Karadzˇic´, Radovan (1945–)

Radovan Karadzˇic´ served as the president of the former self-declared but unrecognized Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzego- vina until July 1996. Karadzˇic´ was born on June 19, 1945, in Petnjica, Yugoslavia. He trained as a psychiatrist and worked in state hospitals and then with Unis Co. In 1990, he cofounded the Serbian Democratic Party. He was the leader of the self- declared Serbian republic that was created within Bosnia after Bosnian president Alija Izetbegovic´ declared the republic’s independence from Yugoslavia in early 1992.

Karadzˇic´ denied that he and his associates officially endorsed the Serbian ethnic

cleansing campaigns that were conducted in efforts to create huge Serbian-held regions within Bosnia, repeatedly claiming that Serbian forces were merely trying to protect Serbian enclaves from attacks by the nation’s Muslims. Karadzˇic´ agreed to resign from office in July 1996 following his indictment on war crimes charges. He appointed as his successor Biljana Plavsic´ (1930–), who in September 1996 was elected president of the Bosnian Serb region Republika Srpska.

In August 1997, Karadzˇic´ rejected a U.S. offer that would have allowed him to avoid extradition and prosecution for war crimes by relocating to another, undisclosed country. He continued to maintain a large and active following of hard-liners in Serbia and to dominate affairs in Serbia, many feel in violation of the Dayton Agreement.

In late December 2001, the Serbian Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzego- vina, still a dominant force in Bosnian Serb politics, expelled Karadzˇic´, along with his closest aide and former Bosnian parliamen- tary speaker Momcˇilo Krajisnik (1945–). On July 21, 2008, Serbian authorities arrested the disguised Karadzˇic´ in Belgrade. They turned him over to the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague, Nether- lands. As of 2011, he remained there as the legal case against him proceeded.

Richard C. Hall

See also: Bosnian War, 1992–1995; Dayton Peace Accords, 1995; Srebrinica Massacre, 1995; Yugoslav Wars, 1991–1995; Yugoslav Wars, 1991–1995, Causes; Yugoslav Wars, 1991–1995, Consequences

Karageorge (George Petrovic´;

1768–1818)

Karageorge, also known as “Black George” because of his long black hair, was a legendary leader and founder of the core of the modern Serbian state. Under his direction, rebel forces and local village chiefs achieved local autonomy then independence from the Ottoman Empire. Although the period of independence for Serbia under Karageorge was brief, he cleared a path for later Serbian nationalists to seize and secure the country’s autonomy.

Born George Petrovic´ on November 14, 1768, Karageorge was a peasant in Serbia who spent much of his youth herding goats. In 1787, he moved to Austria and joined the Austrian army. He earned distinction as a soldier on campaigns in Italy and against the Turks. By the early 1790s, he had returned to Serbia and settled down as a live- stock trader and father of seven sons, one of whom, Alexander, would someday rule Serbia as a prince.

The province of Serbia had long been chafing under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. Imbued with strong nationalist senti- ment, the Serbians longed for autonomy and the restoration of an independent Ser- bian state, although it had been centuries

since such a state existed. As the Ottoman Empire began to show signs of weakness in the early nineteenth century, nationalist fac- tions within Serbia launched campaigns against the Turks to claim their independence. In 1804, Karageorge, now a seasoned soldier, helped organize the rebel chiefs and priests against the rebellious Turkish Janis- saries, an elite military corps that ruled Ser- bia in an arbitrary and cruel manner. The Serbian rebel force quickly defeated the Jan- issaries, earning for themselves the gratitude of Ottoman sultan Selim III (1761–1808), who viewed the Janissaries as an uncontrol- lable military force.

Karageorge demanded from Selim III Serbian autonomy in return, a proposal that Selim decidedly rejected. Encouraged by his military successes, Karageorge began a war of independence against the Turks in 1805. The following year, he led the Ser- bians to a series of victories against the Turks, most notably at battles in Misar and Belgrade. The Serbian cause was aided by the outbreak of war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in December 1806, which brought Russia into direct involvement in Serbian affairs. With tacit promises of Rus- sian support, the Serbians continued their campaign against the Turks, convinced that the Russians would ensure Serbian independence if they won the war, one of many con- flicts that made up the Napoleonic Wars. Russia did indeed defeat the Turks, but in the resulting treaty, Serbia’s claims of autonomy were largely overlooked. With Serbia’s status left undetermined, Kara- george soon found himself and his country in the midst of struggles and intrigues between the Austrian Empire, Russia, France, and the Ottoman Empire. In addi- tion, although Karageorge had proven himself a strong and resourceful leader, his leadership was contested among the

Serbians. A constant undercurrent of diplomatic negotiations among the great European powers was the power struggle between Karageorge and Serbia’s other chiefs and military leaders, foremost among them Milosˇ Obrenovic´ (1780– 1860), the future Prince Milosˇ.

By the end of 1808, Karageorge was growing tired of the endless international negotiations. He called together a group of officials and notables at his home and, after three days of traditional celebra- tions, had himself proclaimed “hereditary Supreme Leader.” Almost three weeks later, the Russian State Council approved his actions.Russia recognized Karageorge as the strongest Serb leader and thus lent lim- ited support for his rule. As a ruler, Kara- george quickly worked to consolidate his power, establishing an appointed council and ending local autonomy, as Karageorge assumed the power of appointing local chiefs rather than allowing them to be elected as was traditional.

The outbreak of the next phase of the Napoleonic Wars put an end to Russian pro- tection or guidance for Serbia, as French emperor Napoleon I launched a massive campaign against Russia in 1812. Although the Treaty of Bucharest, signed by Russia and the Ottoman Empire that same year, guaranteed Serbia independence, the Turks took advantage of Russia’s distraction to reconquer Serbia. By October 1813, the Turks had invaded Belgrade, and Kara- george had fled across the border into the Hungarian provinces of the Austrian Empire. When he asked to reside in Russia, the Austrians arrested him and his followers and kept them jailed in several locations. The Turks asked for his return, but the Austrians refused. The Russians finally suc- ceeded in getting his transfer to the princi- pality of Moldavia.

Another Serbian independence movement was launched in 1815 by Karageorge’s old foe Obrenovic´. Karageorge and his followers hoped to return to Serbia to join in the fight, but Obrenovic´ would not permit it. Never- theless, Karageorge was smuggled into Serbia in June 1817 by the Society of Friends, a secret Greek organization working toward Greek independence. Their pleas for aid from Obrenovic´ had been refused, and they hoped that Karageorge would support and lead a general insurrection against the Turks in the Balkans. When Obrenovic´ discovered Karageorge’s presence in Serbia, he ordered him killed, fearing that his rival would attempt to oust him from power. Karageorge was axed to death on July 25, 1817. Obre- novic´ did not stop with his assassination, however. In order to placate the Ottoman sultan, Karageorge’s head was stuffed and sent to Constantinople. His legendary exploits remained firmly rooted in Serbian minds, however, and his heirs rivaled for power with Obrenovic´’s heirs in the decades to come.

Michael D. Johnson

See also: Obrenovic´, Milosˇ (1780–1860); Serbian War of Independence, 1804–1818