Rise of Nationalism in The Balkans - Serbs

Serbs

Serbian national movement represents one of the first examples of successful national resistance against the Ottoman rule. It culminated in two mass uprisings at the beginning of the 19th century, leading to national liberation and establishment of the modern Serbian state and Montenegro. One of the main centers of this movement was the Belgrade Pashaluk (Turkish: Belgrad Paşalığı), which became the core of the reestablished Serbian national state.

A number of factors contributed to its rise. Above all the nucleus of national identity was preserved in the form of the Serbian Orthodox Church which remained in one form or another autonomous throughout the period of Ottoman occupation. Adherence to Orthodox Christianity is still considered an important factor in ethnic self-determination. Both of these entities preserved links with medieval Kingdom of Serbia keeping the idea of national liberation alive.

The other group of factors stem from regional political events during the period of Ottoman rule, the 17th and 18th centuries in particular. At the turn of the 19th century the region of Belgrade Pashaluk had a relatively recent experience of Austrian rule, as a result of Treaty of Passarowitz. Although the territory of northern Serbia was reverted to Ottoman rule according to the Treaty of Belgrade, the region saw almost continuous warfare during the 18th century. As a result, the Ottomans never established full feudal order in the Belgrade Pashaluk. Free peasants owning small plots of land constituted the majority of population. Furthermore, most of the leaders of future armed rebellions earned valuable military knowledge serving in Austrian irregular troops, Freikorps. The proximity of the Austrian border provided the opportunity of getting the needed military material. Serbian national leaders could also count on financial and logistic support of fellow Serbs living in relative prosperity in Austrian Empire.

The immediate cause for the start of the First Serbian Uprising was mismanagement of the province by renegade Janissary troops which managed to seize power in Belgrade. However fueled by initial success the rebellion quickly grew to a fully fledged war of national liberation, with clear aim to spread armed struggle to other Ottoman regions inhabited by Serbian population.

Though ultimately unsuccessful, this First Serbian Uprising paved the way for the Second Serbian Uprising of 1815, which eventually succeeded in Serbia.

Resurrected Serbia would eventually become a center of resistance to Ottomans, actively supporting liberation movements in neighboring Christian lands, especially Bosnia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. Serbia would go on to fight a series of, largely successful wars with Ottoman empire culminating in the First Balkan War of 1912.