MICHAEL OBRENOVITCH III, 6-bren' o-vich, Prince of Serbia: b. Kragujevatz, 4 Sept. 1823; d. near Belgrade, 29 May 1868. He was the youngest son of Prince Milosh, and after the abdication of his father, in 1839, and the death of his brother Milan Obrenovitch II, in 1840, he succeeded to the throne of Serbia. His effort to continue the policy of his father, which was to free Serbia and the Christian ploples of the Balkans generally from Turkish rule, met with the support of Russia and the determined opposition of Turkey and Austria, together with that of the party which had de posed his father. A revolt in 1842 resulted in the election of Alexander Karageorgevich as Prince of Serbia, and Prince Michael was forced to leave the country. In 1858 his father, Prince Milosh Obrenovitch II, was recalled to the throne and upon his death in 1860 Michael succeeded him. He at once set about securing the emancipation of Serbia's internal affairs from Turkish domination, secured an under standing with Montenegro, Greece, Austria and the Bulgarian, Bosnian and Albanian leaders for either support or non-intervention in case of war with Turkey, and demanded the with drawal of Turkish troops from Serbian for tresses. He was supported in his demands by
the influence of Great Britain, Russia and Aus tria, and Turkey yielded, the forts being sur rendered 26 April 1867. He largely reorgan ized the administration of public affairs strengthened the military organization, and placed his country in the ranks of civilized European states. A plot against him was or ganized by the followers of the deposed Kara georgevich dynasty and resulted in his assassi nation. He was succeeded by a cousin, Michael Obrenovitch IV.