Serbs

Serbs
Срби

Total population
9—10 million
Regions with significant populations
Serbia 5,988,150 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,437,893 Montenegro 178,110 Hungary 7,210 Germany 700,000 Switzerland 186,000 United States 199,080 Belgium 20,000
Languages
Serbian
Religion
Predominantly Serbian Orthodox Church also some Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Croats, other Southern Slavs

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The Serbs (Serbian: Срби), or the Serbian people (Serbian: Српски народ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans region of Southeastern Europe. They predominantly inhabit the Republic of Serbia, but also constitute communities in former Yugoslav republics, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (via the Republika Sprska), Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and the disputed Kosovo. They also form some significant diasporas in western nations such as the United States, Germany and Canada due to the violatile effects of the Balkan Wars.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is the second-oldest Slavic Orthodox church. In the history of the southern Slavic people, the Serbs (along with their Croat and Slovene counterparts) enjoy a rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

In the 1300s, the Serbs came under Ottoman sway, and through the 1700s and 1800s, a number of revolts occured and in the War of 1877-1878, with Russian aid and a coalition of other Balkan Orthodox nation, the Principality of Serbia was formed. However throughout their history, communities of Serbs have been dispersed throughout the Balkans, outside of the borders of Serbia proper, and the desire to unite Serb-inhabited lands  played an important role in the formation of Yugoslavia which existed as a united monarchy of southern Slavic-speaking peoples, and later a communist and socialist nation, that lasted until the 1990s.

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History

Early History and Ancestry

What is now Serbia, and the Balkans region have been part of various empires. According to Byzantine and Roman sources, Slavs settled into the Balkans region as early as 500 A.D, namely the Sclaveni and the Antes (the East Slavs - ancestors of Kievan Rus).  The Sclaveni would be long-considered the ancestor of the South Slavs. The Roman historian Procopius ends up referring to them as "Barbarians" who lived under democracy, but lacked a single ruler. The Sclaveni and the Antes both raided the Danube regions of Southern Europe. The Southern Slavs eventually accepted Byzantine suzereinty and hegemony, however - were a war-like people. They raided the Greek city of Thessaloniki in 614-616, and later ended up allying themselves with Turkic groups such as the Avars and Bulgars. Around 618 A.D., mixed communities of Slavs and Greeks formed, which aided and was also aided by the conversion of Slavs to Christianity.

Medieval States in the Balkans

Principality of Serbia 768-969

Principality of Serbia or Serbian Principality (Serbian: Cрпска Кнежевина Srpska Kneževina) was an early medieval state of the Serbs ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty, that existed from ca 768 to 969 in Southeastern Europe. It was established through an unification of several South Slavic tribes under the supreme rule of Višeslav, the first known Serbian ruler by name (768–814). In 822, the Serbs were said to rule the "greater part of Dalmatia", and at the same time the

The Serb Archonty c. 850.

Bulgars had taken the lands to the east, preparing to conquer Serbia. Vlastimir defeated the Bulgar army in a three-year-war (839–842), and the two powers lived in peace for some decades. Vlastimir's three sons succeeded in ruling Serbia together, although not for long; Serbia became a key part in the power struggle between the Byzantines and Bulgars (in predominantly Byzantine alliance), which also resulted in major dynastic civil wars for a period of three decades. Serbia was annexed by the Bulgars for three years (924–927), until the return of the political hostage Časlav, who united several provinces, becoming the most powerful of the Vlastimirović. An important event was the establishment of Christianity as state-religion in 869 AD, and the founding of the first Serbian eparchy, the Eparchy of Ras. The information of the Vlastimirović dynasty ends with De Administrando Imperio 950–960). Serbia was annexed by the Byzantines in 969 and ruled as the Catepanate of Ras.

State of Rascia 1090-1217

The Serbian Grand Principality, also known as Rascia, was founded in 1090, and ended with the elevation to Kingdom in 1217. During the reign of Constantine Bodin, the King of Duklja, Vukan was appointed to rule Rascia as a vassal, and when Bodin was captured by the Byzantines, Vukan became independent and took the title of Grand Prince. When Bodin had died, Rascia became the strongest entity, in which the Serbian realm would be seated, in hands of the Vukanović dynasty. Uroš I, the son of Vukan, ruled Serbia when the Byzantines invaded Duklja, and Rascia would be next in line, but with diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Hungary, Serbia retained its independence. Uroš II initially fought the Byzantines, but after a defeat soon gives oaths of servitude to the Emperor. Desa, the brother of Uroš II and an initial Byzantine ally, turned to Hungarian support, but was deposed in 1163, when Stefan Tihomir of a cadet line (which would become Nemanjić dynasty), was put on the throne by the Emperor.

