View source for Peter I of Serbia

{{short description|Last king of Serbia (r. 1903–18); first king of Yugoslavia (r. 1918–21)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Peter I<br/>{{nobold|Петар I Карађорђевић}}
| image        = King Petar Karađorđević (cropped).jpg
| caption      = King Peter in 1904
| reign        = 1 December 1918&nbsp;– {{nowrap|16 August 1921}}
| regent2      = ''[[Prime_Minister_of_Serbia#Kingdom_of_Serbia_(1882–1918)|Full list]]''
| reg-type2    = Prime&nbsp;ministers
| successor    = [[Alexander I Karađorđević]]
| regent       = Alexander (1918–1921)
| succession   = [[King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]
| reign1       = 15 June 1903&nbsp;– {{nowrap|1 December 1918}}
| coronation1  = 21 September 1904
| predecessor1 = [[Alexander I of Serbia|Alexander I Obrenović]]
| regent1      = [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|Alexander]] (1914–1918)
| succession1  = [[King of Serbia]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Ljubica of Montenegro]]|1883|1890|end=d.}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Princess Helen of Serbia|Helen, Princess of Russia]]
* Princess Milena
* [[George, Crown Prince of Serbia]]
* [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]]
* Prince Andrew}}
| house        = [[House of Karađorđević|Karađorđević]]
| father       = [[Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia]]
| mother       = [[Persida Nenadović]]
| birth_date   = {{OldStyleDate|11 July|1844|29 June}}
| birth_place  = [[Belgrade]], [[Principality of Serbia|Serbia]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1921|8|16|1844|6|29|df=y}}
| death_place  = Belgrade, [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]
| place of burial = [[Oplenac]]
| signature    = File:Peter I of Serbia signature.svg
| religion     = [[Serbian Orthodox]]
| module       = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
  | allegiance    = {{flag|Principality of Serbia}}<br>{{flag|Kingdom of Serbia}}<br>{{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]
  | branch        = 
  | serviceyears  = 1855–58<br>(end of active service)
  | rank          = [[Vojvoda (Serbia and Yugoslavia)|Vojvoda]] ([[Field marshal]])
  | servicenumber = 
  | unit          = 
  | commands      = 
  | battles_label = 
  | battles       = [[Franco-Prussian War]] (1870-1871) [[Herzegovina uprising (1875–1877)]]<br>[[First Balkan War]]<br>[[Second Balkan War]]<br>[[World War I]]<br>[[Koplik War]]
  | awards        =
  }}
}}
{{Infobox royal styles
|image      = [[File:Royal Monogram of King Peter I of Yugoslavia.svg|50px]]
|royal name = Peter I of Yugoslavia
|dipstyle   = [[Majesty|His Majesty]]
|offstyle   = Your Majesty
}}

'''Peter I''' ({{Langx|sh|Петар I Карађорђевић|translit=Petar I Karađorđević|}};  {{OldStyleDate|11 July|1844|29 June}}&nbsp;– 16 August 1921) was [[King of Serbia]] from 15 June 1903 to 1 December 1918. On 1 December 1918, he became [[King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]], and he held that title until his death three years later. Since he was the king of Serbia during a period of great Serbian military success, he was remembered by [[Serbs|Serbians]] as '''King Peter the Liberator''' and also as the '''Old King'''.

Peter was the fifth child and third son of [[Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia]], and his wife, [[Persida Nenadović]]. Prince Alexander was forced to abdicate in 1858, and Peter lived with his family in exile. He fought with the [[French Foreign Legion]] in the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. He joined as a volunteer under the alias '''Peter Mrkonjić''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Петар Мркоњић|Petar Mrkonjić}}) in the [[Herzegovina uprising (1875–1877)]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In 1883, Prince Peter married [[Princess Zorka of Montenegro|Princess Ljubica]], daughter of [[King Nicholas I of Montenegro]]. Ljubica became known as Princess Zorka upon her marriage. Peter and Zorka had five children: [[Princess Helen of Serbia|Helen]], Milena, [[George, Crown Prince of Serbia|George]], [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|Alexander]], and Andrew. After his father died in 1885, Peter became head of the [[Karađorđević dynasty]].

After King [[Alexander I Obrenović]] was murdered during the [[May Coup (Serbia)|May Coup]] of 1903, Peter Karađorđević became the new king of Serbia. As king, he advocated a constitutional setup for the country and was famous for his liberal politics. Peter's rule was marked with the great exercise of political liberties, freedom of the press, national, economical and cultural rise, and it is sometimes dubbed a "golden" or "Periclean age".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bataković|first=Dušan|date=2017|title=On Parliamentary Democracy in Serbia 1903–1914 Political Parties, Elections, Political Freedoms|journal=Balcanica|issue=XLVIII|pages=123–142|doi=10.2298/BALC1748123B|doi-access=free}}</ref> Peter was the supreme commander of the [[Royal Serbian Army]] in the [[Balkan Wars]]. On 24 June 1914, the aging king proclaimed his son and [[heir apparent|heir]] Alexander as regent. In [[World War I]], the King and his army [[Great Retreat (Serbian)|retreated]] across the [[Principality of Albania]]. Peter died in 1921 aged 77.

