Peter I Karadjordjević

Peter I Karadjordjević (1844-1921), King of Serbia (1903-1921), son of Alexander Karadjordjević, Prince of Serbia, born in Belgrade, and educated in Paris. Peter lived with his father in exile from 1858 to 1903. During this period he fought on the French side in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and commanded a corps in the revolt of Bosnia against Turkey in 1875. Following the assassinations in 1903 of the Serbian monarchs Alexander I Obrenović and Draga, Peter was elected king. His reign was marked by liberal reforms, alliance with Russia, friendship for France, and a decrease of Austrian influence in Serbia. Because of ill health Peter, in 1914, surrendered his governmental duties to his son, Crown Prince Alexander, just before the outbreak of war with Austria-Hungary. In acknowledgement of the territorial gains made by Serbia after World War I, in 1918 Peter, although in retirement, received the title of king of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.