MILAN OBRENOVIC IV. (1854-1901), king of Serbia, was born at Jassy, Rumania, on Aug. 22, 18.54, son of Milog Obrenovie (1829-1861), the nephew of Prince Milog I. (q.v.), and Maria Katardii, a Moldavian. Early left an orphan, Milan was adopted by his cousin Michael (q.v.), educated at Bucharest and Paris, and placed on the throne under a regency, in 1868, on the assassination of Michael. In 1872 he came of age, but retained the Liberal regent, Ristie, as his premier. For the events of his rule as prince see EASTERN QUESTION and SERBIA. He proclaimed himself king in 1882.
Milan's Austrophile policy was deeply unpopular, particularly as taxation had become a burden; military service increased and the king's private life was extravagant and unsavoury. In 1875 he had married Natalie, the i6-year old daughter of Colonel Ketelo, a Moldavian in the Russian army. After the birth of their son Alexander (1876), relations between the couple became notoriously strained, and the Russophile party rallied round Natalie. In 1885 Milan embarked on an ill-judged, undesired and ignominious campaign against Bulgaria, being saved from disaster only by Austria's intervention. In 1886 the queen withdrew with her son to Wiesbaden; but in 1888 Milan recovered his son, cir culated nauseous scandals about his wife, and finally extorted a divorce, which was illegal in the eyes of the orthodox church. In
an attempt to recover his popularity, he suddenly promulgated a new and liberal constitution (Jan. 2, 1889) but on March 6 abdicated in favour of his son, and retired to Paris. In 1892 he renounced his Serb nationality. In Jan. 1894 he reappeared in Belgrade, and on April 29 he and Natalie were reinstated and nominally reconciled, the queen returning in May 1895. Appointed commander-in-chief of the Serb army in 1897, Milan did some really useful technical work, but also inaugurated a cruel perse cution of the Russophiles and Radicals. This period was suddenly checked by Alexander's marriage in July 1900. Milan resigned his post and returned to Vienna, where he died unexpectedly on Feb. II, 1901.
For bibliography, see SE?ZBIA: the works of GeorgeviC, Das Ende der Obrenovie (Leipzig 2905) and Die Serbische Frage (Stuttgart, 1909) are detailed for Milan's period and written by a partisan; other literature is more occupied with his ill-doing.