Mihailo Obrenovic III

Born Sept. 4, 1823, in Kragujevac; died May 29, 1868, in Belgrade. Prince of Serbia from 1839 to 1842 and 1860 to 1868; member of the Obrenović dynasty.

Mihailo ascended the throne after the abdication and flight abroad of his father, MiloŠ Obrenović. He continued his predecessor’s absolutist policy, which aroused the discontent of the people. This was used by the Defenders of Constitutionalism for the overthrow of Mihailo. During his second period of rule he strove to carry out his Pan-Serbian design of unifying under monarchical Serbia the lands of other South Slavic peoples. In the 1840’s he began a policy of collaboration with Russia; in the last years of his life he leaned toward an alliance with Austria. He was murdered by conspirators.