State of Raska

Nemanjić's Serbia, 1150–1220, during the rules of Stefan Nemanja and Stefan Prvovenčani.

From late 12th century onwards, a new state called Raska, centred in present-day southern Serbia, rose to become the paramount Serb state. Over the 13th and 14th centuries, it ruled over the other Serb lands (the Hum, Travunia and Duklja/Zeta. During this time, Serbia began to expand eastward and, southward into Kosovo and northern Macedonia for the first time. This shift away from the Adriatic coast brought Serbia increasingly under the influence of the Eastern Orthodox, although a substantial proportion of Catholics were found in the coastal regions. Although Europe had already experience the East-West Schism by this time, such a split was far less concrete than it is today, and Catholic Slavs in Bosnia and the Dalmatian coast practiced Christianity in a similar way to Orthodox Slavs – priests married, wore beards and gave liturgy in Slavic rather than Latin. By the beginning of the 14th century Serbs lived in three distinctly independent kingdoms- Dioclea, Rascia and Syrmia.

Led by the Nemanjić dynasty, medieval Serbia reached its military, economic and legal climax. The Kingdom of Serbia was proclaimed in 1217. Direct result of this was the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219. In the same year Saint Sava published the first constitution in Serbia – Zakonopravilo (St. Sava's Nomocanon).

Stefan Dušan proclaimed the Serbian Empire in 1346. During Dušan's rule, Serbia reached its territorial,

Serbian Empire, 1355 A.D.

political and economical peak, proclaiming itself as the successor of the Byzantine Empire, and became the most powerful Balkan state of that time. The loss of these areas harmed the Byzantine economy. Tsar Dušan enacted the known Dušan's Code, an extensive constitution, and opened new trade routes and strengthened the state's economy. Serbia flourished, becoming one of the most developed countries and cultures in Europe. Medieval Serbia had a high political, economic, and cultural reputation in Europe. The Serbian identity has been profoundly shaped by the rule of this dynasty and its accomplishments, with the Serbian Orthodox Church who assumed the role of the national spiritual guardian.

Before his sudden death, Stefan Dušan tried to organize a Crusade with the Pope against the threatening Turks. He died in December 1355 at the age 47. He was succeeded by his son Uroš, called the Weak, a term that might also apply to the state of the empire which slowly slided into a feudal anarchy. This was a period marked by the rise of a new threat: the Ottoman Turk sultanate which spread from Asia to Europe. They conquered Byzantium and then the other states in the Balkans.

Ottoman Rule

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Serbian Despotate was subdued by the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. The Ottomans defeated the Serbs at the Battle of Maritsa in 1371, making vassals of the southern governors, soon thereafter, the Emperor died. As Uroš was childless and the nobility could not agree on the rightful heir, the Empire was ruled by semi-independent provincial lords, who often were in feuds with each other. The most powerful of these, Tsar Lazar, a Duke of present-day central Serbia (which had not yet come under Ottoman rule), stood against the Ottomans at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The result was indecisive, but it resulted in the subsequent fall of Serbia. Stefan Lazarević, the son of Lazar, succeeded as ruler, but had by 1394 become an Ottoman vassal. In 1402 he renounced Ottoman rule and became an Hungarian ally, the years following are characterized by the Ottomans and Hungary battling over the territory of Serbia. In 1453, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, and in 1458 Athens was taken. In 1459, Serbia was annexed, Greece as well, a year later.

First Serbian Uprising 1804-1813

In 1804, after a massacre of Serb citizens of the Ottoman Empire, Petar Karađorđe was chosen to lead the Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire. Karađorđe had a military background, and had fought for the Austrians in the Austro-Turkish War. After failed attempts to quell the rebellion, the Sultan eventually sent military forces after the Serb rebels.

Karađorđe's forces defeated the Ottomans in the Battle of Ivankovac in 1805, Battle of Mišar in 1806 and soon, entered into an alliance with the Russian Empire, an ally, and a mutual adversary of the Ottoman Empire. In 1806, the Serbs defeated the Ottomans against in Deligrad - influencing Bulgarian and Greek uprisings.

In 1806, Karađorđe declared Belgrade the capital of Serbia (where it would remain the capital of both Yugoslavia and modern-day Serbia). However, internal strife, lack of a unified communication system between commanders, as well as the Ottoman Empire's diverse array of forces allowed the Ottomans to re-conquer Serbia in the latter stages. Due to the coming French invasion by the Emperor Napoleon, the Russian Empire was forced to withdraw its forces from the Balkans, allowing the Ottomans to take advantage of the situation.

In 1813, Karađorđe fled to Austria, along with other Serb rebels.

