History of Montenegro
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The '''History of Montenegro''' begins in the early [[Middle Ages]], into the former [[Roman province]] of [[Dalmatia]] that forms present-day [[Montenegro]].
{{Montenegro topics}}
==History==
===Illyria===
{{main|Illyria|Prehistoric Balkans}}
[[Image:Roman Roads in Montenegro 800.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Roman Roads in Montenegro]]Before the arrival of the [[Slavic people|Slavonic peoples]] in the [[Balkans]] during the [[6th century|sixth century]] AD, the area now known as Montenegro was inhabited principally by the [[Illyrians]]. [[Image:Illyrian helmet 1.jpg|thumb|130px|left|"Greek-Illyrian" type helmet. Bronze, 6th-5th century BC.]][[Image:About c.400 BC Greek Illyrian helm from Budva Montenegro.png|thumb|130px|left|About c.400 BC Greek Illyrian helm from Budva Montenegro]]Along the seaboard of the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]], the movement of peoples that was typical of the ancient [[Mediterranean]] world ensured the settlement of a mixture of colonists, traders, and those in search of territorial conquest. Substantial [[Greek colonies]] were established on the coast during the sixth and seventh centuries BC and [[Celts]] are known to have settled there in the [[4th century|fourth century]] BC. During the [[3rd century|third century]] BC, an indigenous Illyrian kingdom emerged with its capital at [[Shkodër|Skadar]]. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] mounted several punitive expeditions against local pirates and finally conquered this Illyrian kingdom in AD [[9]], annexing it to the province of [[Illyricum]].
The division of the [[Roman Empire]] between [[Western Roman Empire|Roman]] and [[Byzantine]] rule – and subsequently between the [[Latin Church|Latin]] and [[Greek church]]es – was marked by a line that ran northward from Skadar through modern [[Montenegro]], symbolizing the status of this region as a perpetual marginal zone between the economic, cultural, and political worlds of the Mediterranean peoples and the Slavs. As Roman power declined, this part of the [[Dalmatia|Dalmatian coast]] suffered from intermittent ravages by various semi-[[nomadic]] [[invader]]s, especially the [[Goths]] in the late [[5th century|fifth century]] and the [[Eurasian Avars|Avars]] during the [[6th century|sixth century]]. These soon were supplanted by the Slavs, who became widely established in [[Dalmatia]] by the middle of the [[7th century|seventh century]]. Because the terrain was extremely rugged and lacked any major sources of wealth such as mineral riches, the area that is now [[Montenegro]] became a haven for residual groups of earlier settlers, including some tribes who had escaped [[Romanisation (cultural)|Romanisation]].
===Duklja===
{{main|Duklja}}
[[Image:JovanVladimirSlika.jpg|thumb|130px|Saint Jovan Vladimir (990-1016), Prince of Duklja.]][[Image:The King Mihailo Vojislavljevic.jpg|thumb|130px|right|Mihailo, the King of Duklja]][[Image:PRINCIPALITY 1050.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Principality of Duklja, 1050 AD]][[Image:Kraljevina Duklja za vrijeme Bodina.gif|thumb|180px|left|Kingdom of Duklja, about 1100 AD]]
In the first half of the seventh century, [[Serbs]] migrated from the [[Bay of Kotor]] to the River of [[Bojana]], an area of land given to them by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. They formed the [[Principality]] of [[Doclea]]. Under the following missions of [[Cyril]] and [[Saint Methodius|Methodus]], the population was [[Christianization|Christianised]]. The Serbian tribes organised into a semi-independent dukedom of [[Duklja]](Doclea) by the [[10th century|tenth century]].
After facing subsequent [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian]] domination, the people were split as the Doclean brother-archonts split the lands among each other after [[900]]. Prince [[Časlav Klonimirović]] of the [[List of Serbian rulers|Serbian]] [[House of Vlastimirović]] extended his influence over Doclea in the tenth century. After the fall of the [[History of Serbia|Serbian Realm]] in 960, the Docleans faced a renewed Byzantine occupation through to the [[11th century|eleventh century]]. The local ruler, [[Jovan Vladimir]], whose cult still remains in the Orthodox Christian tradition, was at the time struggling to ensure independence.