==Early life==
Peter was born in [[Belgrade]] on {{OldStyleDate|11 July|1844|29 June}}. He was the fifth of ten children born to Prince [[Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia|Alexander Karađorđević]] and his consort, [[Persida Nenadović]].{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=95}} He was the grandson of [[Karađorđe]], the leader of the [[First Serbian Uprising]] (1804–1813) and the founder of the [[Karađorđević dynasty]].{{sfn|Judah|2000|p=83}} Peter was not born in the Royal Court, which was undergoing renovations at the time, but at the home of merchant [[Miša Anastasijević]], whose daughter Sara (1836–1931) was later married to Peter's first cousin Prince George Karađorđević (1827–1884). His birth was not met with much celebration because he was his parents' third son and his older brother Svetozar was the heir to the throne.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=95}}

His parents' oldest son, Aleksa, had died three years prior to Peter's birth, aged five, at which point Svetozar became heir. Peter did not become heir until Svetozar's death in 1847 at the age of six.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|loc=p. 95, note 2}} Besides Belgrade, Peter spent much of his childhood in the town of [[Topola]], from where the Karađorđević dynasty originated. He received his elementary education in Belgrade.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=95}}

==Exile==
[[File:Petar Karadjordjevic 1865.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Prince Peter Karadjordjević (circa 1865)]]
===Post-secondary education and Franco-Prussian War===
In 1858, just as the fourteen-year-old Peter was preparing to depart for [[Geneva]] to attend high school, his father was forced to abdicate the throne. The Karađorđević dynasty's rivals, the [[Obrenović dynasty]], were reinstated, and an Obrenović prince, [[Mihailo Obrenović|Mihailo]], claimed the throne.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}} The two dynasties had been vying for power since 1817, when Karađorđe was assassinated on the orders of [[Miloš Obrenović]],   the founder of the Obrenović dynasty.{{sfn|Judah|2000|pp=53, 56}}

Peter left Geneva for Paris in 1861 and enrolled in the [[Collège Sainte-Barbe]], located in the heart of the city's [[Latin Quarter, Paris|Latin Quarter]]. The following year, Peter enrolled in the ''[[École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr|Saint-Cyr]]'', France's most prestigious military academy. He graduated from the academy in 1864, and continued living in Paris for some time thereafter. During this period, he pursued interests such as photography and painting, and read works of political philosophy, learning about [[liberalism]], [[parliamentarism]] and [[democracy]]. In 1866, he entered the Higher Military School in [[Metz]], which he attended until the following year.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}} Two years later, his [[Serbian language|Serbian]]-language translation of [[John Stuart Mill]]'s ''[[On Liberty]]'' was published.{{sfn|Shrader|2014|p=1244}}

At the outbreak of the 1870–71 [[Franco-Prussian War]], Peter joined the [[French Foreign Legion]] under the pseudonym Petar Kara, together with relative Nikola Nikolajević.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}} During his service, Peter held the rank of either [[lieutenant]]{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}} or [[second lieutenant]],{{sfn|Lepage|2008|p=57}} depending on the source, and fought with the [[1st Foreign Regiment]].{{sfn|Lepage|2008|p=57}} He participated in the [[Second Battle of Orléans (1870)|Second Battle of Orléans]] on 3–4 December 1870, as well as the [[Battle of Villersexel]] on 9 January 1871. He was awarded the [[Legion of Honour]] for his conduct during the two battles, but was captured by the Prussians shortly thereafter. He managed to escape captivity and returned to the front. Peter was involved in the [[Paris Commune]] in the spring of 1871, together with close friend and relative Vladimir Ljotić, though the exact nature of his involvement remains unknown.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}}

===Guerrilla activities===
[[File:Petar Karadjordjevic 1875.jpg|thumb|Peter in guerrilla uniform, {{circa|1875}}]]
With the outbreak of the [[Great Eastern Crisis]] of 1875–78, which erupted after [[Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian Serb]] rebels in [[Nevesinje]] [[Herzegovina Uprising (1875–77)|staged a revolt]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]], Peter returned to the [[Balkans]] and fought the Ottomans in northwestern [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]. 

He adopted the ''[[nom de guerre]]'' of Petar Mrkonjić, and upon reaching the regions of [[Banovina (region)|Banija]] and [[Kordun]] in [[Austria-Hungary]], took control of a guerrilla unit of about 200 men.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=96}}

He arrived at [[Dubica, Bosnia-Herzegovina|Bosanska Dubica]] in August 1875, but received a cold welcome. He discovered that Prince [[Milan I of Serbia|Milan]] of Serbia was plotting to assassinate him fearing that Peter would attempt to wrest back the throne from the Obrenović dynasty. This revelation, combined with a string of battlefield defeats, compelled Peter and his followers to leave Bosnia and withdraw to Austria-Hungary.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=97}}

They were subsequently detained by the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]] in the village of [[Bojna, Croatia|Bojna]], near [[Glina, Croatia|Glina]]. Peter escaped, returned to Bosnia and organized another band of rebels. Once again, his involvement in the fighting aroused suspicion in Belgrade, and by May 1876 his presence proved divisive. 

The rebels split into three separate camps: one that supported Peter, another that supported Milan and a third that advocated Austro-Hungarian arbitration. Not wishing to cause further divisions among the rebels, Peter agreed to leave Bosnia. Prior to his departure, he wrote a letter to Milan explaining why he was leaving the battlefield and offering to make peace with the Obrenović dynasty.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=97}}

Despite his attempts to make peace with Milan, accusations of treason continued to be levelled against Peter. He decided to travel to [[Kragujevac]], the seat of the Royal Serbian Government, and address the [[National Assembly of Serbia|National Assembly]] in an attempt to clear his name. In 1877, an anti-government uprising erupted in the [[Toplica District|Toplica]] region of southern Serbia, for which Milan blamed Peter and Karađorđević sympathizers. Peter was accused of treachery and collaboration with the Ottomans.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=97}}

In the summer of 1878, he illegally crossed the border between Serbia and Austria-Hungary at [[Golubac]] via the [[Danube]]. Peter and his guide became lost in the [[Homolje mountains]] and were forced to hide from the authorities in the wilderness. Peter returned to Austria-Hungary shortly thereafter, but was arrested by the Austro-Hungarian police and interned at the Karađorđević family home in [[Bocsig|Bokszeg]]. In 1878, he was allowed to leave Bokszeg. He first went to [[Budapest]] and then to Paris. During this period, he was closely monitored by Austro-Hungarian spies, who took note of all his movements.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=97}}

