- published: 04 Feb 2010
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Coordinates: 44°N 21°E / 44°N 21°E / 44; 21
Serbia (i/ˈsɜːrbiə/, Serbian: Србија / Srbija, IPA: [sř̩bija]), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija), is a sovereign state situated at the crossroads between Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central Balkans. Serbia is landlocked and borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro to the west; it also claims a border with Albania through the disputed territory of Kosovo. The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, is one of the largest cities in Southeast Europe. Serbia numbers around 7 million residents.
Following the Slavic migrations to the Balkans from the 6th century onwards, Serbs established several states in the early Middle Ages. The Serbian Kingdom obtained recognition by Rome and Constantinople in 1217; it reached its peak in 1346 as a relatively short-lived Serbian Empire. By the mid-16th century, the entire territory of modern-day Serbia was annexed by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century, the Serbian Revolution established the nation-state as the region's first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory. Following disastrous casualties in World War I, and subsequent unification of Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina with Serbia, the country co-founded Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples, which would exist in various political formations until the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, which had devastating effects for the region. As a result, Serbia formed a union with Montenegro in 1992, which broke apart in 2006, when Serbia again became an independent country. In 2008 the parliament of Kosovo, Serbia's southern province with an Albanian ethnic majority, declared independence, with mixed responses from the international community.
The Kingdom of Serbia (Serbian: Краљевина Србија/Kraljevina Srbija; German: Königreich Serbien; Latin: Regnum Serviae) was a province (crownland) of the Habsburg monarchy from 1718 to 1739. It was formed from the territories to the south of the rivers Sava and Danube, corresponding to the paşalık of Belgrade, conquered by the Habsburgs from the Ottoman Empire in 1717. It was abolished and returned to the Ottoman Empire in 1739.
Although Habsburg rule was more oppressive than Ottoman and exploited the local Serb majority, the latter did benefit from self-government, including an autonomous militia, and economic integration with the Habsburg monarchy—reforms that contributed to the growth of the Serb middle class and were continued by the Ottomans "in the interest of law and order". Serbia's population increased rapidly from 270,000 to 400,000, but the decline of Habsburg power in the region provoked the second Great Serb Migration (1737–39).
In 1688–89, during the Great Turkish War, the Habsburg troops temporarily took control over most of present-day Serbia, but were subsequently forced into retreat. The Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 recognized Ottoman authority over most of present-day Serbia, while the region of Bačka and the western part of Syrmia were assigned to the Habsburgs.
The Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia (German: Gebiet des Militärbefehlshabers in Serbien) was the area of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia that was placed under a military government of occupation by the Wehrmacht following the invasion, occupation and dismantling of Yugoslavia in April 1941. The territory included Serbia proper, with the addition of the northern part of Kosovo (around Kosovska Mitrovica), and the Banat. This territory was the only area of partitioned Yugoslavia in which the German occupants established a military government. This was due to the key rail and riverine transport routes that passed through it, and its valuable resources, particularly non-ferrous metals. On 22 April 1941, the territory was placed under the supreme authority of the German military commander in Serbia, with the day-to-day administration of the territory under the control of the chief of the military administration staff. The lines of command and control in the occupied territory were never unified, and were made more complex by the appointment of direct representatives of senior Nazi figures such as Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (for police and security matters), Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (for the economy), and Reichsminister Joachim von Ribbentrop (for foreign affairs). The Germans used Bulgarian troops to assist in the occupation, but they were at all times under German control. Sources variously describe the territory as a puppet state, a protectorate, a "special administrative province", or describe it as having a puppet government. The military commander in Serbia had very limited German garrison troops and police detachments to maintain order, but could request assistance from a corps of three divisions of poorly-equipped occupation troops.
Vojvodina Province in Serbia already enjoys partial autonomy,including an independent judiciary and special economic privileges. Yet Vojvodina's full autonomous status was revoked under former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic.Now the Serbian government is trying to maintain control. Belgrade wants to prevent Vojvodina from becoming a sovereign state with Novi Sad as its capital. Serbian nationalists feel they have made enough concessions and fear that Vojvodina will go the way of Kosovo and declare independence.