[[Stefan Vojislav]] started an uprising against the Byzantine domination and gained a huge victory against the army of several Byzantine strategs in Tudjemili (Bar) in 1042, which put to an end the Byzantine influence over the Doclea.In the 1054 Great Schism, the Doclea fell on the side of the Catholic Church. Bar became a Bishopric in 1067. In [[1077]], [[Pope Gregory VII]] recognised Duklja as an independent state, acknowledging its King [[Mihailo Vojislav|Mihailo]] (Michael, of the [[House of Vojisavljević]] founded by nobleman [[Stefan Vojislav]]) as rex Doclea (King of Duklja).
Later on Mihailo sent his troops, led by his son Bodin, in 1072 to assist the uprising of Slavs in Macedonia.
In 1082, after numerous pleas the Bar Bishopric of Bar was upgraded to an Archbishopric.
<!--[[Image:Mihailo.jpg|thunb|left|Mihailo Voislav, the first recognised ruler of Duklja on a fresco in the Church of St. Michael in Ston.]]-->
The expansions of the Kings of the [[House of Vojislavljević]] led to the control over all Serbian lands, including [[Zahumlje]], [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] and [[Rascia]]. The might of the Doclea declined and they generally became subjected to the Grand Princes of Rascia in the [[12th century]]. [[Stefan Nemanja]] was born in 1117 in [[Ribnica]] (today [[Podgorica]]). In 1168, as the Serbian Grand Zhupan, Stefan Nemanja took Doclea.
===Duklja (Zeta) in the [[Nemanjić]] State (1186-1360)===
====Zeta in the [[Serbian Empire]] (1345-1360)====
===Zeta ===
{{main|Principality of Zeta}}
[[Image:THE STATE OF BALSIC.png|thumb|200px|right|The earliest State of Balsic]][[Image:THE STATE OF CRNOJEVIC.JPG|thumb|150px|left|The State of Crnojević in XV century]]
[[Image:Grb_Balsica.jpg|thumb|100px|right|Coat of arm (House of Balšić)]]
The [[Principality of Zeta]] was ruled by the houses of [[House of Balšić|Balšić]] ([[1356]]-[[1435]]) and [[House of Crnojević|Crnojević]] ([[1435]]-[[1498]]).
===Zeta (Principality of Balšić) 1360-1421 ===
===Zeta in the [[Serbian Despotate]] (1421-1456)===
After the death of Balša III, last representative of House of Balšić, Zeta joined the Serbian Despotate.
====Despot [[Stefan Lazarević]] (1377-1427)====
====Despot [[Đurađ Branković]] (1375- 1456)====
===Zeta (Montenegro) principality of Crnojević (1456-1496)===
===Ottomans conquest===
In [[1496]], the Ottomans conquered Montenegro.
===The Venetian coastal Montenegro===
[[Image:Kula citadele u Budvi.jpg|thumb|130px|left|Citadel in Old Town (Budva)]][[Image:Old Kotor.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Kotor (City wall)]]
After the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]] (476), the romanised [[Illyrians]] of the coast of [[Dalmatia]] survived the barbarian invasions of the [[Avars]] in the sixth century and were only nominally under the influence of the [[Slavs]] in the seventh and eighth centuries. In the last centuries of the first millennium, these Romanised Illyrians started to develop their own neo-Latin language, called [[Dalmatian language]], around their small coastal villages that were growing with maritime commerce.
[[Image:Montenegro venezia.PNG|thumb|150px|The Venetian areas of Montenegro]]
[[Venice]] started to take control of the southern Dalmatia around the tenth century, assimilating quickly the Dalmatian language into the [[Venetian language]]. But only in the fourteenth century the [[Republic of Venice]] was able to create a territorial continuity around the [[Bay of Kotor]] (Cattaro).
The [[Republic of Venice]] dominated the coasts of today's [[Montenegro]] from 1420 to 1797. In those four centuries the area around the Cattaro (Kotor) became part of the [[Venetian albania-montenegro]], called in those centuries ''Albania veneta''.
When the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] started to conquer the [[Balkans]] in the fifteenth century, many Christian Slavs took refuge inside the venetian Dalmatia. By the end of the seventeenth century the romance speaking population was already a minority. But still in 1880 there were in the city of Cattaro, according to the Austrian census, 930 ethnic Italians (or 32% of a total population of 2910 people).
