Belgrade

The Siege of Belgrade took place in 1456 when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II attempted to capture the Hungarian border fortress of Nándorfehérvár, which is modern-day Belgrade, Serbia. The siege was part of his campaign to expand the Ottoman Empire into Central Europe. However, the Hungarian forces, led by John Hunyadi, successfully defended the fortress. The battle ended with a significant defeat for the Ottomans, halting their advance for several decades. This victory was celebrated across Christian Europe.

The First Serbian Uprising was initiated on February 14, 1804, and was a grassroots revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Led by Đorđe Petrović, also known as Karađorđe, the uprising was sparked by years of oppressive Ottoman rule. Belgrade was one of the focal points of the revolution. The insurgents aimed to establish autonomous governance and to reduce Ottoman influence in the region. This movement marks the beginning of the modern Serbian state.

On March 6, 1882, Prince Milan I of Serbia proclaimed the Kingdom of Serbia, elevating the country's status from a principality. This significant political transformation was recognized by major European powers, and it enabled Serbia to further solidify its independence and sovereignty. Belgrade, as the capital, became the heart of the newly established kingdom. This event marked a critical milestone in the history of Serbia's nation-building efforts.

With the declaration of war by Austria-Hungary against Serbia on July 28, 1914, World War I began. The immediate cause was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, played a crucial role as it was targeted early in the war and repeatedly bombarded by Austro-Hungarian forces.

After four years of intense fighting during World War I, the Serbian Army liberated Belgrade on November 1, 1918. The city had been under Austro-Hungarian occupation since 1915. The liberation marked a significant turn in the war for Serbia, as it reclaimed its capital and weakened the Central Powers' hold in the Balkans. The event was a catalyst for the eventual end of the war and the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

On April 6, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Retribution against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which included the bombing of Belgrade. This devastating attack was aimed at crushing Yugoslav resistance and forcing the country to capitulate. The bombings resulted in significant loss of life and destruction of infrastructure in Belgrade. The city was largely unprepared for the scale of the assault, and it ultimately fell to Axis forces.

The Belgrade Offensive began on October 14 and concluded on October 20, 1944, resulting in the liberation of Belgrade from Nazi occupation by the combined forces of the Yugoslav Partisans, led by Josip Broz Tito, and the Soviet Red Army. This successful military operation was pivotal in removing Axis powers from the region and contributing to the end of World War II in the Balkans. Belgrade was successfully regained through strategic cooperation and combat.

Josip Broz Tito, the leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, died on May 4, 1980, in Ljubljana. As the President of Yugoslavia, Tito had a profound impact on Belgrade and the entire Yugoslav state. His leadership kept the different nationalities within the federation united and his neutral foreign policy made Yugoslavia a significant non-aligned country during the Cold War. Tito's funeral in Belgrade was attended by numerous foreign dignitaries, highlighting his global influence.

In response to the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo and the failure of diplomatic efforts to resolve it, NATO launched an air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999. The 78-day bombing targeted military and strategic infrastructure across Serbia, including in its capital, Belgrade. Despite controversy, NATO maintained that the campaign was necessary to stop the ethnic cleansing and atrocities reported in Kosovo. The bombing resulted in substantial damage to Belgrade's infrastructure.

On October 5, 2000, a popular uprising in Belgrade led to the overthrow of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević. Following accusations of electoral fraud in the presidential elections, massive protests erupted in the capital. The event, often referred to as the 'Bulldozer Revolution', saw hundreds of thousands of citizens taking to the streets, demanding Milošević's resignation. Ultimately, the pressure forced him to step down, marking a significant shift towards democratic governance in Serbia.