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Evgenije Popović

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Evgenije Popović
Евгеније Поповић
Evgenije Popović
4th Prime Minister of Kingdom of Montenegro in-Exile
In office
11 June 1917 – 17 February 1919
MonarchNicholas I
Preceded byMilo Matanović
Succeeded byJovan Plamenac
4th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kingdom of Montenegro in-Exile
In office
11 June 1917 – 17 February 1919
MonarchNicholas I
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byMilutin Mijušković
Succeeded byJovan Plamenac
Montenegrin consul in Rome
In office
1897–1900
MonarchsNicholas I
Kings of Italy Umberto I
Victor Manuel III
Prime MinisterBožo Petrović-Njegoš
Montenegrin general-consul in Rome
In office
1900–1917
MonarchsNicholas I
Kings of Italy Umberto I
Victor Manuel III
Prime MinisterBožo Petrović-Njegoš
Lazar Mijušković
Marko Radulović
Andrija Radović
Lazar Tomanović
Mitar Martinović
Janko Vukotić
Milo Matanović
Lazar Mijušković
Andrija Radović
Milo Matanović
Personal details
Born
Евгеније Поповић

6 January 1842
Risan, Kingdom of Dalmatia
Died4 April 1931
Trieste, Kingdom of Italy
CitizenshipMontenegro
Italy
NationalityMontenegrin
Italian
OccupationStatesman, journalist, diplomat, writer and editor
CabinetGovernment of Evgenije Popović

Evgenije "Đena" Popović GBE (Serbian Cyrillic: Евгеније Поповић; 6 January 1842 - 4 April 1931) was a Montenegrin statesman, journalist, diplomat, writer and editor.

Biography

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Evgenije "Đena" Popović was born in 1842 on his father's ship in Risan, a town in the Kingdom of Dalmatia of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Though born in Risan, where his father Drago and grandfathar Krsto are from. Popović's family descends from the Kuči tribe. He finished grade school in Trieste as a school friend of Prince Nicholas of Montenegro. He later graduated Law School in Italy, gaining a PhD, and settled his life permanently in Italy naturalized. He was a lawyer in Italy, however, casually engaged in journalism and even the editing of Diritto newspaper for a period. He also wrote works on the Adriatic sea and several articles, which were published by local and international press.

Popović was a friend of Italian patriot and member of the Risorgimento, participating in the detachments of Giuseppe Garibaldi during the struggle for Italian unification. Popović also participated in the Montenegrin-Ottoman War of 1876-1878, in which he was wounded twice. Together with several soldiers, Popović reported the events of the Montenegrin-Ottoman War to international press.

Popović was the Montenegrin consul in Rome, Italy from 1897 till 1900, when he became the Montenegrin general-consul in Rome. While consul, Popovic visited a rich collection of Montenegro antiques. He held his position as general-consul until 1917.

After Milo Matanovic resigned from position of PM, King Nicholas invited and appointed Evgenije Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenegro in Exile as well as Minister of Internal Affairs at the same time which was a traditional Montenegrin custom, on 11 June 1917. Since the Government has lost most support on the international scene after the break-off of Andrija Radović, Popović worked actively and hardly to regain the prestige for King Nicholas. He tried to persuade the Montenegrin consul to lobby Nicholas' policy in the United States, however he has already declared loyalty to Radović's Committee for Unification.

With the liberation of Montenegro from the Central Powers' occupation by the Serbian armed forces after the break through the Balkan Front, Popović attempted to secure the return of Nicholas and the Government to Montenegro on 16 November 1918 at the British Court, but this attempt has met only refusal. Although also failing to secure France's support for Nicholas' return, he has managed to get confirmation that France shall respect the legal Montenegrin authorities in exile and secure that the local military administration shall administer in the name of the King. France also claimed it will remain neutral for Montenegro's internal affairs, respecting the King's authority but also not opposing the desire and free will of the Montenegrin people to decide. Popović's government and King Nicholas have accepted these terms, which henceforth became the basis for the Podgorica Assembly.

Since late 1918 he was no longer in Neuilly, so the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs is held by Dr. Pero Šoć. With the end of the Great War, Popović has lobbied at the Allied Powers' courts and managed to secure a Montenegrin seat for the post-war Paris Peace Conference. After the Podgorica Assembly has declared unification with Serbia and dethroned the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, Popović dismissed and declared its decisions nullified and void. Popović complained to the Great Powers that the decision was illegal, but met little response. Disappointed by Popović's work, Nicholas replaced him with Jovan S. Plamenac, the organizer of the Christmas Uprising, an event which occurred several days earlier and met Popović's condemnation.

References

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Preceded by
Milutin Mijušković
4th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kingdom of Montenegro in-Exile
29 May 1917–17 February 1919
Succeeded by
Preceded by 4th Prime Minister of Kingdom of Montenegro in-Exile
29 May 1917–17 February 1919
Succeeded by