In January 1879, court proceedings were initiated against Peter and his closest companions in [[Smederevo]]. The plaintiff, Prince Milan, alleged that Peter and his followers had attempted to overthrow the Obrenović dynasty and place a Karađorđević on the throne. Peter and his companions were charged with high treason, for which the mandatory penalty was death. As he was living in Paris at the time of the proceedings, Peter was convicted ''[[Trial in absentia|in absentia]]'' and sentenced to death by [[hanging]].{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=98}}

===Move to Cetinje===
[[File:Petar arsen zorka.jpg|thumb|Peter (far left, standing) with his family in [[Cetinje]], {{circa|1890}}; pictured with him are his wife Zorka (middle) and their children Helen and George (in front of their mother), his brothers Arsen (standing right) and George (sitting), and his paternal first cousin Persida ''Ida'' Nikolajević. (sitting far left).]]
Peter moved to [[Cetinje]] in 1883, the capital of the second independent [[Serbs|Serb]] state, [[Principality of Montenegro|Montenegro]], with the intention of marrying the eldest daughter of [[Principality of Montenegro|Montenegro's]] ruler, [[Nicholas of Montenegro|Prince Nicholas I]], whom he first met in [[Paris]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-17 |title=KRATKI ŽIVOT NESREĆNE PRINCEZE: bila je ćerka kralja Crne Gore, žena kralja Srbije i majka kralja Jugoslavije |url=https://www.istorijskizabavnik.rs/blog/kneginja-zorka-karadjordjevic |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=ISTORIJSKI ZABAVNIK |language=en-US}}</ref> Peter and [[Princess Zorka of Montenegro|Princess Ljubica of Montenegro]] were married in Cetinje in the summer of 1883. The marriage upset the region's volatile geopolitical balance, causing great unease in the Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Serbian capitals. Belgrade perceived it as a sign of increasing closeness between the [[Petrović-Njegoš dynasty|Petrović-Njegoš]] and Karađorđević dynasties. Relations between the two Serb states worsened, as did relations between Austria-Hungary and Russia, which had been vying for power in the Balkans for decades.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=98}}

When his father died in the spring of 1885, Peter became the head of the House of Karađorđević. Serbia, previously a [[principality]], was declared a [[Realm|kingdom]] in 1882, and henceforth, the Serbian monarch used the title [[King of Serbia]]. Ljubica died during childbirth in March 1890. The couple had five children, three of whom reached adulthood: [[Princess Helen of Serbia|Helen]] (Jelena), Milena (1886-1887), [[George, Crown Prince of Serbia|George]] (Đorđe), [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|Alexander]] (Aleksandar), and Andrew (Andrej) (1890-1890).<ref>{{cite web | title=Kralj petar i karadjordjevic oslobodilac | url=https://www.kolicazapse.in.rs/zaduzbin/din3.htm }}</ref> Milena died in infancy and Andrew died along with his mother during childbirth.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=98}}

Following his father's death, Peter's financial situation deteriorated and he became dependent on his father-in-law, as well as [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and his brother George, for support. Following the [[Royal Serbian Army]]'s rout in the [[Serbo-Bulgarian War]] of 1885, Peter and Nicholas devised a plan to invade Serbia and overthrow the Obrenović dynasty. At the last minute, Nicholas abandoned the idea. Peter felt betrayed by the Prince's decision to back out, leading to long lasting animosity. Nevertheless, he remained in Cetinje until 1894, devoting himself to his surviving children, who finished their primary education there.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=98}}

In 1894, Peter moved to Geneva with his three children, where he was to remain until 1903.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=99}} In 1899, Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] invited Prince George and Prince Alexander, as well as Peter's nephew [[Prince Paul of Yugoslavia|Paul]], to attend the ''[[Page Corps|Corps des Pages]]'' [[military academy]] in [[Saint Petersburg]] free of charge. Due to his precarious financial situation, which prevented him from sending the boys to private schools in Switzerland, Peter accepted the Tsar's offer.{{sfn|Dedijer|1966|pp=381–382}}

During his exile years, Peter, now a widower, proposed himself as a suitor to [[Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen]], niece of [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II]], who was thirty-six years his junior, though this was likely a bid to gain support of the Kaiser for succeeding to the [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbian throne]]. Her mother, [[Princess Charlotte of Prussia]] declared that "for such a throne Feodora is far too good".{{sfn|Van der Kiste|2012|loc=497}}

===May Coup===
{{main article|May Coup (Serbia)}}
[[File:Petar Karađorđević, La Domenica del Corriere, 1903.jpg|thumb|An illustration by [[Achille Beltrame]] on the occasion of the enthronement of Peter I]]
In July 1900, King [[Alexander I of Serbia|Alexander]], Milan's 23-year-old son, married [[Draga Mašin]], a widowed [[lady-in-waiting]] twelve years his senior with a reputation for [[promiscuity]]. Mašin was also believed to be infertile, raising questions as to the viability of the Obrenović line. The marriage sparked outrage among the officer corps and led to a plot to remove Alexander from the throne. The officers, led by [[Dragutin Dimitrijević]] ("Apis"), initially sought to expel Alexander and Draga but realized that doing so would precipitate a conflict between the pro-Karađorđević and pro-Obrenović camps within the country.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=31–34}}

By the autumn of 1901, the conspirators resolved to kill the King and Queen, thereby averting a possible civil war. Some officers proposed placing an English or German prince on the throne. Another suggested Prince [[Prince Mirko of Montenegro|Mirko]], the second son of Nicholas of Montenegro, and others advocated forming a [[republic]].{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=31–34}} Political conditions in Europe were such that the proclamation of a republic would only have increased the ire of the [[Great Powers]] towards Serbia in case Alexander was overthrown, giving Austria-Hungary a pretext to invade.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|p=48}}

