Serbia and Montenegro and the Situation in Crete in 1897

Abstract

This article looks into the political stance and diplomatic activities of Serbia and Montenegro during the Cretan crisis at the end of the nineteenth century. At the time, no agreement was reached between Greece and the other Balkan states on any joint action due to mutually intertwined territorial and political claims. The Balkan states were trying to promote their individual political goals, either with the Sublime Porte or with the European Great Powers. Serbia, with support from Montenegro, required that the Porte grant church and school autonomy to the population in the northern districts of Ottoman Macedonia. Seeking to resolve the contentious issues with the Porte, Montenegro played a prominent role in the international gendarmerie mission in Crete from 1897 to 1899. The article is based on historical documents from the State Archives of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the press of the time.