Knjaz Nikola I Petrović Njegoš | Origin of Street Names

Nikola I Petrović Njegoš (1841 - 1921) was the sovereign ruler of Montenegro for a full 58 years, a prince, and later the king of Montenegro, during which the country experienced its greatest rise and ultimate collapse in history.

As a descendant of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, he was born in Njeguši, at the foot of Lovćen, but spent most of his childhood and youth studying in Trieste and Paris.

By force of circumstances, he came to power at the age of just under 19, following the assassination of his uncle, Prince Danilo I Petrović (who had no male heirs), and he remained on the throne for almost six decades.

Throughout his reign, he wore traditional attire, presenting a complete contrast to the polished establishment of Europe and the world.

In his marriage to Milena Vukotić, whom he was engaged to since childhood, he fathered twelve children. Through their marriages to European nobles and aristocrats, he established family ties with almost all major European courts of that time, becoming the main "father-in-law of Europe."

One such connection was established with the Serbian (then exiled) Karađorđević dynasty through the marriage of Princess Zorka, his eldest daughter, to Peter I, the future king of Serbia.

Prince Nikola ruled in the spirit of the environment and era he lived in, despotically and arbitrarily, which made him unpopular among the people, acquiring a large number of open enemies. However, during his reign, Montenegro experienced some of the greatest advances in its history – gaining independence and international recognition in 1878, the formation of the National Assembly, modernization of society, development of infrastructure, and overall civilization progress compared to earlier times.

On the foreign policy front, Prince Nikola never questioned the Serbian origin of the Montenegrin people. The idea of a kind of restoration of the Serbian Empire, or the ultimate unification of Serbs and all South Slavs, was very close to him. Envisioning Montenegro as a future stronghold and pillar of the new state, he saw himself on its throne as the unifier of the Serbian people.

However, the May Coup and the ascension of the (related) Karađorđević dynasty to power in Serbia led to a kind of conflict of interests within the family, as both dynasties now claimed the same (future) throne. Nevertheless, during the difficult years of the Balkan Wars, the brotherly states fought together, liberating themselves from centuries of Ottoman rule and expanding the borders of their kingdoms.

World War I brought tremendous challenges for both countries. While the Serbian army and its leadership embarked on an unprecedented exodus across Albania, refusing to surrender to the Austro-Hungarian occupiers, the Montenegrin army provided a rear guard (Battle of Mojkovac) and successfully held off the enemy. However, soon after, faced with an overwhelmingly superior force, Montenegro was finally forced to capitulate.

Unable to accept defeat and capitulation, the proud king left Montenegro in January 1916 and escaped to Italy, where he would remain forever.

Over the next two years, Nikola I Petrović Njegoš would only be a formal king of Montenegro. Namely, after the breakthrough of the Salonika Front and the subsequent liberation of Serbia and then Montenegro, entirely new political circumstances arose. In the absence of their king, who was often branded as a traitor by his enemies, a large part of the Montenegrin population opted for natural unification with victorious Serbia, but under the leadership of the Karađorđević dynasty.

King Nikola Petrović was dethroned and banned from returning to the country. By the decision of the Podgorica Assembly (often disputed in recent times), Montenegro became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

King Nikola spent his exile in Italy, where he also passed away and was buried. His mortal remains were transferred to Montenegro in 1989, where they rest today in the palace church in Cetinje.

The name of King Nikola I Petrović is now carried by several streets in cities of Serbia and Montenegro.