Preparations for the coup took place between 1901 and 1903. The conspirators decided to place Peter on the throne in November 1901, but Peter had little trust in them and their initial offers were rebuffed. He accepted their offers on the condition that officers he trusted would take part in the plot and insisted that he would not take any part himself. He also told the officers that he would agree to take the throne only if his ascent was approved by the National Assembly.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=99}}

At the time of the coup, Peter was vacationing with his children and planning visits to Russia and [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], suggesting that he was not aware of what was to occur.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=99}} The officers [[May Coup (Serbia)|raided the royal palace]] late in the evening of {{OldStyleDate|10 June|1903|29 May}} and shot the King and Queen, mutilating their corpses with sabres and tossing them from a third-floor balcony.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=46–47}} The murders resulted in the extinction of the Obrenović line and resolved the century-long feud between the Karađorđević and Obrenović dynasties.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|p=48}}

Peter expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the plot, as well as regret for the bloodshed that had occurred, describing it as "neither gentlemanly, nor worthy of the 20th century". On {{OldStyleDate|15 June|1903|2 June}}, by decision of the National Assembly, Peter was summoned to assume the Serbian throne.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=99}} He arrived in Belgrade on {{OldStyleDate|26 June|1903|13 June}}.{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=100}}

Peter's ascent to the throne was met with great enthusiasm by South Slav nationalists, who believed he would succeed in uniting the South Slavs living in Serbia, Montenegro, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. In Vienna, en route to Belgrade, he was welcomed by a crowd of euphoric Serb and [[Croats|Croat]] students, who hailed him as "the first Yugoslav king".{{sfn|Bjelajac|1997|p=100}}

==Reign==
[[File:King Peter I after coronation, 21 September 1904.jpg|thumb|Peter emerging from [[St. Michael's Cathedral (Belgrade)|St. Michael's Cathedral]] on horseback following his [[Coronation of the Serbian monarch|coronation]]]]
[[File:5 Dinara - Petar I 100th Anniversary of the Karađorđević Dynasty 1904.png|thumb|[[Silver coin]]: 5 Dinara - Peter I 100th Anniversary of the Karađorđević Dynasty, 1904]]

=== Accession ===
The royal couple's murder upset and shocked most of Europe, but many Serbs reacted enthusiastically.{{sfn|Pavlowitch|2002|p=79}} Russia immediately recognized the National Assembly's decision declaring Peter the next King of Serbia and expressed satisfaction that the inter-dynastic intrigues which had plagued the country since the early-19th century had been brought to an end. Austria-Hungary declared its neutrality on the matter, but privately, policymakers in [[Vienna]] expressed hope that Peter's accession would have a placating effect.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=50–51}}

The [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] demanded that the chief conspirators be severely punished, and when the Royal Serbian Government neglected to carry out this request, the British severed all diplomatic ties.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=50–51}} Several other European nations followed in the United Kingdom's footsteps and severed ties as well.{{sfn|Singleton|1985|p= 98}} Peter lacked the power or authority to punish the conspirators. He also felt a deep sense of obligation towards them, acknowledging that he would not have been able to assume the throne were it not for their actions.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1989|pp=50–51}}

===Coronation===
[[File:KrunaKaradjordjevica.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Regalia of Serbia#Karađorđević Crown|Karađorđević Crown]]]] Peter was crowned in [[St. Michael's Cathedral (Belgrade)|St. Michael's Cathedral]] in [[Belgrade]], on {{OldStyleDate|21 September|1904|8 September}}.{{sfn|Bataković|2002|pp= 351–352}} The coronation ceremony, the first in Serbia's modern history,{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} aimed to demonstrate that a new era had begun.{{sfn|Pavlowitch|2002|p=79}} The year-long interval between Peter's return to Serbia and his coronation deliberately made the ceremony coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising with the hope of giving European statesmen time to come to terms with the [[palace coup]].{{sfn|Pavlowitch|2002|p=79}} Nevertheless, only representatives of Montenegro and [[Principality of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] attended.{{sfn|Bataković|2002|pp= 351–352}}

New royal [[regalia of Serbia|regalia]], consisting of a [[crown (headgear)|crown]], [[sceptre]], [[globus cruciger|orb]] and royal [[mantle (royal garment)|mantle]], were commissioned specially for the occasion from the Parisian jewelers ''Falize Frères''.<ref>{{cite web|publisher= The Royal Family of Serbia|title= The Regalia|url= http://www.royalfamily.org/the-regalia/|access-date= 18 November 2016|date= 2013-12-21}}</ref> [[Arnold Muir Wilson]], the honorary Serbian consul in [[Sheffield]], and his cameraman, [[Frank Mottershaw]], filmed King Peter's procession and a parade following the coronation. This is the oldest surviving film recorded in Belgrade.{{sfn|Norris|2008|p= 110}} According to film historian Paul Smith, it is also likely the first [[newsreel]] in history.{{sfn|Smith|1976|p= 101}}

===Foreign affairs===
During the reign of Peter I the Kingdom of Serbia expanded to the south, incorporating much of [[Sandžak]] and [[Kosovo and Metochia|Kosovo and Metohija]] in 1912 in the [[First Balkan War]]. Serbia temporarily controlled northern parts of Albania, but had to give away those parts to [[Independent Albania|Albania]] in 1912-1913. In November 1918, shortly before the founding of the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] in December 1918, Serbia acquired some new territories like [[Syrmia|Srem]], [[Banat]], [[Bačka]] and [[Montenegro]] and which later became part of the new kingdom.