Second Serbian Uprising Against Ottoman Rule 1815-1817

The Second Serbian Uprising (1815–1817) was a second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the brutal annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire and the failed Hadži Prodan's revolt. The revolutionary council proclaimed an uprising in Takovo on April 23, 1815, with Milos Obrenović chosen as the leader (while Karađorđe was still in exile in Austria). The decision of the Serb leaders was based on two reasons. First, they feared a general massacre of knezes. Second, they learned that Karađorđe was planning to return from exile in Russia. The anti-Karađorđe faction, including Miloš Obrenović, was anxious to forestall Karađorđe and keep him out of power.

Fighting resumed at Easter in 1815, and Milos became supreme leader of the new revolt. When the Ottomans discovered this they sentenced all of its leaders to death. The Serbs fought in battles at Ljubic, Čačak, Palez, Požarevac and Dublje and managed to reconquer the Pashaluk of Belgrade. Milos advocated a policy of restraint: captured Ottoman soldiers were not killed and civilians were released. His announced goal was not independence but an end to abusive misrule.

Wider European events now helped the Serbian cause. Political and diplomatic means in negotiations between the Prince of Serbia and the Ottoman Porte, instead of further war clashes coincided with the political rules within the framework of Metternich's Europe. Prince Miloš Obrenović, an astute politician and able diplomat, in order to confirm his hard won loyalty to the Porte in 1817 ordered the assassination of Karađorđe Petrović. The final defeat of Napoleon in 1815 raised Turkish fears that Russia might again intervene in the Balkans. To avoid this the sultan agreed to make Serbia suzerain- semi independent state nominally responsible to the Porte.

Liberation from Ottoman Rule by Russia, 1877-1878

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, the Russians supported a number of Balkans uprisings against Ottoman rule, including that of the Bulgarians and the Serbs. This was known as the Balkans theater of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The Serbian army, poorly-equipped and accompanied by Russian leaders, thwarted several Ottoman offensives into Serbia. The Russians sent monetary aid to the Serbian army, allowing them to take more control of their army, with less Russian officers. The Romanians also aided the Russians in this battle. The offensives were successful, and the Ottomans were crushed by the coalitions of Serbs and Russians.

Principality of Serbia 1882-1918

The Kingdom of Serbia (Serbian: Краљевина Србија Kraljevina Srbija) was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned king in 1882. The Obrenovićs were supported by the Austro-Hungarians, and a result, relations with Russia suffered. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Obrenović dynasty from 1817 onwards (at times replaced by the Russian-supported Karađorđević dynasty). The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de facto securing its independence. The Congress of Berlin in 1878 recognized the formal independence of the Principality of Serbia.

In 1918, Serbia joined with the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia) under the rule of the Karađorđević dynasty. 

World War I 1914-1918

On June 28, 1948 the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in the city of Sarajevo (today the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina). They were assassinated by a militant leader Gavrilo Princip (Serbian: Гаврило Принцип). Princip led a militant group known as the Black Hand (Serbian: Црна рука), officially known as the Unification of Death (Serbian: Уједињење или смрт).

This militant group wanted to unify all of the Southern Slavs and Serbs against the Austrian rule. This led the Austrian-Hungarians to declare war on Serbia. Russia, having been a fervant ally of Serbia declared war on Austria-Hungary which led Germany, an ally of Austria Hungary to declare war on Russia. Despite achieving impressive victories against Germany, the Russian Empire was not successful in halting the Central Powers, and were amid a revolution and their lack of technological prowess compared with the West. In 1917, communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin pulled the Russians out of the war leaving the Central Powers in the advantage. Despite this, the Allied powers still defeated the Central armies.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1941

Promotional map of Yugoslavia

In October of 1918, the Kingdom of Serbia merged with the Kingdom of Croatia, then-a territory of Austria-Hungary, to form the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, which would - eventually become the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under a constitutional monarchy headed by the Karađorđević dynasty.

Although ruled and led by ethnic Serbs, the ideology behind this was the unification of Southern Slavs (a form of pan-Slavism), in which the kingdom would become known as Yugoslavia - literally meaning "Land of the South Slavs".

Serbs had bascially supported this, since it essentially allowed Serb lands to unite. Yugoslavia's first king was Peter I, with Nikola Pašić leading the country as the prime minister three times, especially in its beginning years. 

In 1929 through the 1930s, King Alexander abolished the constitutional monarchy, in favor an absolute monarchy, which caused rebellions throughout the kingdom, especially among ethnic Croats, who came to despise being under Serbian hegemony and Serbian rule - leading to the rise of the famous Croatian paramilitary group known as the Ustaše.

Supporters of the coup in Belgrade

In the wake of the Second World War, and amid pressure from the Axis powers, Dragiša Cvetković eventually made Yugoslavia a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, in exchange for a German promise not to transport troops and/or material through Yugoslav territory, or seek military assistance form Yugoslavia, much of the dismay of the Allies, and to the people of Yugoslavia herself.

