Jovan Ristić

Jovan Ristic (Cyrillic Јован Ристић; born January 16 or February 13, 1831 in Kragujevac, † September 4, 1899 in Belgrade ) was a Serbian diplomat and politician. He was leader of the Liberal Party ( Liberalna stranka ), Foreign Minister and several times Prime Minister of Serbia.

Life

Ristic studied in Heidelberg, Berlin and Paris. On his return to Belgrade, he worked first as a high school teacher. In 1861 he was appointed diplomatic agent of his country in Constantinople Opel. In this position, Ristic was involved in the negotiations, which in 1867 led to the complete withdrawal of Ottoman troops, who had entertained until then garrisons in Serbia. After returning him to the Serbian Prince Mihailo Obrenović offered a ministerial post, but the liberal politicians could not work well with the conservative princes, and he quickly stepped back from this position. After the assassination Mihailos (1868 ), he became the head of the regency council hastily formed, who presented early in 1869 a new constitution, which was written by Ristic substantially.

1872 Ristic foreign minister and shortly afterwards he was appointed prime minister by Prince Milan for the first time; but he could not prevail against political opposition and resigned after one year. 1876 ​​re-appointed as head of government led Ristic Serbia in the war with the Ottoman Empire. After the war he represented his country in 1878 at the Berlin Congress, but where he could gain a lot less territorial gains than had been expected in Serbia. His government was therefore increasingly unpopular. Since a Bulgarian state was created by the Treaty of Berlin, the previous foreign affairs program let - Serbia as the core of a great all South Slavs comprehensive State in the Balkans, the Ristic had taken over from his predecessor Ilija Garašanin, no longer true. After Ristic also had closed an unfavorable trade agreements with Austria - Hungary, he was forced to resign in 1879.

1887 Ristic was appointed by King Milan again as head of government, because this would prevent the sole authority of the Radical Party. He led until 1889 a coalition cabinet in which the radicals were represented. The power-sharing was continued by Ristic became the head of the regency council for the still underage King Alexander, while the government was taken over by the radicals. 1892 was Ristic governmental power but to his Liberal Party, which caused great discontent in the country. In April 1893, the young king had the Liberal government arrest, declared himself of age and brought the Radicals regained power. This Ristic political career had ended and he retired into private life.

Works

Jovan Ristic wrote two books about the Serbian foreign policy:

• Спољашњи одношаји Србије од 1848-1872. ( The foreign relations of Serbia 1848-1872, Belgrade 1887)
• Дипломатска историја Србије 1875-1878 ( Diplomacy History of Serbia 1875-1878, Belgrade 1896)