The most prominent prime minister during the reign of Peter I was [[Nikola Pašić]]. At the beginning of Peter's reign Pašić opposed the new king, calling his accession to the throne unlawful. However, he quickly changed his mind after seeing that the Serbian people accepted King Peter. As it turned out, the only conflict he had with Peter during the 18-year reign concerned the king's salary.
[[File:KIng.Peter.of.Serbia.jpg|thumb|King Peter, by [[Uroš Predić]]]]
Peter I of Serbia saw Imperial Russia as Serbia's main ally. Russia opposed the previous politics of the Obrenović dynasty which heavily relied on Austria-Hungary, which the Serbian public detested.<ref>{{Cite journal|last= Bataković|first= Dušan|date= 2017|title= On Parliamentary Democracy in Serbia 1903–1914 Political Parties, Elections, Political Freedoms|journal= Balcanica|issue= XLVIII|pages= 123–142|doi= 10.2298/BALC1748123B|doi-access= free}}</ref>

====First Balkan War====

The [[First Balkan War]] began in October 1912 and ended in May 1913. It involved military actions of the [[Balkan League]] ([[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]], [[Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)|Greece]] and [[Kingdom of Montenegro|Montenegro]]) against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success. As a result of the war, the allies captured and partitioned almost all remaining European territories of the Ottoman Empire.
[[File:Краљ Петар на бојишту.JPG|thumb|Peter I on the front]]

In May 1912 the Albanian Hamidian revolutionaries, who wanted to re-install Sultan [[Abdul Hamid II|Abdul Hamit II]] to power, drove the [[Young Turks|Young Turkish]] forces out of [[Skopje]] and pressed south towards Manastir (present day [[Bitola]]), forcing the Young Turks to grant effective autonomy over large regions in June 1912. Serbia, which had helped arm the Albanian Catholic and Hamidian rebels and had sent secret agents to some of the prominent leaders, took the revolt as a pretext for war. Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria had all been in talks about possible offensives against the Ottoman Empire before the Albanian revolt of 1912 broke out; a formal agreement between Serbia and Montenegro had been signed on 7 March.

On 18 October 1912, Peter I of Serbia issued a declaration, "To the Serbian People", which appeared to support Albanians as well as Serbs:

:"The Turkish governments showed no interest in their duties towards their citizens and turned a deaf ear to all complaints and suggestions. Things got so far out of hand that no one was satisfied with the situation in Turkey in Europe. It became unbearable for the Serbs, the Greeks and for the Albanians, too. By the grace of God, I have therefore ordered my brave army to join in the Holy War to free our brethren and to ensure a better future. In Old Serbia, my army will meet not only upon Christian Serbs, but also upon Muslim Serbs, who are equally dear to us, and in addition to them, upon Christian and Muslim Albanians with whom our people have shared joy and sorrow for thirteen centuries now. To all of them we bring freedom, brotherhood and equality."

In a search for allies, Serbia negotiated a contract with Bulgaria.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} The agreement provided that, in the event of victory against the Ottomans, Bulgaria would receive all of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]] south of the [[Kriva Palanka]]-[[Ohrid]] line. Bulgaria accepted Serbian expansion to the north of the Shar Mountains (i.e., Kosovo). The intervening area was agreed to be "disputed"; it would be arbitrated by the [[Russian Emperor|Emperor of Russia]] in the event of a successful war against the Ottoman Empire.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} During the course of the war, it became apparent that the Albanians did not consider Serbia as a liberator, as suggested by King Peter I, nor did the Serbian forces observe his declaration of amity toward Albanians.

Peter I led the Serbian army alongside marshals like [[Radomir Putnik]], [[Stepa Stepanović]], [[Božidar Janković (general)|Božidar Janković]] and [[Petar Bojović]]. Serbia sent 230,000 soldiers (out of the population of just 2,912,000 people) with about 228 guns, grouped in 10 infantry divisions.

====Second Balkan War and aftermath====
{{Main|Second Balkan War}}

Dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, Bulgaria attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, and started the [[Second Balkan War]] on 16 ([[Old Style|O.S.]])/29 June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies repulsed the Bulgarian offensive and counter-attacked, entering Bulgaria. With Bulgaria also having engaged in territorial disputes with [[Romania]], this war provoked Romanian intervention against Bulgaria. The [[Ottoman Empire]] took advantage of the situation to regain some territories lost as a result of the previous war.

When Romanian troops approached the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, Bulgaria asked for an armistice, resulting in the 1913 [[Treaty of Bucharest (1913)|Treaty of Bucharest]], in which Bulgaria had to cede portions of its First Balkan War gains to Serbia, Greece and Romania. The Second Balkan War left Serbia as the most militarily powerful state south of the Danube. Years of military investment financed by French loans had borne fruit. Central [[Vardar]] and the eastern half of the [[Sanjak]] of [[Novi Pazar]] were acquired. Its territory grew in extent from 18,650 to 33,891 square miles and its population grew by more than one and a half million.
[[File:Flag of Serbia-Royal standard McCandless.png|thumb|The Royal Standard of the King of Serbia]]

Because of his constant and intense efforts in the Balkan Wars, Peter's health worsened. At the same time, the [[Black Hand (Serbia)|Black Hand]] represented a core of military opposition to the National Assembly. Acting from within the government and the military, members of the Black Hand forced Peter to disband the government of Nikola Pašić, even though the Radical Party held most of the seats in the National Assembly. Only after Russian intervention and with the help of the French capital, was the crisis solved in Pašić's favor. King Peter had to withdraw, allegedly because of his failing health, and, on 24 June 1914, he passed his royal powers and duties to his heir-apparent, [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia|Alexander]].