===Montenegro===
[[Image:1768.gif|thumb|100px|left|Flag of Montenegro,1768 AD]][[Image:Flags,_about_1800.gif|thumb|100px|left|Flags of Montenegro,about 1800 AD]]
In [[1516]], the secular prince [[Đurađ V Crnojević]] abdicated in favor of the Archbishop Vavil, who then formed Montenegro into a [[theocracy|theocratic]] state under the rule of the prince-bishop (''vladika'') of [[Cetinje]], a position transmitted from [[1697]] by the [[Petrović-Njegoš]] family of the [[Riđani]] clan, from uncle to nephew as the bishops were not allowed to marry. [[Petar Petrović Njegoš]] perhaps the most influential ''vladika'', reigned in the first half of the [[19th century|nineteenth century]]. In [[1851]] Danilo Petrović Njegoš became ''vladika'', but in [[1852]] he married, threw off his ecclesiastical character, assuming the title of ''[[knjaz]]'' (Prince) [[Danilo II of Montenegro|Danilo I]]<!--Danilo II?-->, and transformed his land into a secular principality.
[[Image:Proclamation of the Kingdom of Montenegro.jpg|thumb|250px|Proclamation of the Kingdom of Montenegro.]][[Image:Flags_of_merchant_marine,_in_XIX_century..gif|thumb|250px|right|Flags of marchant marine, in XIX century]]
Following the assassination of Danilo by [[Todor Kadic]], in [[1860]], the Montenegrins proclaimed [[Nicholas I of Montenegro|Nicholas I]] as his successor on [[August 14]] of that year. In [[1861]] – [[1862]], Nicholas engaged in an unsuccessful war against Turkey, Montenegro holding onto its independence only by the skin of its teeth.
He was much more successful in [[1875]]. Following the Herzegovinian Uprising, partly initiated by his clandestine activities, he yet again declared war on Turkey. [[Serbia]] joined Montenegro, but it was defeated by Turkish forces in [[1876]] only to try again the following year after [[Russia]] decisively routed the Turks. Montenegro was victorious throughout, though. The results were decisive; 1,900 square miles were added to Montenegro's territory by the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1878|Treaty of Berlin]]; that the port of [[Bar, Montenegro|Bar]] and all the waters of Montenegro were closed to the ships of war of all nations; and that the administration of the maritime and sanitary police on the coast was placed in the hands of Austria.
The reign of [[Nicholas I of Montenegro|Nikola I]] ([[1860]] – [[1918]]) saw the doubling of Montenegro's territory and international recognition of her independence ([[1878]]).
He also granted the country's first constitution ([[1905]]) and was elevated to the rank of [[King]] ([[1910]]).
In the [[Balkan Wars]] ([[1912]]-[[1913]]), Montenegro did make further territorial gains by splitting [[Sanjak]] with Serbia.
In addition, the newly-captured city of [[Skadar]] had to be given up to the new state of [[Albania]] at the insistence of the Great Powers despite the Montenegrins having invested 10,000 lives for the conquest of the town from the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]]-[[Albania]]n forces of [[Esad Pasha]].
===First World War===
[[Image:Montenegro1913.png|thumb|200px|left|Kingdom of Montenegro in 1913.]][[Image:Kingdom 1914.gif|thumb|250px|left|Kingdom of Montenegro 1914.]]
Montenegro suffered severely in [[World War I]]. At the first invasion of Serbia by the Austro-Hungarian armies, Montenegro lost no time in declaring war against the [[Central Powers]]. Austria-Hungary despatched a separate army to invade Montenegro and to prevent a junction of the Serbian and Montenegrin armies. This force, however, was repulsed, and from the top of the strongly fortified [[Mount Lovćen]], the Montenegrins carried on the bombardment of [[Kotor]] held by the enemy. On [[August 10]], [[1914]], the Montenegrin infantry delivered a strong attack against the Austrian garrisons, but they did not succeed in making good the advantage they first gained. They successfully resisted the Austrians in the second invasion of Serbia and almost succeeded in liberating [[Sarajevo]]. With the beginning of the third Austro-Hungarian invasion, however, the Montenegrin army had to retire before greatly superior numbers, and Austro-Hungarian and German armies finally overran Serbia. Montenegro also suffered invasion (January [[1916]]) and for the remainder of the war remained in the possession of the [[Central Powers]]. See [[Serbian Campaign (World War I)]] for details. Military governor of Montenegro between 1916 and 1917 was [[Viktor Weber Edler von Webenau]]. Afterwards [[Heinrich Clam-Martinic]] filled this position.
