Yugoslav Archives, 1918-Present

Montenegrins are Slavs who emigrated from East Europe between 700 and 900 AD. After the disastrous Batle of Kosovo in 1389, in which a combined Slav army of Bosnians and Serbians was defeated, the Ottoman Empire expanded into Albania to the south, Kosovo to the east, and Serbia and Bosnia-Hercegovina to the north. Montenegro was surrounded by enemies, but took refuge in the formidable mountains. The Ottomans were unable to penetrate the mountain fortresses, and in the Middle Ages, Montenegro was the only kingdom in the southern Balkans to remain independent of the Ottomans. Montenegro had been ruled by royalty for all this time, but in 1516 power was handed over to a designated bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church. This was a hereditary office.

Montenegro underwent sweeping reforms in the 19th and 20th centuries. The prince-bishop office was abolished in 1852 by Danilo II. In 1868 Nicholas I created a constitution. A true constiutional monarchy was created in 1905 when Nicholas revised the Constitution to be more liberal and include a Parliament; five years later, in 1910, he proclaimed himself king.

In 1912, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Russia allied to free the Balkans from the Ottomans. While the Ottomans still retained parts of Greece, Kosovo, Albania, and Macedonia, it was a significant loss. In 1913, after the 1st Balkan War, Montenegro added territory, north and east, severing the Ottoman's link with Bosia, and expanding into western Kosovo. Montenegro was not invloved in the 2nd Balkan War between Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece.

In World War One, Montenegro sided with Serbia, Russia and the Allied countries. It was menaced on both sides. To the north lay Austria-Hungary. To the south were the enraged Ottomans. Both Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were among the Central Powers. Fearing a dismemberment of Montenegro by victorious Allies, Nicholas intrigued with Austria-Hungary in 1915, to assure the safe continuation of Montenegro as an independent state.

Montenegro was ocupied by Austrian forces in 1915. Later that year, Slav nationalists voted to create a unified South Slav state that would include Montenegro. Nicholas was removed from power at the end of the war, and Montenegro was named the Yugoslav province of Zeta.

In World War Two, Montenegro was occupied by Mussolini's Italian fascists. Eventually, the Axis retreated from the Balkans as a result of the pressure from the Soviet Army advancing from the east, and guerilla warfare waged by the Yugoslav partisans under Josip Broz Tito.

In 1946, under the watchful eye of his mentor, Stalin, Tito set up a communist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Montenegro was one of the six sub-republics. After the death of Tito in 1980, Serb-Communist Slobodan Milosevic came to power. Montenegro became a puppet republic to Milosevic.

In 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, and Macedonia seceded from Yugoslavia. The Montenegrin vote for secession was thrown by Serbs who travelled across the Serbo-Montenegrin border to vote down secession, despite the fact that they were not residents of Montenegro. Approximately two-thirds of the voters voted to remain in Yugoslavia.

With the secession of Bosnia-Hercegovina in April 1992, Montenegro formed a new Yugoslavia with Serbia. The country unsuccessfully applied for re-entry to the UN. It was not recognized by any major Western country until 1996, when it was recognized by the European Union.

Predictably, rifts have opened between Montenegro and Serbia. A key issue has been the conduct of the federal government in waging war in Bosnia-Hercegovina, and in Kosovo. Another issue is Montenegrin equality in the Yugoslav federation, which is dominated by the much larger Serbia. In 1997, Milo Djukanovic was elected president of Montenegro. Djukanovic is a political enemy of Milosevic, and has talked openly of secession unless the current federation is rearranged to suit Montenegro. Djukanovic has also stated that if Milosevic, who is an indicted war criminal, enters Montenegro, he will be arrested by Montenegrin police and turned over to NATO for trial at the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Over the several months since Kosovo was occupied by NATO troops, it is becoming likelier and likelier that a fifth Yugoslav war will occur.