===Politics===
The [[Western Europe|Western]]-educated King Peter attempted to liberalize Serbia with the goal of creating a Western-style [[constitutional monarchy]]. Peter I became gradually very popular for his commitment to parliamentary democracy that, in spite of certain influence of military cliques in political life, functioned properly. The 1903 Constitution was a revised version of the 1888 Constitution, based on the [[Constitution of Belgium|Belgian Constitution of 1831]], considered one of the most liberal in Europe. The governments were chosen from the parliamentary majority, mostly from the [[People's Radical Party]] led by Nikola Pašić and from the [[Independent Radical Party]] led by [[Ljubomir Stojanović]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

King Peter himself favored the idea of a broader coalition government that would boost Serbian democracy and help pursue an independent course in foreign policy. In contrast to the Austrophile Obrenović dynasty, King Peter I relied on Russia and France, which provoked rising hostility from expansionist-minded Austria-Hungary. King Peter I paid two solemn visits to Saint-Petersburg and Paris in 1910 and 1911 respectively, to be greeted as a hero both of democracy and of national independence in the troublesome Balkans.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

[[File:KingPetarI1915.jpg|thumb|Peter I during the [[Great Retreat (Serbian)|Great Retreat]]]]The reign of Peter I, from 1903 to 1914, is remembered as the "Golden Age of Serbia", due to the unrestricted political freedoms, [[Freedom of the press|free press]], and cultural ascendancy among [[South Slavs]] who finally saw in democratic Serbia a [[Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia|Piedmont]] of South Slavs.{{sfn|Norris|2008|p=87}} King Peter I was supportive to the movement of Yugoslav unification, hosting in Belgrade various cultural gatherings. The Grand School of Belgrade was upgraded into [[Belgrade University]] in 1905, with scholars of international renown such as [[Jovan Cvijić]], [[Milutin Milanković]], [[Mihailo Petrović Alas|Mihailo Petrović]], [[Slobodan Jovanović]], [[Jovan Žujović]], [[Bogdan Popović]], [[Jovan Skerlić]], [[Sima Lozanić]], [[Branislav Petronijević]] and several others.

King Peter I gained enormous popularity following the [[Balkan Wars]] in 1912 and 1913, which, from a [[Serbs|Serb]] and South Slav perspective, proved greatly successful, heralded by the spectacular military victories over the Ottomans, followed by the liberation of "[[Old Serbia]]" ([[Kosovo Vilayet]]) and Macedonia ([[Manastir Vilayet]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

The territory of Serbia doubled and her prestige among South Slavs ([[Croats]] and [[Slovenes]] in particular, and among the Serbs in Austria-Hungary, in [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]], [[Vojvodina]], the [[Military Frontier]], [[Dalmatia]], [[Slavonia]], etc.) grew significantly, with Peter I as the main symbol of both political and cultural success. After the conflict between military and civilian representatives in the spring of 1914, King Peter chose to "retire" due to ill health, reassigning on 24 June 1914 his royal prerogatives to his second son [[heir apparent]] Crown Prince Alexander.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Milanovic |first=Stefan |title=HM King Peter I of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes |url=https://royalfamily.org/dinasty/hm-king-peter-i-of-the-serbs-croats-and-slovenes/ |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=The Royal Family of Serbia |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Royal Standard of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (variant), 1920s to 1937.svg|thumb|200px|The Royal Standard of the King. ''Peter the Liberator'' became the first [[List of heads of state of Yugoslavia|King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]]]

=== World War I and its aftermath ===
The retired King, spending most of his time in various Serbian spas, remained relatively inactive during the [[First World War]], although occasionally, when [[Serbian campaign|the military situation]] became critical, he visited trenches on the front-line to check up on morale of his troops. His visit to the firing line prior to the [[Battle of Kolubara]] in late 1914 boosted the morale of the retreating Serbian forces and announced a counter-offensive, sparking victory against numerically superior Austro-Hungarian forces (December 1914). Another memorable visit in 1915 involved King Peter, by then 71, picking up a rifle and shooting at enemy soldiers. Following the invasion of Serbia by the joint forces of Germany, Austro-Hungary and Bulgaria in October 1915, King Peter I led the army and tens of thousands of civilian refugees through the high mountains of Albania to the Adriatic sea on a "Calvary known to few peoples".<ref>R. Wolfson "Years of Change. European History 1890–1945"</ref>

After the dramatic retreat in a harsh winter through the hostile environment of the Albanian highlands from [[Prizren]] to the Albanian littoral, a march that took more than 100,000 lives, the King and his army, exhausted by cold and famine, were eventually transported by the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]] to the Greek isle of [[Corfu]] in early 1916. For the rest of World War I King Peter I, already in very poor health, remained on Corfu, which became the seat of the Serbian government-in-exile until December 1918.

On 1 December 1918 King Peter I was proclaimed King of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]. King Peter stayed abroad until July 1919, then returned to Belgrade, where he died in 1921 at the age of 77. He was solemnly buried in his endowment in [[Oplenac]], the Church of Saint George in the vicinity of Topola in Central Serbia, where his grandfather Karađorđe, the founder of the dynasty, had launched a large-scale insurrection against the Ottomans in 1804.<ref name=":0" />

==Legacy==
[[File:Crkva sv. Djordja na Oplencu zimi.JPG|thumb|right|Peter I founded [[Oplenac]], which is also a mausoleum of [[Karađorđević dynasty]]]]
[[File:HPIM0503.jpg|thumb|right|A monument to Peter I in [[Zrenjanin]]]]
[[File:Spomenik kralju Petru I Karađorđeviću.jpg|thumb|right|Monument to Peter I in [[Bijeljina]]]]
[[File:Skopje stari spomenici.jpg|thumb|right|Former monument to Peter I at the [[Macedonia Square, Skopje|Macedonia Square]] in [[Skopje]]]]
Three cities in interwar Yugoslavia were named after King Peter I: [[Mrkonjić Grad]] in Bosnia-Herzegovina (former Varcar Vakuf), Petrovgrad in [[Vojvodina]] (Veliki Bečkerek, now Zrenjanin) and [[Petrovac, Budva|Petrovac na Moru]] (former Kaštel Lastva) in Montenegro. Dozens of monuments erected in his honor throughout Yugoslavia were destroyed after the communist takeover in 1945. Only one monument, in Zrenjanin (former Petrovgrad) was recently restored, as well as several smaller monuments in Belgrade and the rest of Serbia. The other monuments in honor to King Peter I were restored or erected in [[Republika Srpska]], in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] where his cult status as a national hero is as strong as it is in Serbia.

