Black George

One of the influential contributors toward the success of the Serbian revolution was George Petrovic, nicknamed Black George. He was a peasant from central Serbia, but migrated to an area near Belgrade. Here he worked to establish himself as a more prominent citizen, creating lasting alliances with others that aided in his rise against the Sultan’s army in 1805. His actions caused the Belgrade province to be freed from the Turks. Black George continued to fight against the Ottomans, but was forced to flee to Austria in 1813. Upon his secret return four years later, the Serbian government assassinated him due to his alliance with the Greeks. Serbs were concerned about relying too heavily on other states and saw that as an affront to their sovereignty.