Kingdom of Montenegro

The Kingdom of Montenegro was the eight-year crown of the mountain state, proclaimed on 28 August 1910 when Nikola turned prince into king over Cetinje. Constitutionally a monarchy with press and worship free on paper, in practice the old prince ruled patriarchs, tribes and ministers as before, with Russia's gold behind him. The Balkan Wars paid the coronation's bills: the Sandžak divided with Serbia, Metohija, Plav, Gusinje and Peć added, the kingdom stretched to its widest map. In 1914 Montenegro followed Serbia into the war in a week; the Lovćen guns held a year, Austria overran the country in 1916, and king and cabinet governed from exile in France. Defeat reversed the exile: the Podgorica Assembly of 26 November 1918 deposed the absent dynasty for union with Serbia, and three days later both entered Yugoslavia. Eight years of kingship closed four centuries of Montenegrin statehood into eighty-eight years of union.