Milan Pirocanac
Encyclopedia
Milan Piroćanac (January 7, 1837 – March 1, 1897) was a prominent Serbian
statesman and politician, leader and founder of the Progressive party
(Napredna stranka), and a Prime Minister of the Principality, later Kingdom of Serbia
in the 19th century.
area in southeastern Serbia
. After finishing his law studies at Paris
Law University in 1860, Piroćanac was recruited by Ilija Garašanin
into the Foreign Ministry of Serbia. After Serbia
and Montenegro
concluded an alliance in 1866, brokered by Prince Mihailo Obrenović and Prince Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš so that the two Serbian principalities could jointly fight the Ottomans, Piroćanac spent several months in Cetinje
, as a political representative of Serbia, serving, in addition, as a secretary to Prince Nikola of Montenegro. He began a career as a judge in 1868 and was posted to the Court of Cassation of the Kingdom in 1872.
Piroćanac was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs in the conservative-liberal alliance cabinet led by Jovan Marinović
(November 25, 1874 to January 22, 1875). After the end of his short ministerial term he returned to the Court of Cassation.
Being a prominent member of the younger Western-educated Serbian conservatives, Piroćanac was the founder of the Progressive party
in 1880, gathered around the journal Videlo (Daylight), which propagated loyalty to the Crown and “law, freedom and progress”.
Invited by Prince Milan Obrenović
to form a government, Milan Piroćanac formed a Progressive cabinet on October 19, 1880, that during its three years in office introduced significant reforms into Serbian society. Under his government Serbia concluded a commercial treaty with Austria-Hungary
and started the strategically important construction of a railway (Belgrade
-Niš
and Niš
-Pirot
) in order to link Serbia with both Central Europe
and Ottoman
Turkey
. The Education Minister in his government, Stojan Novaković
, made primary school compulsory and modernized school curricula, putting emphasis on liberal and positivist subjects instead of on classical Latin
-based education.
Prince Milan, together with his Foreign Minister Čedomilj Mijatović
, formalized his relations with Vienna
, by preparing and signing the Secret Convention (Tajna Konvencija) in 1881, a document unknown both to the Serbian parliament and the wider public, that put Serbian foreign policy under Austrian
tutelage. This was a major point of disagreement between the Prince and his Prime Minister, and in order to avoid any further lack of loyalty from Čedomilj Mijatović, Piroćanac took the office of Foreign Minister to himself, leaving Mijatović solely the post of finance minister. Nevertheless, Mijatović provoked another scandal, during the bankruptcy of l’Union Générale from Paris, by granting them consent to realize a set of state bonds for the railway loan. In order to avoid a financial catastrophe, both Prince Milan and Prime Minister Piroćanac asked for the support of Austria-Hungary
, having in mind both the survival of the Progressive party government and the need to avoid any radical change of foreign-policy orientation (i.e. towards Russia
).
Austrian mediation turned to be quite helpful and Prime Minister Piroćanac, in order to appease the situation, instead of an extensive financial report, presented to the National Assembly a draft law on the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia
, with Prince Milan Obrenović as its new King (the first Serbian King since the Middle Ages
), a proposal which was greeted with joy and approval by the deputies. Acceptance of this proposal on February 22, 1882 (old style), strengthened, at least for a while, the position of the Piroćanac cabinet. It was the threat that Austria-Hungary
might soon officially annex the freshly occupied Ottoman provinces of Bosnia & Herzegovina that presented a new challenge. Piroćanac threatened to resign, while in addition negative comments in the Belgrade and other Serb press in various Serb-inhabited Balkan regions contributed to the decision in Vienna to postpone the plans for the annexation of Bosnia in 1883.
Facing one crisis after another, Prime Minister Piroćanac, lacking the support of Prince, later King, Milan, had no room left to prepare a new, more liberal constitution that would replace the old one of 1869. Piroćanac, as most other Progressives, was in favour of a two chamber system, advocating the upper chamber of Parliament as an obstacle against populism (“despotism of the masses”), ascribed mostly to the then-opposition National Radical Party
of Nikola Pašić
. The upper chamber, consisting of intellectuals appointed by the King would, as he proposed, control the irresponsible and uneducated peasant, mostly Radical, deputies.
