The Serbes profited from the support of Serbia of Milošević, while the Croatian were supported by the Croatia of Tuđman.

Serbia within third Yugoslavia (1992-2003)

In 1999, the war larval with the Kosovo burst at the great day with the intervention of NATO; it was the Guerre of Kosovo.

In October 2000, Slobodan Milosevic, which, in September, had been beaten with the elections with the presidency of the Federal republic of Yugoslavia by Vojislav Kostunica and which refused its defeat, was reversed, then, in June 2001, was extradited in the Netherlands to be judged by the International penal court for ex-Yugoslavia. In 2002, Serbia and the Montenegro managed a new bearing agreement on their future co-operation, comprising, inter alia changes, the end of the Federal republic of Yugoslavia.

Serbia within the transitory State of Serbia-Montenegro (2003-2006)

The February 4th 2003, the Parliament accepted the creation of a federation to the very loose bonds, limited to the two remaining States, under the name of Serbia-and-Montenegro. This one disappeared following the referendum from the May 21st 2006, where the Montenegro decided to proclaim its independence, that Serbia had to recognize not without difficulty.

The Republic of independent Serbia (since 2006)

See too

Related articles

• List of the Serb sovereigns

External bonds and documents

• Serbia, of Slavinies in Yugoslavia by Georges Castellan, Professor emeritus at the National institute of the languages and Eastern civilizations.