In [[Paris]], an avenue off the [[Champs-Élysées]] is named after him, [[Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie]].<ref>[http://www.gralon.net/plan-ville/planr-av-pierre-1er-de-serbie-paris-3631.htm Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie (see centre of map)]</ref> There is a modest monument dedicated to King Peter I of Serbia in Orléans, France, when he fought as a volunteer in the French army. A large monument to King Peter and his son Alexander I of Yugoslavia was also unveiled in 1936, at the Porte de la Muette in Paris. The film ''[[King Petar of Serbia]]'' was released in early December 2018 starring [[Lazar Ristovski]] as King Peter.<ref>{{Citation|title=Kralj Petar I: U slavu Srbije|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8161166/|access-date=2018-12-06}}</ref>

==Honours==
{| class="wikitable"
|-  style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |'''Serbian decorations and medals'''
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Noribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of St. Prince Lazar|Order of Saint Prince Lazarus]], Collar (Royal Order only)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Karađorđeve zvezde VKrst BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Karađorđe's Star]], Grand Master
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Belog Orla VKrst BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of the White Eagle (Serbia)|Order of the White Eagle]], Grand Master
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Karađorđeve zvezde sa mačevima VKrst BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Karađorđe's Star|Order of Karađorđe's Star with Swords]], Grand Master
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Belog Orla sa macevima VKrst BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of the White Eagle (Serbia)|Order of the White Eagle with swords]], Grand Master
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=SRB-SHS-YUG Orden Svetog Save VKrst BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of St. Sava|Order of Saint Sava]], Grand Master
|-  style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |'''Serbian Service Medals'''
|-
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Red Cross Medal of Merit rib.gif|width=60}}
|Medal of the Serbian [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Military Merit medal 1883 rib.gif|width=60}}
|Medal for Military Merit
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Conmemorative Medal of the Accesion of King Peter I.jpg|width=60}}
| Commemorative Medal of the Election of Peter I as King of Serbia
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Commemorative Medal of the first Balkan war,1912.jpg|width=60}}
| Commemorative Medal of the first Balkan War, 1912
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Commemorative Medal of the second Balkan War,1913 rib.png|width=60}}
| Commemorative Medal of the second Balkan War, 1913
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Commemorative_Medal_of_the_Albanian_Campaign,1920_rib.png|width=60}}
|[[Albanian Commemorative Medal|Commemorative Medal of the Albanian Campaign]]
|-  style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |'''International and Foreign Awards'''
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje. Ribbon.gif|width=60}}
|[[Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje]], Knight ([[Kingdom of Montenegro|Montenegro]])
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=ME Order of Danilo I Knight Grand Cross BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Prince Danilo I]], Knight Grand Cross (Montenegro)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=PRT Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR.png|width=60}}
|[[Order of the Tower and Sword]], Grand Cross<ref>"[http://arquivo.presidencia.pt/details?id=124233 Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada - Processos de Estrangeiros: Pedro I (Rei dos Sérvios, Croatas e Eslovenos)]" (in Portuguese), ''Arquivo Histórico da Presidência da República''. Retrieved 2 April 2020.</ref> ([[First Portuguese Republic|Portugal]])
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=St.AndrewOrder.png|width=60}}
|[[Order of St. Andrew|Order of Saint Andrew]], Collar ([[Russian Empire|Russia]])
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=RUS Order White Eagle BAR.png|width=60}}
|[[Order of the White Eagle (Russian Empire)|Order of the White Eagle]], Knight Grand Cross (Russia)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Russian Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky ribbon bar.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky]], Knight Grand Cross (Russia)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=RUS Order św. Anny (baretka).svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Saint Anna]], 1st class (Russia)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=POL Krzyz Komandorski z Gwiazda Orderu Sw Stanislawa BAR.png|width=60}}
|[[Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov)|Order of Saint Stanislaus]], Knight Grand Cross (Russia)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Order of the Most Holy Annunciation BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]], Collar ([[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]])
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Cavaliere di gran Croce Regno SSML BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus]], Knight Grand Cross (Italy)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Cavaliere di Gran Croce OCI Kingdom BAR.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of the Crown of Italy]], Knight Grand Cross (Italy)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Order of the Osmanie lenta.png|width=60}}
|[[Order of Osmanieh|Order of Osmaniye]], 1st class ([[Ottoman Empire]])
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Order of the Medjidie - Ribbon bar.svg|width=60}}
|[[Order of the Medjidie]], 3rd class (Ottoman Empire)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Legion of Honour]], Grand Cross ([[France]])
|}

