Serbian History

Serbia's strategic location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by many peoples. Belgrade is believed to have been leveled to the ground by 30 different armies in recorded history. Apart from being under nominal Serbian rule since the 7th century (having been allowed to settle in Byzantium by its emperor Heraclius), through history various parts of the territory of contemporary Serbia have been claimed or ruled by the Roman Empire (conquered the indigenous Celts and Illyrians); the Western- and the Eastern Roman Empires (challenged by the incursions of the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Gepidae, the Sarmatians, the Avars, the Serbs, the Frankish Kingdom, the Croats, the Great Moravia, the Bulgarians). Serbs formed their first unified state under the Vlastimirovic dynasty by 812, at times disrupted by the wars with the aforementioned states. At first heavily dependent on the Byzantine Empire as its tributary, in time the Serbian state would achieve full independence, evolving into the Serbian Kingdom in 1217, and the Serbian Empire in 1345 under the rule of the House of Nemanjić.
Serbia reached an apogee in economy, law, military, and religion during the rule of the House of Nemanjić, especially during Emperor Stefan Dušan. As a result of internal struggle between the rival noble families, and heavy losses inflicted by the Ottomans, the Serbian Empire has dissolved into many statelets by the beginning of the 15th century. Early modern period saw the loss of Serbia's independence to the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, while Modern Times witnessed the rise of the Habsburg Monarchy (known as the Austrian Empire, later Austria-Hungary), that fought many wars against the Ottomans for the supremacy over Serbia.
Following the success of two national revolutions between 1804-1817, Serbia overthrew Ottoman rule, emerging as the semi-independent Principality of Serbia. De facto independence was secured after the withdrawal of the last Ottoman forces... [continues]

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