SERBIA 



5313 



SERBIA 



great strip of Macedonia which was coveted by 

 Bulgaria. The gains of Serbia excited the jeal- 

 ousy of Austria-Hungary, while the attitude of 

 the latter country during the Balkan Wars in- 

 creased the hatred of the Serbs towards it. The 

 assassination at Serajevo of Archduke Francis 

 Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria- 

 Hungary, on June 28, 1914, by Serb fanatics 

 who expected to further by such means the re- 

 alization of their ideal of a Greater Serbia, was 

 followed a week later by an ultimatum sent 

 by Austria-Hungary to Serbia, so humiliating 

 that Serbia was loath to accept it, and was 

 given but a few hours to decide. This led to the 

 declaration of war by Austria-Hungary, and to 

 the larger conflict known as the War of the Na- 

 tions. Austria-Hungary immediately attacked 

 Serbia, but without much success. The great 

 campaign against that country began in the fall 

 of 1915, when Bulgaria joined the Central Pow- 

 ers. Belgrade was occupied by the Austrians 

 on October 9, 1915, and as a result of a pow- 

 erful drive by overwhelming forces of Aus- 

 trians, Germans and Bulgarians the whole of 

 Serbia was in the hands of the enemy by the 

 end of 1915. The king, Peter I, took refuge 

 in Saloniki, in Greece, and the Cabinet re- 

 paired to Corfu. See WAR OF THE NATIONS. 



In accordance with the announced intention 

 of the powers which were victors in the war the 

 states of Central Europe were permitted to 

 reorganize into new governments and with new 

 territorial boundaries, based on the "self-deter- 

 mination of peoples." Thus Jugo-Slavia arose, 

 and Serbia was incorporated in it. In the 

 autumn of 1918 the new state had not fully out- 

 lined its government. 



Other Items of Interest. In Serbian the name 

 of the country is spelled Srbija, but since r 

 partakes of the nature of a vowel, the first syl- 

 lable is not unpronounceable. 



Linbotrn, Serbia's highest peak, is hundreds 

 of feet above any other height of land in the 

 Balkan Peninsula. 



The language of Serbia, which is called Serbo- 

 Croatian, is one of the most expressive tongues 

 in all Europe, and the literature which has 

 grown up in it is notable. Serbian writers 

 have excelled particularly in the production of 

 short stories which abound in "local color." 



One of the important industries of Serbia is 

 the making from plums of a mild alcoholic 

 liquor known as raki. 



In proportion to its population, Serbia has 

 more hogs and sheep than any other country 

 of Europe. 

 333 



Outline and Questions 

 on Serbia 



I. Location 



(1) In Balkan Peninsula 



(2) Boundaries 



II. Size 



(1) Area 



(a) Before Balkan Wars 



(b) After Balkan Wars 



(2) Compared with other countries or 



states in 1914 



III. Geography 



(1) Mountainous character 



(a) Highest peak in Balkan Penin- 

 sula 



(2) Plains and fertile valleys 



(3) Rivers 



(4) Climate 



(a) In mountains 



(b) On lowlands 



IV. Resources and Industries 



(1) Agriculture 



(a) Peasant ownership of land 



(b) Crops 



(c) Stock raising 



(2) Forests 



(3) Mineral wealth 



(a) Undeveloped condition 



(4) Transportation 



V. ' The People 



(1) Race and relationships 



(2) Language 



(3) Religion 



(4) Government 



( 5 ) Desire for a Greater Serbia and Its 

 fulfillment 



VI. History 



(1) In ancient and medieval times 



(2) Home rule secured from Turks 



(3) Independence 



(4) The Balkan Wars 



( 5 ) The War of the Nations 



Questions 



Why are bureaus of charity unneces- 

 sary in Serbia? 



Why do the Serbians object so seri- 

 ously to having their name spelled with 

 a v instead of with a bf 



Why could not a Serbian musician 

 play if he broke a string of his fiddle? 



How many countries of the Balkan 

 Peninsula are larger than Serbia? 



What is meant by the ideal of a 

 Greater Serbia, and how was this ambi- 

 tion realized? 



What part did this little country play 

 in bringing about the greatest war the 

 world has ever seen? 



How does the loftiest point in the 

 country rank as to height with the other 

 peaks of the Balkan Peninsula? 



Of what forms of animal life does 

 Serbia have more, relative to its popula- 

 tion, than any other European country? 



What is the Skupshtinat 



When did the Serbs come into this 

 region, and at whose invitation? 



What was the fate of the country 

 during the second year of the War of 

 the Nations? 



To what unusual use are plums put 

 In Serbia? 