However this government did not last long, when Dušan Simović, a military leader, along with other liberal pro-Western Serb nationalists, initiated a coup against the authoritarian government, in favor of a Western-friendly government, which led to a military retaliation by the Axis and an eventual all-out invasion of Yugoslavia.

The Westernization and liberalization of Yugoslavia was also spearheaded by philosopher and politician Slobodan Jovanović, who became Prime Minister in 1941, as Yugoslavia was being invaded by Axis forces. 

During this time, the royal Yugoslav government fled to the United Kingdom as an exiled state, with Jovanović beings its Prime Minister until 1943.

World War II

Josip Broz Tito (left) and Koča Popović (right) - an ethnic Serb Partisan

During the Second World War, Yugoslavia was invaded by Nazi Germany, and was unable to successfully defend the country from the Axis. The Yugoslav government fled to the United Kingdom, with Dušan Simović, Slobadan Jovanović and other prominent Yugoslavs and Serbs. The Axis powers who carved out the borders among themselves. The Serbs and Yugoslavs established militant groups across the nation to fight the invasion, since after all - Serbs were Slavs, which were an ethnic group considered "sub-human" under Hitler's Aryan supremacy regime. At the same time, the Axis powers carved out puppet armies of their own.

The National Government of Salvation (Serbian: Влада народног спаса) was the puppet state of Nazi Germany established in Serbia, with Belgrade as its capital. Milan Aćimović was chosen as the leader of this German puppet state, later replaced by Milan Nedić, who served with the Royal Yugoslav Navy, and was replaced during the 1941 coup.

Draža Mihailović with Chetnik forces

There were two types of anti-Axis paramiltary groups that sprung up amid Axis occupation, One, known as Partisans, were led by communist leader Josip Broz Tito (who was ethnically of Croat and Slovene descent) who adopted pro-Soviet ideals, mixed with pan-Yugoslav nationalism (a factor which would later damage relations between Communist Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union). The other group were known as Chetniks (Serbo-Croatian: Четници), led by Draža Mihailović (Serbian: Драгољуб Михаиловић), a royalist, conservative and right-wing leader. In the early days of German-occupied Serbia, the Chetniks had actually allied and cooperated with the German puppet state, due to sharing an avid hatred of communism.

In 1944, a coalition of forces that included Tito's Partisans, the Soviet and Bulgarian forces (a former Axis ally turned-Soviet puppet state) began the Belgrade Offensive (Serbo-Croatian: Београдска офензива/офанзива, Russian: Белградская стратегическая наступательная операция), which liberated the city of Belgrade from German forces. The Soviet forces did not stay, as they continued their push to Berlin.

Cold War

After the Second Cold War, Tito's Partisans emerged victorious in Yugoslavia over the Chetniks, and established a communist and socialist government with some Soviet support. As a result, the Chetniks and/or their supporters fled Yugoslavia, and Draža Mihailović was deemed a traitor by the communist government, Draža Mihailović was found, tried and executed (although decades later, he would be considered a national hero of post-communist Serbia). Josip Broz Tito emerged as the influential leader of Yugoslavia and were one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which meant being free of either the Western or Soviet sphere of influence - although initially, Tito was friendly with the Soviets, having actually served in the Lenin's original Red Army, as part of the Yugoslav camp of the Bolshevik movement.

Tito-Stalin Split and SFR Yugoslavia

Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Социјалистичка Федеративна Република Југославија), also known as SFR Yugoslavia, was formed after World War II, when Broz Tito adopted Soviet influence and introduced communism into Yugoslavia, yet - retained the idea of a unified Yugoslav ethnic group, with the hope of assimilating all the Southern Slavs into one such ethnic group. 

As such, for the first time, Yugoslavia was not under Serb rule, as Tito was of Croatian and Slovenian descent. 

In the years after the Second World War, while Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union were seen as close allies, however issues lingered between the two, in that while Tito was a staunch communist who provoked conflicts in Italy and Greece, to support Slavs in the former and communists in the latter, Stalin opposed such moves, to avoid confrontation with the Western powers.

Josip Broz Tito refused to become part of the Eastern Bloc or make Yugoslavia a Soviet satellite state, to which Stalin cosidered the latter to be the situation with Yugoslavia. Additionally, Tito's leadership led to a phenomenon within communist doctrine known as "Titoism", considered opposite to Stalinism. This caused the event known as the Tito-Stalin Split, in which the Soviets expelled and isolated Yugoslavia from the rest of the communist bloc. The split had initially ended close ties between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.

However during the leadership of Nikita Kruschev, an avid anti-Stalinist, relations were rekindled, and Josip Broz Tito was able to re-establish close cultural and political ties to the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia was pretty much Soviet-influenced in many aspects of its society as Tito was fluent in the Russian language. However, relations were never restored to where the two were considered "allies" and Yugoslavia pursued a unique policy of political neutrality - siding with neither the Soviet Union or the United States, yet, mantaining a status as a communist state.

