Summary

The Montenegrin Forum demands that Serbia officially apologize for the violent annexation and destruction of Montenegro in 1918. Citing international authors (Perić, Bajza, Whitney, Devine) and Serbian military documents, the Forum describes the events as an unlawful occupation, abolition of Montenegro’s statehood, identity, and Orthodox Church, carried out against international law and the will of the Montenegrin people. It calls for Serbia, as legal successor of the Kingdom of Serbia, to acknowledge this historical injustice and address the issue of war reparations that rightfully belonged to Montenegro as an Allied nation. The Forum sees this as essential for opening a new chapter of truthful and respectful relations between the two countries.

Montenegrin Forum Remembers Serbia’s Crimes Against Montenegro

The Montenegrin Forum addresses public opinion regarding the historical facts and numerous international testimonies that confirm that the year 1918 constituted a violent and criminal destruction of Montenegro, the abolition of its state and identity, as well as severe repression against the Montenegrin people and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. This act remains one of the greatest historical injustices in modern European history, something that foreign authors of that time also clearly spoke about.

The events of 1918 were also written about by the well-known Serbian jurist and academic Živojin Perić, who emphasized that Montenegro was an internationally recognized state with its own distinct identity and dynasty, and that its violent unification was carried out in violation of international law and without the right of its people to vote. Even then, he warned that this was a procedure that had deeply offended and violated the Montenegrin people.

The Hungarian academic Jožef Bajza, in his work The Montenegrin Question (1927), pointed out that Montenegro was the only kingdom recognized by the Allies that, after the First World War, disappeared from the political map of Europe. He clearly stated that this was an unlawful liquidation of a historic state, carried out by force and political manipulation.

The American author Warren Whitney, in his book The Crime of the Peace Conference (1922), describes how the decisions of the Great Powers and the policy of Belgrade resulted in the “tragic disappearance of a small but proud ally.” Whitney clearly stresses that the decision to abolish Montenegro constituted a crime against a people that had made a great contribution to the Allied victory.

The British writer and publicist Alexander Devine, in several of his works, describes Montenegro as a martyr nation, emphasizing that 1918 was an act of occupation, not unification. He explains that Montenegro was the only kingdom recognized by the Allies that was violently removed from the world map, highlighting the political and military repression that followed.

The weight of the occupation of Montenegro is also confirmed by a document from the Serbian Supreme Command. In a telegram from Živojin Mišić dated 19 November 1918, the commander of Serbian forces in Cetinje is ordered to suppress all agitation in the territory of Montenegro — which he calls “occupied” — “by all available means, without any hesitation.” This document constitutes one of the most authentic proofs that official Serbia did not treat Montenegro as an equal allied state, but as a territory under military occupation.

Taking into account all these historical facts, testimonies from foreign authors, and official military documents from 1918, the Montenegrin Forum considers that the time has come to open a new chapter in relations between Montenegro and Serbia, based on truth, respect, and mutual cooperation.

For these reasons, we consider it essential that the Republic of Serbia, as the legal successor of the Kingdom of Serbia, send an official request for apology for the historical injustice inflicted upon Montenegro, the Montenegrin people, and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which in 1918 was violently erased from the political map of Europe in violation of international law and the will of the Montenegrin people. Such an action would constitute a civilized act and the first step toward a sincere and stable relationship between the two states and the two peoples.

Furthermore, in the spirit of historical responsibility and inter-state justice, we consider it necessary to open the issue of war reparations that, after the First World War, were awarded to Serbia, even though they belonged to Montenegro as an internationally recognized allied state. The return of these reparations or the reaching of a fair bilateral solution would be a powerful symbol of goodwill and a new foundation for building truly partnership-based relations.

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