Montenegro formed a part of ancient Illyria, and in the Middle Ages belonged to the great Serbian kingdom. The origin of the sacerdotal power dates from 1516, when the secular prince, having no children, withdrew to Venice, and transferred the government to the Archbishop Germanos. In the reign of Peter the Great the Montenegrins placed themselves under the pro tection of Russia, both sharing in a common enmity against the Turks. In 1796 the Prince bishop, Pietro I, inflicted such a loss on the Pasha of Scutari, who had invaded Montenegro, that for many years they left it unmolested. Pietro II (1830-51) made strenuous efforts to improve the condition of his people by liberal izing the constitution, and attempting to reclaim his subjects from their vindictive and predatory habits. His successor, Danilo I, having sepa rated the civil and ecclesiastical offices, Russia withdrew her subsidy of 8,000 ducats, but sub sequently resumed payment of it, hot, however, before great internal commotion had arisen from the necessary imposition of taxes to meet the deficit so caused. The Turks, led by Omar Pasha, again invaded the country, but a treaty was arranged 15 Feb. 1853. Danilo was assassi nated in 1860, and was succeeded by Prince Nicholas I. In 1861 the Montenegrins excited a rebellion against the Turkish sway in the Herzegovina, the result of which was the in fliction of such punishment on them that they were compelled (1862) to accept a disadvanta geous peace, in which it agreed to the occupa tion of several points on the road from Herze govina to Scutari by Turkish troops. In 1870,
however, the principality managed to get these troops withdrawn. In 1876 Montenegro joined Serbia in a war against TurkeyWar on the con clusion of the Russo-Turkish of 1877-78, and the Balkan War in 1913, it received, as already mentioned, an accession of territory. On the 50th anniversary of his accession, 28 Aug. 1910, Nicholas I, by request of the Na tional Skupshtina, assumed the title of king. When the European War began in 1914, Monte negro allied herself with Serbia, and in 1915 was overrun by the Teutonic forces. Ipek was captured, 6 Dec. 1915, and the capital, Cettinje, occupied, 13 Jan. 1916, the Montenegrin govern ment retiring to Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. For later history see WAR, EUROPEAN. Consult Den ton, W.,