Serbs of Montenegro

Serbs of Montenegro or Montenegrin Serbs, are a recognized ethnic minority in Montenegro. According to data from the 2023 census, the population of ethnic Serbs in Montenegro is 205,370, constituting 32.9% of the total population; they are the second-largest ethnic group in the country after Montenegrins.

During the Slavic migrations of the 6th and 7th centuries, most of the territory of modern-day Montenegro was settled by Serbs who formed several principalities in the region; in southern parts of modern Montenegro, Principality of Duklja was formed, while western parts belonged to the Principality of Travunia. Northern parts of modern Montenegro belonged to the inner Principality of Serbia.

In 1018, all of Serbian principalities came under the supreme rule of the Byzantine Empire. The Serb inhabited regions of Duklja and Travunia broke away from Byzantine rule c. 1034-1042, under prince Stefan Vojislav, founder of the Vojislavljević dynasty. His son Mihailo I Vojislavljević liberated Zahumlje and inner Serbia, creating a united Serbian polity and taking the title of king in 1077. The reign of his son, King Constantine Bodin, was followed by a period of regional fragmentation, lasting throughout much of the 12th century.

After 1180, all of present-day Montenegro came under the rule of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty. The region of Zeta, formerly known as Duklja, became a crown land of the united Serbian state. It was given to Vukan Nemanjić, the oldest son of Stefan Nemanja, and later to crown prince Stefan Radoslav, son of King Stefan Nemanjić, who succeeded his father as Serbian King in 1228. Thus it became a custom to grant the region to the heir of the throne or some other member of the ruling dynasty. In 1219, two dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church were created on the territory of modern-day Montenegro, Eparchy of Zeta with episcopal seat at the monastery of Holy Archangel Michael on Prevlaka, and Eparchy of Budimlja with episcopal seat at the Đurđevi Stupovi monastery. Several other monasteries also date to this period, such as: Morača, Praskvica, Vranjina, among others. Serbian Despotate was the last independent medieval Serb state and it included most of modern-day Montenegro. Zeta regained semi-independence under local dynasties like the Balšić noble family, who ruled as Serbian lords but pursued their own policies. By the 15th century, both Zeta and Serbia faced Ottoman expansion. Zeta, under the Crnojević noble family, maintained some independence longer than Serbia, which fell to the Ottomans in 1459. The Crnojevićs still identified as Serbs, and Zeta’s Orthodox heritage aligned with Serb traditions.

The territories of present day Montenegro and Serbia were under direct Ottoman rule from 16th to 18th. During this period, "Montenegro" refers primarily to the region of Old Montenegro (rugged highlands around Cetinje), governed by the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty. The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, eparchy under constant jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć, directly influenced the establishment of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro in 1697. While nominally under Ottoman suzerainty, Montenegro’s mountainous terrain and tribal organization allowed it to maintained de facto autonomy and to resist direct Ottoman control. Montenegro’s autonomy allowed it to act as a symbol of resistance against Ottoman rule, inspiring Serbs in Ottoman-controlled Serbia.

Montenegro achieved independence under the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, at first as a principality and then as a kingdom. The Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro fought together as the closest allies in the Balkan Wars and in the World War I.

The unification of Serbia and Montenegro in 1918, proclaimed by the Podgorica Assembly, and subsequent Christmas Uprising marked the end of Montenegro’s independent state and its incorporation into the Kingdom of Serbia and, shortly thereafter, into newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). These processes created schism in Montenegrin society between the Greens (Zelenaši) and Whites (Bjelaši). The Whites advocated for unconditional unification with Serbia and integration into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes under the House Karađorđević. The Greens, despite declaring themselves as Serbs, advocated for a partnership where Montenegro would maintain status equal to that of Serbia, constituting an integral part of the union state rather than merely a province of Serbia. These factions, rooted in political, cultural, and tribal differences, left a lasting impact on ethnic Serb and Montenegrin identities in contemporary Montenegro.

On November 26, 1918, the Great People’s Assembly, later known as the Podgorica Assembly, convened in Podgorica to decide the Montenegro’s future, deposed King Nicholas I and formalized Montenegro’s incorporation into Serbia and the new Yugoslav state, declared on December 1, 1918, under King Peter I of Serbia. From exile, King Nicholas denounced the assembly as illegitimate, refusing to abdicate, but his influence was limited due to his absence and lack of military power. A portion of Montenegro's population became dissatisfied with the political developments following the Podgorica Assembly, leading to an insurrection in 1919 that was ultimately crushed. According to the British Military Mission to Montenegro, approximately one-fifth of the population supported the rebels.