King Nicholas fled to Italy and then to France; the government transferred its operations to [[Bordeaux]]. Eventually the allies liberated Montenegro from the Austrians. A newly-convened [[Podgorica Assembly|National Assembly of Podgorica (''Podgorička skupština'', ''Подгоричка скупштина'')]], accused the Кing of seeking a separate peace with the enemy and because of that deposed him, followed by a ban on his return and decided that Montenegro should join the [[Kingdom of Serbia]] on [[December 1]], [[1918]].Part of Montenegrin population started a rebelion,which is known as Chrismas uprise.
===Yugoslavia===
In the period between the two [[World War]]s, Nikola's grandson, King [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|Alexander Karageorgevich]] dominated the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] government.
=== The puppet "Independent State of Montenegro" ===
During WWII [[Mussolini]] occupied Montenegro in 1941 and annexed to the [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Kingdom of Italy]] the area of Kotor (Cattaro), where there was a small Venetian speaking population (the Queen of Italy - [[Elena of Montenegro]] - was daughter of the former king of Montenegro and was born in [[Cetinje]]).
The English historian [[Denis Mack Smith]] wrote that the Queen of Italy (considered the most influential Montenegrin woman in history) convinced her husband the King of Italy [[Victor Emmanuel III]] to impose on [[Mussolini]] the creation of an independent Montenegro, against the wishes of the fascists Croats and Albanians (who wanted to enlarge their countries with the Montenegrin territories). Her nephew [[Prince Michael of Montenegro]] never accepted the offered crown, pledging loyalty to his nephew King [[Peter II of Yugoslavia]].
The puppet [[Independent State of Montenegro]] was created under fascist control when [[Krsto Zrnov Popović]] returned from his exile in [[Rome]] in 1941 to attempt to lead the [[Zelenaši]] ("Green" party), who supported the reinstatement of the Montenegrin monarchy. This militia was called the [[Lovćen Brigade]]. Montenegro was ravaged by a terrible guerrilla war, mainly after [[Nazi Germany]] replaced the defeated Italians in September 1943.
[[Tito]]'s partisans won the war of liberation and acknowledged Montenegro's massive contribution to the war against the [[Axis Powers]] by establishing it as one of the six republics of [[Yugoslavia]].
From 1945 to 1992, Montenegro became a constituent republic of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]. Montenegro became economically stronger than ever, since it gained help from federal funds as an under-developed Republic, and it became a tourist destination as well.
===After the breakup of Yugoslavia===
The breakup of Communist Yugoslavia (1991-1992) and the introduction of a multi-party political system found Montenegro with a young leadership that had risen to office only a few years earlier in the late 1980s.
In effect three men ran the republic: [[Milo Đukanović]], [[Momir Bulatović]] and [[Svetozar Marović]]; all swept into power during the so-called "[[anti-bureaucratic revolution]]"—an administrative [[coup]] of sorts within the Yugoslav Communist party, orchestrated by younger party members close to [[Slobodan Milošević]].
All three appeared devout communists on the surface, but they also had sufficient skills and adaptability to understand the dangers of clinging to traditional rigid old-guard tactics in new and changing times. So when the old Yugoslavia effectively ceased to exist and the multi-party political system replaced it, they quickly repackaged the Montenegrin branch of the old Communist party and renamed it the [[Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro]] (DPS).
Inheriting the entire infrastructure, resources and membership of the old Communist party gave the DPS a sizable head start on their opponents in the newly-formed parties. It allowed them to win parliamentary and presidential elections overwhelmingly. The party has ruled Montenegro [[as of 2006|ever since]] (either alone or as a leading member of different ruling coalitions), never losing power for even a day.
During the early to mid 1990s Montenegro's leadership gave considerable support to Milošević's war-effort. Montenegrin reservists fought on the Dubrovnik front line, where Prime Minister Milo Đukanović visited them frequently.
