Српско-руски односи пред Мајски преврат и након тога (1902–1903)

Abstract

Serbo-Russian relations and ties in the present and in the past are topical issues. The Romanov dynasty outlived the Obrenovych dynasty by just a decade and a half. The consequences of the murders of both left deep traces on the later life of both countries in the «long twentieth century». This makes it necessary to rethink past events and search for new solutions. King Alexander, who was born at the height of the first Serbo-Turkish war in 1876, was named after his godfather Emperor Alexander II. The in- terest shown by the Russian court in this Obrenovich, thanks to his porphyry- bearing godfather, has always been much wider than just protocol. Serbo- Russian relations after the marriage of King Alexander in 1900 promised an easing of tensions that had been going on since 1897. Serbo-Russian relations were practically on the verge of a diplomatic boycott and a complete severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries. However, after the first peaceful phase (1900–1901) in 1902, a crisis broke out in Serbian-Russian relations. This was caused not only by the cancellation of the royal couple's visit to Crimea, but also by difficult international rela- tions and the efforts of Vienna and St. Petersburg to overcome differences in the Balkan Peninsula and maintain the status quo in the East at any cost. The place and role of King Alexander and Serbia, from the point of view of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count V.N. Lamsdorf, were of great import- ance for maintaining peace in the region. But Lamzdorf had few like-minded people. Overcoming the resistance of his environment, he tried to improve relations with the Serbian king and ensure that he followed Russian instruc- tions in foreign policy. Lamzdorf worked hard at this until the last day of the Serbian royal couple, cut off after the bloody assassination of June 11, 190S. He invariably assured the emperor that King Alexander should be supported and assisted in his efforts to maintain peace in the Balkans. This is certainly confirmed by the reports of V.N. Lamzdorf to the emperor and his instruc- tions to the envoy in Belgrade Charykov. To this end, Lamzdorf received permission from the emperor to personally visit King Alexander Obrenovitch at the end of 1902. The method of removing the Obrenovix dynasty from the face of the earth did not pass without reaction from the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as from the Russian Church.