Josip Broz Tito became one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, along with India, Indonesia and Egypt, known as the "Third Yalta", a bloc which neither opposes or supports the Soviet or Western spheres of influence (although India and Egypt would later come under Soviet sway).

Tito led a very influential leadership in Yugoslavia. Eventually, Yugoslavia develped into a regional power with a stable economy and a strong army, or the Yugoslav People's Army, the armed wing of Yugoslavia which originated from the Partisans of World War II. Although some Soviet influence did remain in Yugoslavia, such as the equipment used by the Yugoslav Armed Forces, which themselves were modified Yugoslav versions of Soviet weapons and machinery. However, the Yugoslav military also imported Western equipment.

Balkans War and Breakup of Yugoslavia 1990s

Ratko Mladić, Bosnian Serb leader, with paramilitary fighters in Vlasenica

In 1980, Tito passed away of old age. Tito had been the only effective unifying force in keeping Yugoslavia together, and what ensued after would be the horrific tragedy, whose haunting remnants are still felt in many former countries of Yugoslavia. It begins with the dispute over Tito's successor between Ante Marković, an ethnic Croat who favored reforms and ties to the West, and Borisav Jović, an ethnic Serb and a conservative communist, who blames the former for the collapse of Yugoslavia.

  In the 1990s, communism fell in Eastern and Southern Europe and communist nations either reverted to different political or economic doctrines or split into independent nations.

Ethnic nationalism among South Slavs - including that of Serbs, Macedonians, Bosniaks and Croats tore the nation the apart. Eventually the republics that once constituted Yugoslavia declared independence. More ethnic strife ensued in these countries, mostly among ethnic Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks in what historians called the Yugoslav Wars. Bosnia saw the worst, were the most intense moments of the Yugoslav Wars took place.

Slobodan Milošević, Serbia's president was charged as being the perpetrator to these. However, he was also an influential leader in Serbia, and at first, attempting to keep the Federal Republics of Yugoslavia together, eventually began to fight for Serb interests. 

In 1991, ethnic Croats, declared their independence, leading the Yugoslav military, now composed almost entirely of ethnic Serbs, to declare war on the Croatian nationalists, also with the intent to uniting Serb lands within Croatia - to become part of the new Serbian state, and began to shell and siege Vukovar. With western aid, the Croatians ended up victorious. Serb paramilitary forces also attempted to take Krajina, but ultimately failed, resulting in a Croatian genocide of the Krajina Serb population.

The worst was yet to unfold in Bosnia, where the newly-formed Serbian and Croatian states supported ethnic paramilitaries according to their respective nationalities in Bosnia, where the Republika Sprska and Bosnia-Herzeg (Bosnian Croats) fought one another in a bloody and hellish war marked by war crimes and rape. Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić were the principal leaders of the Bosnian Serb paramilitaries. Initially, the conflict had started with Croats and Bosniaks going to war against Serbs, but the former two eventually engaged against one another, turning the Bosnian theater into a three-way conflict as, ethnic Bosniak Muslim paramiltary entered the seen, fighting both Serb and Croat paramilitaries in Bosnia. The three-way conflict spiraled the situation out of control, calling the attention of major military powers such as that of NATO's member states, as well as Russia. 

The effects of the Balkan Wars is still felt today in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the Balkan Wars

After the Balkan Wars, Serbo-Croatian language was divided once more depending on the ethnic group, and the emergence of a "Serbian language". The Serbs found themselves politically divided between borders once more. Serbia and Montenegro stayed together as the Federal Republics of Yugoslavia, under the leadership of Slobodan Milošević, who was the leader of Serbia as a communist republic under SFR Yugoslavia. Serb communities remained in Bosnia, where they rule their entity, known as the Republika Sprska (Serbian: Република Српскa).

The Republika Sprska was supported by the government in Belgrade. Milošević attempted to consolidate his power, therefore - leading to the 1996 protests for government change and multi-party elections.  In 1998, the Kosovo War once-again fell out of control, between Albanian seperatists and FR Yugoslav forces, to which NATO intervened on quelling the conflict, although NATO supported Albanian separatists. 

As a result of Kosovo's disputed status, many ethnic Serb communities also inhabit Kosovo, although they are outnumbered by ethnic Albanians, and only decreased as ethnic tensions and violence between Albanians and Serbs are not uncommon in Kosovo. While the major western powers such as the United States and the rest of NATO consider Kosovo to be independent, major eastern powers such as Russia, China and India do not.