The Piroćanac government did manage to, however, pass a set of extremely important democratic Western-inspired laws in that would provide the political framework for future democratic development: the law on judicial independence (February 9, 1881), the law on the freedom of the press (March 28, 1881), on political association and organization (April 1, 1881), as well as the law on creating a standing army (January 3, 1883). With other laws promulgated, in particular on free elections, local autonomy and taxation, the Piroćanac government made possible the accelerated modernization and Europenisation of the predominantly patriarchal society of Serbia, therefore being a crucial stage of the country's development, both economic and political.
Piroćanac resigned on September 21, 1883 after his party was defeated at the general election held the same month. Piroćanac remained the party leader until 1886. He resigned from the party leadership of the Progressive party and political life in general after a long quarrel with his deputy Milutin Garašanin over the war lost against Bulgaria the previous year (1885).
Piroćanac afterwards returned to practicing law and represented foreign companies in Belgrade
. His old mansion in Belgrade, at Francuska street no. 7, is now the seat of the Writer’s Union of Serbia.
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
statesman and politician, leader and founder of the Progressive party
Serbian Progressive Party (historical)
The Serbian Progressive Party was a liberal political party in Serbia that existed from 1881 to 1919.-Origins:The origin of the Progressive Party can be traced back to a political grouping known as "Young Conservatives" that had existed from 1871...
(Napredna stranka), and a Prime Minister of the Principality, later Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
in the 19th century.
Life and career
Piroćanac was born into a family originally from the PirotPirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
area in southeastern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. After finishing his law studies at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Law University in 1860, Piroćanac was recruited by Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin
Ilija Garašanin was a Serbian politician and statesman, serving as Interior Minister and Prime Minister ....
into the Foreign Ministry of Serbia. After Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
concluded an alliance in 1866, brokered by Prince Mihailo Obrenović and Prince Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš so that the two Serbian principalities could jointly fight the Ottomans, Piroćanac spent several months in Cetinje
Cetinje
Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro...
, as a political representative of Serbia, serving, in addition, as a secretary to Prince Nikola of Montenegro. He began a career as a judge in 1868 and was posted to the Court of Cassation of the Kingdom in 1872.
Piroćanac was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs in the conservative-liberal alliance cabinet led by Jovan Marinović
Jovan Marinovic
Jovan Marinović , was a Serbian politician and diplomat, that introduced several enlightened reforms in Serbian political system...
(November 25, 1874 to January 22, 1875). After the end of his short ministerial term he returned to the Court of Cassation.
Being a prominent member of the younger Western-educated Serbian conservatives, Piroćanac was the founder of the Progressive party
Serbian Progressive Party (historical)
The Serbian Progressive Party was a liberal political party in Serbia that existed from 1881 to 1919.-Origins:The origin of the Progressive Party can be traced back to a political grouping known as "Young Conservatives" that had existed from 1871...
in 1880, gathered around the journal Videlo (Daylight), which propagated loyalty to the Crown and “law, freedom and progress”.
Invited by Prince Milan Obrenović
Milan Obrenovic
Milan Obrenović may refer to:* Milan Obrenović II, Prince of Serbia * Milan Obrenović IV...
to form a government, Milan Piroćanac formed a Progressive cabinet on October 19, 1880, that during its three years in office introduced significant reforms into Serbian society. Under his government Serbia concluded a commercial treaty with 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...
and started the strategically important construction of a railway (Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
-Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
-Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
) in order to link Serbia with both Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The Education Minister in his government, Stojan Novaković
Stojan Novakovic
Stojan Novaković , was a Serbian literary critic, scholar, politician and diplomat, and the foremost Serbian historian of nineteenth century, holding the post of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia on two occasions.He was born in the western Serbian city of Šabac and died in the southern city of...
, made primary school compulsory and modernized school curricula, putting emphasis on liberal and positivist subjects instead of on classical Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
-based education.
