Recent History
From 2003 to 2006, Serbia is part of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, into which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had been transformed. On May 21, 2006, Montenegro held a referendum to determine whether or not to terminate the union with Serbia. The next day, state-certified results showed voters favoring independence, with 55.4% of voters in favor, just above the 55% mandate required by the referendum. The union is expected to be dissolved soon, with Serbia and Montenegro becoming independent countries.
On 5 June 2006 National Assembly of Serbia declared Serbia the successor to the State Union, following the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro who declared Montenegro independent.
Longer Historical Perspective
The roots of the Serbian state reach back to the 7th century and the House of Vlastimirovic. The Serbian kingdom (centered around Duklja) was established in the 11th century. Marked by a disintegration and crises, it lasted until the end of 12th century.
The renewal of the medieval Serbian state in this region was performed by Stefan Nemanja, the Serbian Grand who lived in the 12th century. In 1220, under Stefan the First Crowned, Serbia became a kingdom, and in 1346, an empire under Stefan was established. The Empire was disintegrated and fell to the Ottoman Turks, after the historic Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, and the northern Serbian territories (the Serbian Despotate) were conquered by 1459, when Smederevo fell. Bosnia fell a few years after Smederevo, and Herzegovina followed in 1482. In the period between 1459 and 1804, Serbia remained under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, despite three Austrian invasions and numerous rebellions. Islam expanded during this time, and many Serbs converted to this new religion.
The First Serbian Uprising of 1804-1813, lead by Karadorde or Black George, and the Second Serbian Uprising of 1815 resulted in the establishment of the Principality of Serbia which was semi-independent from the Ottoman Empire, and the formation of modern Serbia.
From 1815 to 1903, the Serbian state was ruled by the House of Obrenovic, with a break in the period from 1842 to 1858, when Serbia was ruled by Prince Aleksandar Karadordevic. In 1903, the House of Obrenovic was permanently replaced by the House of Karadordevic.
The struggle for a modern society, human rights and a nation state lasted almost three decades and was completed with the adoption of the constitution on 15th February 1835. In 1876, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia declared war against the Ottoman Empire and proclaimed their unification. However, the Treaty of Berlin of 1878, which was agreed at the Congress of Berlin by the Great Powers, granted complete independence only to Serbia and Montenegro, leaving Bosnia to Austria-Hungary, which blocked their unification until the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, and WWI (1914-1918).