In 2000, Milošević stepped down as president against opposition parties, led by Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. The fall of the former led international institutions to re-kindle political ties with Yugoslavia, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia stated an intent to join the European Union, which would begin an era of progressive policies in Serbia. In 2006, Montenegro successfully seperated from the union with Serbia, out of ethnic nationalist and seperatism and the proclaiming a distinct Montenegrin langauge, culture and identity seperate from the Serbian one, thus ending the last of Yugoslavia. Still, this further divided the ethnic Serbs furthremore, as many who still considered themselves to be Serbs remained within the borders of the new nation of Montenegro. 

In its recently history, the Serbian government has been attempting to Europeanize and Westernize Serbia, under the leadership of the Progressive Party of Serbia, this includes cooperation with NATO. However, this has created a political divide in Serbia, between those wanting to join the European Union, and those who want to become a Russian ally, a long-time historical ally of Serbia, with the latter being spearheaded by the Radical Party of Serbia, while both the Radicals and Progressives espouse Serbian nationalism, the two differ in their approaches to foreign policy.

Language

Serbs speak Serbian, which is a Southern Slavic language. It is Serbia's official language, one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's official languages and one of the two official languages of the disputed Kosovo. The Serbian language is Serbia's national register of the Serbo-Croatian language. Serbian and Serbo-Croatian belong to the South Slavic subfamily of the Slavic languages. As of 2006, there are 9,000,000 native speakers of the Serbian language. The sister languages of Serbian are Bosnian, Croatian and Montenegrin. Those too, are seperate registers of the same language, Serbo-Croatian. Currently, Serbian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, or Serbian Cyrillic with contains numerous and unique differences against other forms of Cyrillic (such as the Russian and Bulgarian variants). However, the Latin alphabet is still widely used and taught alongisde Cyrillic.

Religion

St. Sava Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia - one of the world's largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals

Most Serbs are overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox, in particualr, the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is one of the many recognized major autocephalous churches. It is the second oldest Slavic Orthodox Church in the world (after the Bulgarian Orthodox Church). The Serbian Orthodox Church is the traditional church in Serbia and Republika Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), with 84% and around 88% of the population being adherents, respectively. Additionally, majority of population in Montenegro are at least nominal adherents of the church. The Serbian Orthodox

Inside the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Chicago, northeastern Illinois is home to a large Serbian-American community

Church is organized into metropolises and eparchies located primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia, but also all over the world since many Serbs have emigrated to foreign countries.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, member of the Orthodox communion. The Patriarch of Serbia serves as first among equals in his church; the current patriarch is Irinej. The Church achieved autocephalous status in 1219 under the leadership of St. Sava, becoming independent Archeparchy of Žiča. Its status was elevated to that of a patriarchate in 14th century, and was known afterwards as the Patriarchate of Peć. This patriarchate was abolished by the Ottoman Turks in the 18th century. The modern Serbian Orthodox Church was re-established in 1920 after the unification of the Patriarchate of Karlovci, the Metropolitanate of Belgrade and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is the custodian of many significant Christian relics, such as the right hand of John the Baptist, Saint George's hand and skull parts, Holy Cross segments, St. Paraskevi's finger and body of St. Basil of Ostrog, among others.

Cuisine

Serbian cuisine is a Balkan type cuisine. It bears similarity and influence to Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines. Typical breakfasts are usually small, which include coffee and pastries as staple ingredients of breakfast. Burek is a pastry, of Turkish origin made of flaky dough and commonly filled with cheeses such as sirene. Popara is a type of meal made of leftovers from breads and pastries. Popara is also eaten in other Balkan

ćevapčići.

and Turkic countries. Main courses include foods like goulash, roasted pork and noodles with poppy. Serbian food is also commonly grilled. Roštilj refers to Serbian style barbeque. Pljeskavica is a dish made of grilled ground meat, sometimes eaten as a hamburger. Pljeskavica is a national Serbian dish. Another national dish in Serbia is ćevapčići. Ćevapčići is the Balkan version of kebabs, but this type is also made with ground meat. Rakia is a famous Balkan alcoholic drink, equivalent to Russian vodka. Rakia is also a popular Serbian alcoholic beverage. Šljivovica is the national version of rakia in Serbia.