Prince Milan, together with his Foreign Minister Čedomilj Mijatović
Cedomilj Mijatovic
Čedomilj Mijatović was a Serbian statesman, economist, historian, writer, politician, diplomat and one of the...
, formalized his relations with Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, by preparing and signing the Secret Convention (Tajna Konvencija) in 1881, a document unknown both to the Serbian parliament and the wider public, that put Serbian foreign policy under Austrian
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...
tutelage. This was a major point of disagreement between the Prince and his Prime Minister, and in order to avoid any further lack of loyalty from Čedomilj Mijatović, Piroćanac took the office of Foreign Minister to himself, leaving Mijatović solely the post of finance minister. Nevertheless, Mijatović provoked another scandal, during the bankruptcy of l’Union Générale from Paris, by granting them consent to realize a set of state bonds for the railway loan. In order to avoid a financial catastrophe, both Prince Milan and Prime Minister Piroćanac asked for the support 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...
, having in mind both the survival of the Progressive party government and the need to avoid any radical change of foreign-policy orientation (i.e. towards Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
).
Austrian mediation turned to be quite helpful and Prime Minister Piroćanac, in order to appease the situation, instead of an extensive financial report, presented to the National Assembly a draft law on the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
, with Prince Milan Obrenović as its new King (the first Serbian King since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
), a proposal which was greeted with joy and approval by the deputies. Acceptance of this proposal on February 22, 1882 (old style), strengthened, at least for a while, the position of the Piroćanac cabinet. It was the threat that 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...
might soon officially annex the freshly occupied Ottoman provinces of Bosnia & Herzegovina that presented a new challenge. Piroćanac threatened to resign, while in addition negative comments in the Belgrade and other Serb press in various Serb-inhabited Balkan regions contributed to the decision in Vienna to postpone the plans for the annexation of Bosnia in 1883.
Facing one crisis after another, Prime Minister Piroćanac, lacking the support of Prince, later King, Milan, had no room left to prepare a new, more liberal constitution that would replace the old one of 1869. Piroćanac, as most other Progressives, was in favour of a two chamber system, advocating the upper chamber of Parliament as an obstacle against populism (“despotism of the masses”), ascribed mostly to the then-opposition National Radical Party
People's Radical Party
The People's Radical Party of Serbia was a political party formed on January 8, 1881, which was active in the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes...
of Nikola Pašić
Nikola Pašic
Nikola P. Pašić was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat, the most important Serbian political figure for almost 40 years, leader of the People's Radical Party who, among other posts, was twice a mayor of Belgrade...
. The upper chamber, consisting of intellectuals appointed by the King would, as he proposed, control the irresponsible and uneducated peasant, mostly Radical, deputies.
The Piroćanac government did manage to, however, pass a set of extremely important democratic Western-inspired laws in that would provide the political framework for future democratic development: the law on judicial independence (February 9, 1881), the law on the freedom of the press (March 28, 1881), on political association and organization (April 1, 1881), as well as the law on creating a standing army (January 3, 1883). With other laws promulgated, in particular on free elections, local autonomy and taxation, the Piroćanac government made possible the accelerated modernization and Europenisation of the predominantly patriarchal society of Serbia, therefore being a crucial stage of the country's development, both economic and political.
Piroćanac resigned on September 21, 1883 after his party was defeated at the general election held the same month. Piroćanac remained the party leader until 1886. He resigned from the party leadership of the Progressive party and political life in general after a long quarrel with his deputy Milutin Garašanin over the war lost against Bulgaria the previous year (1885).
Piroćanac afterwards returned to practicing law and represented foreign companies in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. His old mansion in Belgrade, at Francuska street no. 7, is now the seat of the Writer’s Union of Serbia.
Selected works
- Medjunarodni položaj Srbije, Beograd 1892.
- Knez Mihailo i zajednička radnja balkanskih naroda, Beograd 1895.
- Beleške povodom jedne diplomatske istorije, Beograd 1896.
- Beleške, Zavod za udžbenike, Beograd 2004.