The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

by a younger, more powerful organism, and if he had succeeded in doing this he would have proceeded to organise the defence of Christian Europe against the approaching Mahomedan tide. Unfortunately Tsar Dusan died in 1855 before he had time to carry out his plans.

After the death of Tsar DuSan Serbia passed through a heavy crisis. The shortcomings and deficiencies of the feudal system had produced the same results in Serbia as in many other States in that stage of their social and political development. But whilst the Kings of France succeeded in subjugating the feudal aristocracy, thanks to their alliance with the burghers, the crisis provoked by the feudal system in Serbia proved fatal to her existence, as it occurred simultaneously with the appearance of a source of new danger from without. Tsar Uros, DuSan’s young son and heir, possessed no authority or power to curb the mighty feudal princes, who ruled independently in their respective provinces without unity or mutual co-operation. King Voukasin of Macedonia and his brother Uglesa were the first to receive the Turkish blow. They met the invaders on the Maritza in the year 1371, but their army was defeated, both perished, and their sons and heirs became vassals to the Sultan. Soon after this the Byzantine Empire was reduced to Constantinople and its environs, and the Turkish tide

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