Belgrade for 4 years. Authorities canceled previous rallies to avoid a repeat of violence from anti-gay hardliners.
The Serbian anti-regime youth movement Otpor is an inspiration to the Tunisian and Egyptian demonstrators who recently took to the streets to call for greater democracy in their countries. In 2000, the activities of the student-led Serbian uprising, Otpor! led to the overthrow of dictator Slobodan Milošević.Some of its members went on to set up the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies, which provides training and workshops for pro-democracy activists in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Iraq. They teach the importance of following an idea rather than a person: and of having stamina and faith in peaceful change. And these days, student protestors can use the Internet to get organized.
The EU aims to start accession talks with Serbia in 2014, although a continuation of the process of reconciliation in the region remains a precondition. Reconciliation remains a thorny issue in Serbia, with militant nationalists opposing those with more pro-western views. There's still no assurance that Serbia will continue its progress toward Brussels and normalize relations with its former province, Kosovo. More information: http://www.dw.de/program/european-journal/s-3065-9798
Historically, the train link between Belgrade and Sarajevo was probably the most important one in the Balkans. Today the service lacks some of the comforts of yesteryear.The restaurant car is Serbian, but both of the other cars are Bosnian: one comes from the Serb-dominated political entity Republika Srpska while the other is from the Muslim-Croat Federation. The locomotive is changed every time the train crosses the border, slowing down the trip significantly. But the new train connection is symbolic -- showing that the former enemies are trying to improve their relationship.
In the Interview: Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić
For more information and videos go to: http://www.dw.de/journal Severe flooding has killed at least twenty people in Bosnia and Serbia. Officials say that death toll could rise. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes as waters continue to surge. It's the worst rains and flooding to hit the region since records began more than 120 years ago.
Last week's catastrophic floods in Serbia and Bosnia also brought with them new dangers: dredged up landmines. These explosive relics from the Bosnian War of the 1990s, are creating extra dangers for rescue workers. Homepage: http://www.dw.de/program/european-journal/s-3065-9798
Tensions are rising between Serbia and Croatia as the two countries struggle to deal with the migrant crisis. Photo: AP Don’t miss a WSJ video, subscribe here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM
Following the introduction of strict border rules, Hungary declared a crisis situation in two counties struggling to cope with the growing number of migrants. Mark Kelly reports. Image: AFP Subscribe to the WSJ channel here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com Follow WSJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wsjvideo Follow WSJ on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+wsj/posts Follow WSJ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJvideo Follow WSJ on Instagram: http://instagram.com/wsj Follow WSJ on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wsj/ Don’t miss a WSJ video, subscribe here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video On Facebook: https://ww...
Coordinates: 44°N 21°E / 44°N 21°E / 44; 21
Serbia (i/ˈsɜːrbiə/, Serbian: Србија / Srbija, IPA: [sř̩bija]), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija), is a sovereign state situated at the crossroads between Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central Balkans. Serbia is landlocked and borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro to the west; it also claims a border with Albania through the disputed territory of Kosovo. The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, is one of the largest cities in Southeast Europe. Serbia numbers around 7 million residents.
Following the Slavic migrations to the Balkans from the 6th century onwards, Serbs established several states in the early Middle Ages. The Serbian Kingdom obtained recognition by Rome and Constantinople in 1217; it reached its peak in 1346 as a relatively short-lived Serbian Empire. By the mid-16th century, the entire territory of modern-day Serbia was annexed by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century, the Serbian Revolution established the nation-state as the region's first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory. Following disastrous casualties in World War I, and subsequent unification of Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina with Serbia, the country co-founded Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples, which would exist in various political formations until the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, which had devastating effects for the region. As a result, Serbia formed a union with Montenegro in 1992, which broke apart in 2006, when Serbia again became an independent country. In 2008 the parliament of Kosovo, Serbia's southern province with an Albanian ethnic majority, declared independence, with mixed responses from the international community.