The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

sacrificing the Serbs and restricting all privileges of the latter in favour of the former. Even that was not all. Instigated by her Jesuit advisers she initiated throughout Austria a policy of forcible propaganda of Roman Catholicism among the Orthodox population. Many Serbs, losing all hope that their position would ever be improved in Austria, having so many times shed their blood in vain in protecting the Hapsburg throne and extending Austria’s frontiers, once more went into exile and sought a new home in Russia. Thus in 1751-53 some hundreds of thousands of Serbs left South Hungary, depriving Austria of so many of her best soldiers and workmen. Alarmed by the magnitude of the Serbian exodus, the Court circles attempted to stop it by the creation of a special Illyrian Court Commission for the protection of Serbian interests, but only in religious and spiritual matters (in religiosis et spiritualibus). As was to be expected, this new institution—which was abolished in 1777did little or nothing for the promotion of Serbian interests or for the redress of their grievances, or the removal of wrongs which were growing in number and intensity. In spite of all, the Serbians remained most faithful and loyal defenders of the Hapsburgs, as has been recognised by many Austrian statesmen and historical writers. The Serbo-Croatian ‘‘ Grenzers” (frontier guards) formed nearly the half of the entire Austrian forces engaged in the Seven Years’ War (175664