In April 1992, following a [[Montenegrin independence referendum, 1992|referendum]], Montenegro decided to join Serbia in forming the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (FRY), which officially put the Second Yugoslavia to rest.
In May, the [[United Nations]] imposed an embargo on FRY: this affected many aspects of life in the country.
Due to its favourable geographical location (access to the Adriatic Sea and a water-link to Albania across [[Lake Skadar]]) Montenegro became a hub for smuggling activity. The entire Montenegrin industrial production had stopped, and the republic's main economic activity became the smuggling of user goods - especially those in short supply like petrol and cigarettes, both of which skyrocketed in price. It became a ''de facto'' legalized practice and it went on for years. At best, the Montenegrin government turned a blind eye to the illegal activity, but mostly it took an active part in it. Smuggling made millionaires out of all sorts of shady individuals, including senior government officials. Milo Đukanović continues to face actions in various Italian courts over his role in widespread smuggling during the 1990s and in providing [[safe haven]] in Montenegro for different Italian [[Mafia]] figures who also allegedly took part in the smuggling distribution chain.
In [[1997]] a bitter dispute over presidential election results took place. It ended with Milo Đukanović winning over Momir Bulatović in a second-round run-off plagued with irregularities. Nonetheless, the authorities allowed the results to stand. Former close allies had by this time become bitter foes, which resulted in a near-warlike atmosphere in Montenegro for months during the autumn of 1997. It also split the [[Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro]]. Bulatović and his followers broke away to form the [[Socialist People's Party of Montenegro]] (SNP), staying loyal to Milošević, whereas Đukanović began to distance himself from Serbia. This distance from the policies of Milošević played a role in sparing Montenegro from the heavy bombing that Serbia endured in the spring of 1999 during the [[Operation Allied Force|NATO air-campaign]].
Đukanović came out a clear winner from this political fight, as he never lost power for even a day. Bulatović, on the other hand, never held office again in Montenegro after 1997 and eventually retired from politics in 2001.
In [[2003]], after years of wrangling and outside assistance, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia renamed itself as "[[Serbia and Montenegro]]" and officially reconstituted itself as a loose union. The [[State Union]] had a parliament and an army in common, and during the three years (till 2006), neither Serbia nor Montenegro held a referendum on the break-up of the union. However, a referendum was announced in Montenegro to decide the future of the [[republic]]. The ballots cast in the controversial [[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006]] resulted in a 55.5% victory for independence supporters, just above the 55% borderline mark set by the EU. Montenegro declared independence on [[June 3]], [[2006]].
==Etymology==
The linguist [[Matteo Bartoli]] wrote that the name ''Montenegro'' derives from the [[Venetian language|Venetian]] words for "black mountain", because the black appearance of [[Mount Lovćen]]'s pine forests inspired early Venetian conquerors. ''Crna Gora'' [[calque]]s ''Monte negro'' in [[Serbian language|Serbian]] language.
==See also==
* [[Montenegro]]
* [[Serbs]]
* [[Montenegrins]]
* [[History of Montenegrins]]
* [[History of Yugoslavia]]
* [[History of the Balkans]]
* [[History of Europe]]
* [[Demographic history of Montenegro]]
* [[List of rulers of Montenegro]]
==External links==
*[http://www.njegos.org/ Serb Land of Montenegro: History of Montenegro as it is - in English and Serbian]
*[http://www.historicaltextarchive.com/books.php?op=viewbook&bookid=41&cid=5 King Nicholas of Montenegro and Essad Pasha of Albania: The Black Mountain Folk vs. the Sons of the Eagle]
*[http://www.njegos.net/en/studies/index.html?=tnnstudies.html The Njegos Network]
*[http://www.montenegro.yu/english/podaci/history.htm Montenegrin Government official History page]
*[http://www.mnmuseum.org/StartE.htm The national Museum of Montenegro]
*[http://www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-cg/povijest/jsbalevic-opis_en.html Jovan Stefanov Balević : Short historic-geographical description of Montenegro from 1757]
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Montenegro}}
{{Republics of the former Yugoslavia}}
{{History of Europe}}
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[[Category:History of Montenegro|Montenegro]]
[[Category:History of the Serbs|Serbs]]
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