Evgenije Popovic
Encyclopedia
Evgenije Popović (1842, Risan
, Dalmatia
, Austria-Hungary
- 1931, Trieste
, Italy
) was a Montenegrin statesmen, journalist, diplomat, politician, writer and editor.
Evgenije Popović was born in 1842 on his father's ship in Risan
, a town in the Kingdom of Dalmatia
of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
. Though born in Risan, where his parents had settled in before his birth, Popović's origins lies in the Kuči
tribe, descending from the Popovići clan of the Drekalović brotherhood. He finished grade school in Trieste
as a schoolfriend of Prince Nicholas of Montenegro
. He later graduated Law School in Italy, gaining a PhD
, and settled his life permanently in Italy naturalized. He was a lawyer in Italy, however, casually engaged in journalism and even the editing of Dirito for a period. He also wrote works on the Adriatic sea and several articles, which were published by local and international press.
Popović was a friend of Italian patriot and member of the Risorgimento
, participating in his the detachments of Giuseppe Garibaldi
during the struggle for Italian unification
. Popović also participated in the Montenegrin-Ottoman War of 1876-1878, where he was wounded twice. Together with several soldiers, Popović reported the events of the Montenegrin-Ottoman War to international press.
Popović was the Montenegrin consul in Rome, Italy from 1897 till 1900, when he became the Montenegrin general-consul in Rome. While consul, Popovic visited a rich collection of Montenegro antiques. He held his position as general-consul until 1917.
After Milo Matanovic resigned from position of PM, King Nicholas invited and appointed Evgenije Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenegro in Exile
as well as Minister of Internal Affairs at the same time which was a traditional Montenegrin custom, on 11 June 1917. Since the Government has lost most support on the international scene after the break-off of Radovic, Popovic worked actively and hardly to regain the prestige for King Nicholas. He tried to persuade the Montenegrin consul to lobby Nicholas' policy in the United States
, however he has already declared loyalty to Andrija's Committee for Unification.
With the liberation of Montenegro from the Central Powers' occupation by the Serbian armed forces after the break through the Balkan Front, Evgenije has attempted to secure the return of Nicholas and the Government to Montenegro on 16 November 1918 at the British Court, but this attempt has met only refusal. Although also failing to secure France's support for Nicholas' return, he has managed to get confirmation that France shall respect the legal Montenegrin authorities in exile and secure that the local military administration shall administer in the name of the King. France also claimed it will remain neutral for Montenegro's internal affairs, respecting the King's authority but also not opposing the desire and free will of the Montenegrin people to decide. Popovic's government and King Nikola have accepted these terms, which henceforth became the basis for the Podgorica Assembly.
Since late 1918 he is no longer in Neuilly
, so the position of Minister of Internal Affairs is held by Dr. Pero Šoć. With the end of the Great War
, Popovic has lobbied at the Allied Powers
' courts and managed to secure a Montenegrin seat for the post-war Paris Peace Conference
. After the Podgorica Assembly
has declared unification with Serbia and dethroned Nikola I Petrovic, Evgenije has, though a supporter of unification of Serbia and Montenegro, as Nicholas' Prime Minister, dismissed and declared its decisions nullified and void. Popovic has complained to the Great Powers that the decision was illegal, but met little response. Disappointed by Popovic's work, Nicholas replaced him with Jovan S. Plamenac, the organizer of the Christmas Uprising
, an event which occurred several days earlier and met Evgenije's condemnation.
Risan
Risan is a town in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro...
, Dalmatia
Kingdom of Dalmatia
The Kingdom of Dalmatia was an administrative division of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1815 to 1918. Its capital was Zadar.-History:...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
- 1931, Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) was a Montenegrin statesmen, journalist, diplomat, politician, writer and editor.
Evgenije Popović was born in 1842 on his father's ship in Risan
Risan
Risan is a town in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro...