Notable Serbs or People of Serbian Origin

Jovan Vladimir Јован Владимир	The ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from around 1000 to 1016. He ruled during the protracted war between the Byzantine Empire and the First Bulgarian Empire. Vladimir was acknowledged as a pious, just, and peaceful ruler. He is recognized as a martyr and saint, with his feast day being celebrated on 22 May.
Stefan Nemanja Стефан Немања	The Grand Prince of the Serbian Principality (Rascia) from 1166 to 1196. He was an heir of the Vukanović dynasty and was the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty. He issued the "Hilandar Charter" for the newly founded monastery at Mount Athos. He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and history, being the founder of the powerful Serbian state that would evolve into the Serbian Empire, and the national church.
Saint Sava Свети Сава	A Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić, the youngest son of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja
Dušan the Mighty Душан Силни	He King of Serbia (from 8 September 1331) and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks (from 16 April 1346) until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan conquered a large part of southeast Europe, becoming one of his era's most powerful monarchs. He enacted the constitution of the Serbian Empire in Dušan's Code, perhaps the most important work of medieval Serbia.
Tsar Lazar Цар Лазар	A medieval Serbian ruler, who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, known in historiography as Moravian Serbia, comprised the basins of the Great Morava, West Morava, and South Morava Rivers. Lazar ruled it from 1373 until his death in 1389. Lazar's political programme was the reunification of the disintegrated Serbian state under him as the direct successor of the Nemanjić dynasty.
Mahmed Pasha Мехмед-паша	An Ottoman statesman hailing from Bosnia. Born into a Serbian family as Bajo Nenadic, he was recruited at an early age as part of the devşirme system of Ottoman collection of young Serbian boys to be raised to serve as a janissary.
Zaharije Orfelin Захаријa Орфелин	An 18th-century Serb polymath who lived and worked in the Austrian Monarchy and Venice. Described as a Renaissance man, he was an educator, administrator, poet, engraver, lexicographer, herbalist, historian, translator, editor, publisher, polemicist, polyglot, a prominent oenologist, and traveler.
Karađorđe Petrović Ђорђе Петровић	Revolutionary who founded modern Serbia as the elected leader of the First Serbian Uprising (part of the Serbian Revolution) that aimed at liberating Serbia from the Ottoman Empire (1804–1813); he personally led armies against the Ottomans in several battles, which resulted in a short-lived state which he would administer as Grand Leader (Veliki Vožd) from 14 February 1804 to 21 September 1813, alongside the newly founded People's Assembly and the Governing Council, simulating a wholly functional state government in war-time.
Sava Vladislavich Сава Владиславић	A Serbian diplomat of the Russian Empire, count and merchant-adventurer in the employ of tsar Peter the Great, who conducted important diplomatic negotiations in Constantinople, Rome and Beijing. His most lasting achievement was the Treaty of Kiakhta, which regulated relations between the Russian Empire and the Qing Empire until the mid-19th century. Also, he was an author of a whole number of pamphlets, monographs, treaties and letters concerned with liberating the lands of the Slavs, then occupied by the Ottoman Empire and the forces of Leopold I.
Miloš Obrenović Милош Обреновић	Prince of Serbia from 1815 to 1839, and again from 1858 to 1860. He participated in the First Serbian Uprising, led Serbs in the Second Serbian Uprising, and founded the House of Obrenović. Under his rule, Serbia became an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire. Prince Miloš ruled autocratically, permanently refusing to share power. During his rule, he was the richest man in Serbia and one of the richest in the Balkans.
Vuk Karadžić Вук Караџић	A Serbian philologist and linguist who was the major reformer of the Serbian language. He is called, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles, the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was also the author of the first Serbian dictionary in his new reformed language.
Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Петар II Петровић Његош	A Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, a Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Cetinje, a philosopher and poet, whose work is considered responsible for the modernization of Montenegro.
Peter I Петар I	The last King of Serbia, and a member of the European House of Karađorđević. Prince Peter was born in Belgrade to Prince Alexander of Serbia and his consort, Princess Persida Nenadović. Prince Alexander abdicated in 1858, and the 14 year old Prince Peter went into exile with the rest of his family, initially staying in Wallachia, present-day Romania.
Nikola Pašić Никола Пашић	A Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat who was the most important Serbian political figure for almost 40 years, leader of the People's Radical Party who, among other posts, was twice a mayor of Belgrade (1890–91 and 1897) several times Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia (1891–92, 1904–05, 1906–08, 1909–11, 1912–18) and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918, 1921–24, 1924–26.)
Živojin Mišić Живојин Мишић	A Serbian vojvoda and arguably the most successful Serbian commander who participated in all of Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918. He directly commanded the First Serbian army in the Battle of Kolubara and in breach of the Thessaloniki Front was the Chief of the Supreme Command.
Stevan Mokranjac Стеван Мокрањац	Serbian composer and music educator. Born in Negotin in 1856, Mokranjac studied music in Belgrade, Munich, Rome and Leipzig while in his twenties. Later, he became the conductor of the Belgrade Choir Society and founder of the Serbian School of Music and the first Serbian string quartet, in which he played the cello. He left Belgrade at the beginning of World War I and moved to Skopje, where he died on 28 September 1914.
