The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

George Brankovic. In 1688 the latter submitted to the Court of Vienna a scheme for the creation of a semi-independent Serbian principality in the Banat, Syrmia, Slavonia and all other Serbian countries in the Balkans beyond the Save and the Danube, together with the demand that Vienna should acknowledge him as despot and hereditary prince of these provinces. Being in sore straits and pursuing its own aims, Vienna apparently approved and accepted Brankovic’s scheme. The Emperor Leopold wished to exploit the overconfidence of Brankovic, having already made up his mind to rid himself of him at the first opportunity. And this is how it was done. Animated by fresh hopes for the realisation of their national idea, the Serbs largely swelled the ranks of the Imperial forces, and by their insurrection in the rear of the Turkish forces by threatening their communications made the Turkish position untenable. Thanks to this the Austrian army conquered Bosnia and Serbia and penetrated as far as Prizren and Uskub (Skoplje).

Having temporarily obtained the desired results, the Vienna Court circles now turned to their preconceived plan of getting rid of Brankovié and Serbian autonomy. He was arrested on a charge of high treason at Kladovo in 1689 and transferred first to Vienna and subsequently to Egger in Bohemia, where he languished until 1711, as a State prisoner, never tried nor condemned by any court of the realm. Such was

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