, a town in the Kingdom of Dalmatia
Kingdom of Dalmatia
The Kingdom of Dalmatia was an administrative division of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1815 to 1918. Its capital was Zadar.-History:...
of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Though born in Risan, where his parents had settled in before his birth, Popović's origins lies in the Kuči
KUCI
KUCI is a college radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Irvine, California, USA, the station serves the Orange County area...
tribe, descending from the Popovići clan of the Drekalović brotherhood. He finished grade school in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
as a schoolfriend of Prince Nicholas of Montenegro
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
. He later graduated Law School in Italy, gaining a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, and settled his life permanently in Italy naturalized. He was a lawyer in Italy, however, casually engaged in journalism and even the editing of Dirito for a period. He also wrote works on the Adriatic sea and several articles, which were published by local and international press.
Popović was a friend of Italian patriot and member of the Risorgimento
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, participating in his the detachments of Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
during the struggle for Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
. Popović also participated in the Montenegrin-Ottoman War of 1876-1878, where he was wounded twice. Together with several soldiers, Popović reported the events of the Montenegrin-Ottoman War to international press.
Popović was the Montenegrin consul in Rome, Italy from 1897 till 1900, when he became the Montenegrin general-consul in Rome. While consul, Popovic visited a rich collection of Montenegro antiques. He held his position as general-consul until 1917.
After Milo Matanovic resigned from position of PM, King Nicholas invited and appointed Evgenije Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenegro in Exile
Prime Minister of Montenegro
The Prime Minister of Montenegro , is the head of the Government of Montenegro. The role of the Prime Minister is to direct the work of the Government, and to submit to the Parliament the Government's Program, including a list of proposed ministers...
as well as Minister of Internal Affairs at the same time which was a traditional Montenegrin custom, on 11 June 1917. Since the Government has lost most support on the international scene after the break-off of Radovic, Popovic worked actively and hardly to regain the prestige for King Nicholas. He tried to persuade the Montenegrin consul to lobby Nicholas' policy in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, however he has already declared loyalty to Andrija's Committee for Unification.
With the liberation of Montenegro from the Central Powers' occupation by the Serbian armed forces after the break through the Balkan Front, Evgenije has attempted to secure the return of Nicholas and the Government to Montenegro on 16 November 1918 at the British Court, but this attempt has met only refusal. Although also failing to secure France's support for Nicholas' return, he has managed to get confirmation that France shall respect the legal Montenegrin authorities in exile and secure that the local military administration shall administer in the name of the King. France also claimed it will remain neutral for Montenegro's internal affairs, respecting the King's authority but also not opposing the desire and free will of the Montenegrin people to decide. Popovic's government and King Nikola have accepted these terms, which henceforth became the basis for the Podgorica Assembly.
Since late 1918 he is no longer in Neuilly
Neuilly
Neuilly is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name Nobilis or Novellius:...
, so the position of Minister of Internal Affairs is held by Dr. Pero Šoć. With the end of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Popovic has lobbied at the Allied Powers
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
' courts and managed to secure a Montenegrin seat for the post-war Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
. After the Podgorica Assembly
Podgorica Assembly
The Podgorica Assembly , in full the Great National Assembly of the Serb People in Montenegro , was an assembly held in Podgorica that served as the representative body of the Montenegrin people during the...
has declared unification with Serbia and dethroned Nikola I Petrovic, Evgenije has, though a supporter of unification of Serbia and Montenegro, as Nicholas' Prime Minister, dismissed and declared its decisions nullified and void. Popovic has complained to the Great Powers that the decision was illegal, but met little response. Disappointed by Popovic's work, Nicholas replaced him with Jovan S. Plamenac, the organizer of the Christmas Uprising
Christmas Uprising
The Christmas Uprising or Christmas Rebellion refers to the uprising of Montenegrin guerrilla fighters aimed against the planned unification of Montenegro with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes...
, an event which occurred several days earlier and met Evgenije's condemnation.