Thread by @cbkwgl

Another interesting character from the Age of Collapsing Empires - Alexander I of Yugoslavia. A true Little Babu as what an Indian civil servant called another(Babu in this sense, approximately means Boss). Trace his career, one would see pettiness at every step -

which led to death of 30% of Serbian Population and eventually his death. In fact, he was not even the Crown Prince. His elder brother John was. But, when his brother, who was not in favour of the united Serbian lobby murdered a servant,

the outrage created was that huge that he had to relinquish his rights to the throne. When his brother Alexander became king, fearing support to his brother, Alexander got him arrested and charged him as insane. Even when Alexander was killed in 1934(by a Macedonian Bulgarian for

the brutalities of the Serbian Government in that area), he wasn’t released from prison – that powerful Alexander’s grip on the government was. He was eventually released by the Nazis and was the only person from the royal family who was allowed to stay in Communist Yugoslavia.

One of the first things Alexander did after becoming the Crown Prince was a hefty donation to Black Hand – the organization which assassinated Franz Ferdinand and triggered the First World War. The Bulgarians and Serbs joined hands in 1912 to eject Ottomans from the Balkans -

what changed in those two years? Well, it looks like, during his victory march through Kosovo, he was showered with petals and when he stopped to ask a little girl what she is, she replied, “I am a Bulgarian”. He slapped her and it created a massive outrage in Bulgaria.

It’s no surprise that he died in the hands of a Bulgarian. In fact, after the war, Serbian authorities searched for the girl’s father and tried to bribe him to denounce the story of fake – he rejected. That persistent the story was in popular memory!!

Then, he started to grow rapidly politically and forced his father out of the throne and became the regent in 1914 after ousting one of the ring leaders of the 1903 palace massacre from throne. Then, he tried for the hand of a Russian Princess but was rejected as an unequal.

Franz Ferdinand was murdered and Alexander(not Peter) delayed with the ultimatum till things ruptured. One of the first things he did? Asked his grandfather Nicholas of Montenegro to side him.

Attacked from the North by the Austrians, and from Bulgaria in the South, the Serbian resistance swiftly collapsed and the Serbains fled into Albania to reach Adriatic and safety. How disastrous the flight was, of the 400k who left towards Albania, only 180k reached to safety.

The French who came to their rescue had to retreat back in haste. The Serbian king Peter and the Crown Prince Alexander fled along with their army to Greece. The war is over and Serbia won the war just by being on the right side.

Austria Hungary collapsed and Alexander led his armies into the vacuum annexing Croatia, Bosnia, Vijvodina, Slovenia and other territories.

Now, the Serbs were in mood of annexation of Montenegro. At Podgorica, an Assembly was held to deliberate over merger – well, Serbian Army surrounded the Assembly hall and they were asked to deliberate over merger with Serbia which, naturally happened.

This was the love the grandson showed to his grandfather, the one who had to flee Montenegro when Austrians invaded - all because he wanted to help his grandson!!

Now, his grandfather is another interesting character. Unlike the rest of Europe which was ruled by German Princelings, Italy, Serbia, Russia and Montenegro were probably the only exceptions. And naturally, Nicholas I became the Balkan Father-in-law for these kingdoms.

These are some of his daughters. Two Russian second rung Princes, the king of Italy and the king of Serbia, both his equals. In fact, some of his daughters married to some German princes as well.

The Russian Brides were called Black Peril for their Balkan exoticity and their love for occult. These were the ones who introduced Rasputin to Czar Nicholas through his wife Alexandra. The disastrous consequences of that encounter is all too known.

Like every petty warlord of the Balkans, Nicholas too dreamt for Slavic unity and coveted the neighbouring kingdoms. When the Serbian King Alexander was murdered, the Montenegrans were happy – one of the biggest stumbling blocks of Slavic unity was out of the way!!

The next king was to be his son-in-law, Peter, who is just three years younger to him – Nicholas believed he will help in Serb. It looks like the Black Peril was too powerful – Nicholas is the only outsider except Arthur Wellesley who was made a Field Marshal in Russian Army.

When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Nicholas enthusiastically joined his son-in-law Peter in the fight against Austrians after his grandson Alexander asked him. First, Serbia was conquered and then Montenegro. Compared to Serbia, Montenegro was nothing.

While it took eighteen months to take down Serbia, It didn’t take even eighteen days to take down Montenegro. Facing a real army for the first time, the bravado of the Russian Field Marshal simply vanished and Nicholas fled to his daughter in Italy –

after all, she is the only one who is in a position to help him in all his relations!! But see the pride. He fled, but wanted his army to fight till the last minute. Why would they? They too loved their lives!! All life, he spent in exile in France and Italy, fuming and frothing.

Now, it was the turn of his other son-in-law to betray his line - Victor Emmanuel didn't give Montenegro to his wife's family. He became the new petty warlord of the Balkan only to follow his father-in-law in losing his throne.

A true medieval warlord he is, in appearance!!

Incidentally, he is one of the five kings who lost his throne because of First World War. No one talks about him because he is a nobody whom no one actually missed. I am really not sure if people knew he existed even.