Changes

The most important event in the national consciousness of Serbs throughout the [[second millenium]] was the [[Battle of Kosovo Polje]] in 1389, when Serbian forces were defeated by the [[Ottoman Empire]] and most of what is now Serbia fell under [[Muslim]] rule.  In the [[19th century]], Serbian [[nationalism]] reasserted itself, and a constitution was written in 1835.  It was not until the [[Treaty of Berlin]] in 1878, however, that Serbia was made fully independent as a [[principality]]; it was renamed a [[Kingdom]] in 1882.  This was made possible by the long-term decline of the Ottomans.

The most important event in the national consciousness of Serbs throughout the [[second millenium]] was the [[Battle of Kosovo Polje]] in 1389, when Serbian forces were defeated by the [[Ottoman Empire]] and most of what is now Serbia fell under [[Muslim]] rule.  In the [[19th century]], Serbian [[nationalism]] reasserted itself, and a constitution was written in 1835.  It was not until the [[Treaty of Berlin]] in 1878, however, that Serbia was made fully independent as a [[principality]]; it was renamed a [[Kingdom]] in 1882.  This was made possible by the long-term decline of the Ottomans.

In the early [[20th century]], the [[Black Hand]] [[terrorist]] movement became increasingly influential in Serbia.  It even forced a change of dynasty in 1903 through the murder of [[King Alexander I]] and his wife [[Queen Draga]] in the royal palace in the capital city of [[Belgrade]].  It took [[Petar Karadordevic]] four days (June 11 - June 15) to decide that profiting from the Black Hand's [[regicide]] was a less bad option than turning the government over to them immediately; he took the throne as Petar I.  From this point, Serbia became increasingly a menace to the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] as well as the Ottomans due to its [[irredentist]] plots to unite all Serbs, many of whom lived on the territory of the former empire.  Serbia was able to remain independent for more than another decade chiefly because it had a powerful protector in [[Czarist]] [[Russia]].   

In the early [[20th century]], the [[Black Hand]] [[terrorist]] movement became increasingly influential in Serbia.  It even forced a change of dynasty in 1903 through the murder of [[King Alexander I]] and his wife [[Queen Draga]] in the royal palace in the capital city of [[Belgrade]].  It took [[Petar Karadordevic]] four days (June 11 - June 15) to decide that profiting from the Black Hand's [[regicide]] was a less bad option than turning the government over to them immediately; he took the throne as Petar I.  From thipoint, Serbia became increasingly a menace to the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] as well as the Ottomans due to its [[irredentist]] plots to unite all Serbs, many of whom lived on the territory of the former empire.  Serbia was able to remain independent for more than another decade chiefly because it had a powerful protector in [[Czarist]] [[Russia]].   

== Serbia in the World Wars and thereafter ==

== Serbia in the World Wars and thereafter ==

During World War 2, Serbia remained the only country in the Balkans devouted to the Allied cause and constantly fought the Nazis and as a result lost 1,700,000 citizens(10.8% of the population) at the hands of the ruthless Nazis who also caused national damages of 9.1 billion dollars, according to the prices of the time.<ref>http://www.serbia-info.com/enc/history/worldwar.html</reF>  

During World War 2, Serbia remained the only country in the Balkans devouted to the Allied cause and constantly fought the Nazis and as a result lost 1,700,000 citizens(10.8% of the population) at the hands of the ruthless Nazis who also caused national damages of 9.1 billion dollars, according to the prices of the time.<ref>http://www.serbia-info.com/enc/history/worldwar.html</reF>  

== Current Status ==

== Current Status ==