Nikola Tesla Никола Тесла	A Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who was best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Tesla gained experience in telephony and electrical engineering before emigrating to the United States in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison in New York City. He soon struck out on his own with financial backers, setting up laboratories and companies to develop a range of electrical devices.
Paja Jovanović Павле Јовановић	A Serbian Realist painter. He is considered one of Serbia's greatest academic painters. His most famous and recognizable paintings are the Serbian Migrations, the Crowning of Stefan Dušan, the Takovo Uprising, Cockfighting, Decorating of the Bride, and the Fencing Lesson. He also painted many famous portraits. While many of his works can be seen in many European museums across the continent some have been lost
Slobadan Jovanović Слободан Јовановић	A Serbian and Yugoslav historian, lawyer, educator, philosapher, politican and literary critic who served as the Prime Minister of the Yugoslav government in-exile until 1943. A pro-Western intellectual, and one of the most populer intellectuals of the time, he strongly advocated and spearheaded Yugoslavia's ties with the Allies. He also taught at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, served as rector of the University of Belgrade, president of the Serbian Royal Academy and represented Yugoslavia at the Paris Peace Conference.
Draža Mihailović Дража Михаиловић	A Yugoslav Serb fighter during World War II, who was mainly responsible for being the founder of the Chetnik movement, a right-wing anti-communist and anti-Axis guerillia movement in Yugoslavia, and one of the principle paramilitary forces fighting the Axis (allying with them at other times out of contempt for communists), during the communist regime he was tried and sentanced, but considered a national hero after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia.
Nadežda Petrović Надежда Петровић	A Serbian painter from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Considered Serbia's most famous impressionist and fauvist, she was the most important Serbian female painter of the period.
Slobadan Milošević Слободан Милошевић	A Yugoslav and Serbian politician, who was the last leader of SR Serbia during the days of SFR Yugoslavia, and soon became Serbia's first post-communist president, he instituted reforms that transitioned Yugoslavia (as FR Yugoslavia) from a one-party socialist and communist state, to a multi-party system and represented Serbia and ethnic Serbs (especially in Bosnia) during the Balkan Wars. Globally known, while he is considered a hero in Serbia and by many Serbs outside of the country, he was considered a war criminal by the West and tried as so by The Hague.
Emir Kusturica Емир Кустурица	A Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician, who is one of the most successful filmmakers from the Balkans, he is known for not only his internationally-acclaimed, but his building projects in his home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has won two Palme d'Or awards for his films, Best Director Prize and a Silver Bear from the Berlin Film Festival. He is also a recipient of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for his contribution to the arts.
Marina Abramović Марина Абрамовић	A Serbian American artist based in New York, a performance artist who began her career in the early 1970s. Her work explores the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body, and the possibilities of the mind. Active for over three decades, she has recently begun to describe herself as the "grandmother of performance art."
Kristina Kovač Кристина Ковач	A Serbian singer and composer. She is a major pop star in Serbia. She became famous during the 1990s when she and her sister Aleksandra Kovač were a big attraction in Serbia and surrounding countries - R&B band K2. She got back in the spotlight in 2007, thanks to her hit-single "Kolena" which spent more than 15 weeks at No. 1 on Serbian pop-rock charts and also entered MTV Adria Top 20. She is one of the judges on the first series of X Factor Adria.
Jasna Šekarić Јасна Шекарић	A Serbian sport shooter. She has won a total of five Olympic medals: one gold, three silvers and one bronze.[1] She has also won three World Championship gold medals in the 10 m air pistol. In 1992, she lost the Olympic gold medal to Russian Marina Logvinenko despite having the same score. She is one of only six shooters (by 2012) to compete in at least seven Olympic Games.
Ana Ivanović Ана Ивановић	Serbian tennis player ranked No. 1 in the world in 2008. As of January 27, 2014, she is no. 12 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings for singles. As of 2013, Ivanovic has career earnings of over 11 million US$. In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.
Milla Jovovich Милица Йовович	An American actress, musician, actress and fashion designer; born in the Ukrainian SSR to a Serbian father and a Russian mother, she is best known in acting for her roles in action movies and science fiction films, and also starred in the video game series Resident Evil and owns Creature Entertainment, her own production company.
Vlade Divac Владе Дивац	A Serbian philanthropist, and former professional basketball player and current sports administrator. He spent most of his career in the NBA. He was among the first group of European basketball players to transfer to the NBA in the late 1980s and was named one of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors. He is one of six players in NBA history to record 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwo. He was also placed in FIBA Hall of Fame.
Gregg Popovich Грег Попович	An American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. Taking over as coach of the Spurs in 1996, he is the longest tenured coach in both the NBA and all Big Four sports leagues. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop". He has won five NBA championships as the head coach of the Spurs. He also has the most consecutive winning seasons (playoffs included) of any NBA coach, at 16. He was born in the United States to a Serbian father and a Croatian mother.

See Also

• Bulgarians
• Russians