Evaluating Articles in Serbian Newspapers (Застава, Србски Народ, and Српске новине) About the Herzegovina Uprising in the Framework of the Great Eastern Crisis (1875-1878)

Abstract

The Eastern question was an international diplomatic issue that arose in the 19th century, and the Great Eastern Crisis was one of the most dynamic periods in the development of the Eastern question. The rebellion that broke out in Herzegovina in 1875 developed over a short time and started a new crisis that became an international problem with the intervention of the Great Powers within the framework of the European balance of power. The April Uprising of 1876, the 1876 Montenegrin-Ottoman War, the 1876 Serbian-Ottoman War, the Constantinople Conference of 1876, and Pan-Slavism made their weight felt in the period that followed, one which also left the Ottoman Empire in a difficult situation and resulted in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The Eastern question was an unavoidable topic for the Serbian intellectual elite. The most prominent members of which proposed solutions that were most suitable for the Serbian people at the time. When the revolt broke out, the important Serbian newspapers informed about the recent events in Herzegovina and sympathized with the rebellions that demanded war against the Ottoman Empire. Elite Serbian politicians and the public saw war as the only solution for the Balkan people to the Great Eastern Crisis. This study will analyze articles from three Serbian newspapers about the Herzegovina Uprising: Застава [Flag], Србски народ [Serbian People], and Српске новине [Serbian News]. The leading Serbian political thinkers of the 19th century, both those living in the Principality of Serbia and those living in Austria-Hungary, were responsible for creating public opinion among the Serbian people. These newspapers were important because they were widely read among the Serbs living on both sides of the Drina, Danube, and Sava and provide valuable information about the main standpoints of Serbian national inspiration.