Руска дипломатија о односима Србије и Црне Горе (1900-1903)
Russian Diplomacy on the Relations between Serbia and Montenegro (1900-1903)

Summary/Abstract: Russia started the year 1900 with the intentions to strengthen its influence in the Balkans. The main portion of the Russian plans concerned bringing Balkan countries closer to each other, among others, Kingdom of Serbia and the Principality of Montenegro. The Russian diplomacy, however, did not have a united position on the methods of acting in the Balkan Peninsula. On the one side, there were Lamsdorf, the Foreign Minister and Kapnist, emissary in Vienna, who firmly advocated peace and status quo agreed with Austria-Hungary in 1897, as a prerequisite for maintaining Russian positions in the Far East. On the other side, there was Charikov, Minister in Belgrade, supported by Kuropatkin, Minister of War, and Alekseyev, a navy admiral, 50 АВПРИ, ф. 151, Политархив, оп. 482,1903, д. 500, део I, л. 372, 396, 406. Руски цар строго забранио да се истиче кандидатура руског велоког кнеза на српски престо, исто, л. 412; исто, д. 498, л. 343. 51 Д . Живојиновић, Краљ Петар I Карађорђевић, II, Београд 2003, 22 – 25. 52 АВПРИ, ф. 151, Политархив, оп. 482, д. 500, део I, л. 376. Руска дипломатија о односима Србије и Црне Горе ... 207 all of whom advocated a stronger role of Russia in the Balkans. In that sense, their plans regarding political and military alliance of the Balkan countries were more radical. With the crisis of Turkey in late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the increasing complications in the Turkish provinces in Europe, they believed that the future outcome would soon follow, and that Russia had to participate more actively in it. In bringing Cetinje and Belgrade closer to each other, Russia took on the role of a patron, carefully supervising those relations and determining their course of action. Their plans for harmonious relations between the two countries were thwarted by the rivalry between Cetinje and Belgrade over the leading role in Serbdom, and from the early 20th century, by the important very important question of succession to the Serbian throne, since Alexander Obrenović did not achieve posterity in his marriage to Queen Draga. This fiasco of the Obrenović dynasty could have become a serious obstacle in improving relations between Serbia and Montenegro. However, the breach soon proved to be rather futile, since the successor to the throne was chosen primarily by the great powers. Prince Nikola Petrović was never an option as a candidate for the Serbian throne. Tsar Nikolai II underlined a statement in the report of a Russian Minister, in which it was insinuated that there was some kind of mystery surrounding the murder of the Obrenović royal couple and the selection of Karadjordjević, which would “probably remain forever undisclosed”. More than a hundred years later, the events indeed remain wrapped in mystery to a certain extent.

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