Assassination of Prince Mihailo Obrenović (1868)

Prince Mihailo Obrenović was assassinated on 10 June 1868 in Košutnjak park, Belgrade, while traveling with Katarina Konstantinović and Princess Anka. The attack stemmed from political enmity and personal disputes. Following the murder, the National Assembly excluded the Karađorđević dynasty and proclaimed Milan as the legitimate heir to the Serbian throne.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Mihailo Obrenović ruled Serbia from 1860 to 1868. His second reign ended with his assassination. He faced opposition from Serbian nationalists and partisans of the Karađorđević dynasty, who viewed him with enmity for displacing their preferred royal family. Additionally, his dismissal of Prime Minister Ilija Garašanin in 1867 for opposing his divorce plans contributed to the formation of a conspiracy against him.

Conspiracy. A conspiracy was formed against Prince Mihailo as he introduced absolutism. The assassination occurred on 10 June 1868, when Mihailo was traveling with Katarina and Princess Anka in a carriage through Košutnjak park near his country residence. The assassin recognized the prince due to a dispute over his brother Ljubomir. The prince's last words, admitted by the assassin Kosta during trial, were 'Well, it's true.'

Succession. Following the assassination, the National Assembly declared the House of Karađorđević perpetually excluded from ruling. The Assembly proclaimed Prince Michael's fourteen-year-old cousin, Milan, as the legitimate heir to the Serbian throne. This decision solidified the succession within the Obrenović line despite the political tensions that had fueled the conspiracy against Mihailo.

People involved

Sources

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