==See also==
{{wikisource|The New Student's Reference Work/Peter, King of Servia|Peter, King of Servia}}
*[[House of Karađorđević]]
*[[List of Serbian monarchs]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|40em}}
* {{cite journal
  | last = Bataković
  | first = Dušan T.
  | year = 2002
  | title = Belgrade in the Nineteenth Century: A Historical Survey
  | volume = 16
  | number = 2
  | journal = Journal of the North American Society for Serbian Studies
  | publisher = Slavica Publishers
  | location = Bloomington, Indiana
  | issn = 0742-3330
  | url = http://www.serbianstudies.org/publications/pdf/SS_Vol%2016_2002_No%202.pdf
  | pages = 335–359
  | access-date = 2016-11-13
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160322223414/http://www.serbianstudies.org/publications/pdf/SS_Vol%2016_2002_No%202.pdf
  | archive-date = 2016-03-22
  | url-status = dead
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Bjelajac
  | first = Mile
  | editor1-last = Radan
  | editor1-first = Peter 
  | editor2-last = Pavković
  | editor2-first = Aleksandar
  | year = 1997
  | title = The Serbs and Their Leaders in the Twentieth Century
  | chapter = King Petar I Karađorđević
  | publisher = Ashgate
  | location = Farnham, England
  | isbn = 978-1-8552-189-1-8
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Dedijer
  | first = Vladimir
  | author-link = Vladimir Dedijer
  | year = 1966
  | title = The Road to Sarajevo
  | publisher = Simon & Schuster
  | location = New York
  | oclc = 400010
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Judah
  | first = Tim
  | author-link = Tim Judah
  | year = 2000
  | orig-year = 1997
  | edition = 2nd
  | title = The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia
  | publisher = Yale University Press
  | location = New Haven, Connecticut
  | isbn = 978-0-300-08507-5
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=B4YbP0fPcMYC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Lampe
  | first = John R.
  | author-link = John R. Lampe
  | year = 2000
  | orig-year = 1996
  | edition = 2nd
  | title = Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = Cambridge
  | isbn = 978-0-521-77401-7
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=AZ1x7gvwx_8C
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Lepage
  | first = Jean-Denis G.G.
  | year = 2008
  | title = The French Foreign Legion: An Illustrated History
  | publisher = MacFarland & Company, Inc.
  | location = Jefferson, North Carolina
  | isbn = 978-0-78646-253-7
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qqeOMjr9kqYC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Mackenzie
  | first = David
  | year = 1989
  | title = Apis, the Congenial Conspirator: The Life of Colonel Dragutin T. Dimitrijević
  | publisher = East European Monographs
  | location = Boulder, Colorado
  | isbn = 978-0-88033-162-3
  | url = https://archive.org/details/apiscongenialcon0000mack
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Makuljević
  | first = Nenad
  | editor-last = Zimmermann
  | editor-first = Tanja
  | year = 2012
  | title = Balkan Memories: Media Constructions of National and Transnational History
  | chapter = Public Monuments, Memorial Churches and the Creation of Serbian National Identity in the 19th Century
  | publisher = transcript Verlag
  | location = Bielefeld, Germany
  | isbn = 978-3-83941-712-6
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=va-TBQAAQBAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Mitrović
  | first = Andrej
  | author-link = Andrej Mitrović
  | year = 2007
  | title = Serbia's Great War, 1914–1918
  | publisher = Purdue University Press
  | location = West Lafayette, Indiana
  | isbn = 978-1-55753-477-4
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CI5Wm8771EYC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Norris
  | first = David A.
  | year = 2008
  | title = Belgrade: A Cultural History
  | publisher = Oxford University Press
  | location = Oxford
  | isbn = 978-0-19-970452-1
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=b7RWayXdH0UC
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Pavlowitch
  | first = Stevan K.
  | author-link = Stevan K. Pavlowitch
  | year = 2002
  | title = Serbia: The History of an Idea
  | publisher = New York University Press
  | location = New York
  | isbn = 978-0-8147-6708-5
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=u46G_l3Cz20C
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Singleton
  | first = Frederick Bernard
  | year = 1985
  | title = A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = New York
  | isbn = 978-0-521-27485-2
  | url = https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofyu0000sing
  | url-access = registration
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Shrader
  | first = Charles R.
  | editor-last = Tucker
  | editor-first = Spencer C.
  | year = 2014
  | title = World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection
  | chapter = Peter I Karageorgević, King of Serbia
  | publisher = ABC-CLIO
  | location = Santa Barbara, California
  | isbn = 978-1-85109-965-8
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DBwTBQAAQBAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Smith
  | first = Paul
  | year = 1976
  | title = The Historian and Film
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = Cambridge
  | isbn = 978-0-52120-992-2
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ISY9AAAAIAAJ
  }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=DiNardo |first=Richard L. |title=Invasion: The Conquest of Serbia, 1915 |year=2015 |location=Santa Barbara |publisher=Praeger |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9sbloQEACAAJ |isbn=9781440800924}}
* {{cite book |last=Živojinović |first=Dragoljub R. |year=1988–1992 |title=Kralj Petar I Karađorđević |trans-title=King Peter I Karađorđević |language=sr |volume=1–3 |publisher=BIGZ |location=Belgrade, Yugoslavia |isbn=978-8-61300-324-3}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Peter I of Serbia}}
*[https://www.royal.rs The Serbian Royal Family]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171124075053/http://www.oplenac.rs/wpeng/#sthash.aDfKTmit.dpbs Royal Mausoleum Oplenac]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091229101222/http://www.royalfamily.org/press/press-det/stogodisnjicaeng.pdf Royal Family]
* {{PM20|FID=pe/013473}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Karađorđević]]|29 June|1844|16 August|1921}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Alexander I of Serbia]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Serbian monarchs|King of Serbia]]|years=15 June 1903&nbsp;– 1 December 1918}}
{{s-non|reason=Expansion of state|reason2=proclaimed King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of heads of state of Yugoslavia|King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]|years=1 December 1918&nbsp;– 16 August 1921}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Serbian monarchs}}
{{Heads of state of Serbia}}
{{Heads of state of Yugoslavia}}
{{Karađorđević dynasty}}
{{Serbian princes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter 01 Of The Serbs, Croats And Slovenes}}
[[Category:1844 births]]
[[Category:1921 deaths]]
[[Category:Karađorđević dynasty]]
[[Category:Kings of Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:Kings of Serbia]]
[[Category:20th-century Serbian monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Belgrade]]
[[Category:Serbian princes]]
[[Category:Sons of princes regnant]]
[[Category:Serbian translators]]
[[Category:English–Serbian translators]]
[[Category:École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni]]
[[Category:Officers of the French Foreign Legion]]
[[Category:Serbian people of World War I]]
[[Category:Burials at the Mausoleum of the Royal House of Karađorđević, Oplenac]]