Delusions about Serbia: Serbs were the first christian nation in Ottoman empire which liberated themselves from Turkish rule during their heroic serbian uprisings.

We had a lot of chances to read about how Serbs have thrown out Turks and liberated their country in their two "uprisings" in 1804-13 and 1815. and how they formed their "independent state" 1830. before any other balkans nation. Under the brave and wise leadership of their "vožd" Karađorđe. During both of late Yugoslavias that story was turned into dogma and served as basics of serbian so called rights for privileged status that Serbs have enjoyed during period from 1918 and 1991. Serbs are even today celebrating this historical forgery and keep with this "beatuy threatment" of the truth. But what is the real truth about "glorious" uprisings of this "torchbearers" of freedom on Balkans?

Part one: "First serbian uprising 1804-1813."

In late 18th century Turkish feudal system found itself in stage of total desintegration and chaos. Turskish army lost most of her former power and in every way was behind armies of european countries. Also turkish sultans become waeker and weaker and real power in empire got in the hands of local governors – beys and janissaries (elite military troops regruted from islamised christian children which were teared away from their families in very early age and raised as elite striking force of Ottoman army).

Turkey suffered one defeat after another in wars against Austria and Russia. Territorial pretensions of european powers towards Ottoman territories become lauder and even question of liberating Constantinople was reopened again. Yet Ottoman empire managed to persist and survive mostly thanks to Napoleonic wars which forced Austria, Russia and Britain to engage most of their military and political power to fight Napoleon.

After austrian-turkish war 1788-1791. in which some Serbs joined Austrian army the threaty in Svištov was signed. Among others this Serbs got abolition from turkish sultan Selim II and sultan even get Serbs rights to chose their "knezovi" – village elders which have some (very limited) competences in governing their communities. Among other they collected taxes from their villagers and handed them to turkish goverments.

But this very limited powers of serbian elders was oposed by janissary warlords which were real power in Belgrade pashaluk (Serbia without todays Vojvodina, Kosovo, Sanjak and southeast Serbia). They become so powerful that they inducted their terror and power in this pashaluk disobeying sultans orders and leaving pashas and other regular institutions of ottoman state without any real strength and authority. By that they had support of some neighbouring turkish warlords like ajan from todays bulgarian city of Vidin Pazvan Ogla former janissary too. Turkish goverment tryed to break power of janissaries and newly named pasha Abu-Bekir even organised murder of janissary leader Deli-Ahmet.

Position of Serbs under the Abu-Bekir goverment become little easier and better so many Serbs like "knez" Aleksa Nenadović called Abu-Bekir "serbian mother". Some Serbs have even fought together with turkish regular troops against janissaries. But Napoleons approaching closely to turkish teritories forced sultan to redraw his forces from Serbia and that enabled janissaries to enforce their power over Belgrade pashaluk once again.

Four janissary warlords so called "dahije" become absolute power in Serbia. From their headquaters in Belgrade they were masters of entyre life in Serbia. They collected taxes , they judged in conficts and they become lords of life and death in Serbia. Position of serbian christians under thier terror become unbearable so some of them started to plan uprising against dahije. But janissaries have been informed about this plans so they have commited in february 1804. so called "hewing down of elders" (sječa knezova). They have captured and killed about 70 notable serbian elders. This bloody event become the motiv for serbian rebellion against janissaries (but not regular turkish goverment). Uprising have spread but in the military meaning it was very limited both in number of forces engaged same as intensity of the fights. Serbs chosed for their leader so called "vožd" pig breeder and trader Đorđe Petrović Karađorđe (black George in turkish), very violent man, even sociopat who killed his own father and brother and was very fast in shooting everybody who opposes him.

Jannisary units where not numerous. For instance one of dahijas Aganlija lead only 400 soldiers in attack on main rebel forces in Šumadija. On the other hands turkish pasha didn't do anything to stop serbian uprising hoping that they will help him to get rid of janissaries. Serbian rebel army (at most 10.000 poorly armed and trained men) have managed to overpower this, in fact, small number of janissries and reached under the Belgrade, jannisary headquaters. But they haven't succeded to conquer it. Then they got a help from a bosnian Bećir-pasha which came to Belgrade with 3.000 trops. He had orders from the sultan to kill four janissay leaders – dahije. He called them, pretendedly, for negotiations on Danube isle Ada-kale but then he disarmed them and handed over to serbian rebels which killed them. So the janissary power in Serbia was broken.

But Serbs were not satisfied. Even they were offered limited authonomy they wanted more so they continued with guerrila war against turks. By that they have significant help from russian tzar which send in 1805. troops to help them, same as supplies and weapons. This russian troops stayed in Serbia fighting mostly around Danub river and in eastern Serbia together with Serbs until Napoleon's attack on Russian in 1812 when tzar ordered them to return home.

With leaving of russian troops rebels lost most of their power and turkish army attacked Belgrade pashaluk from west (Bosnia), south (Sanjak) and east (Bulgaria) and soon in 1813 the first serbian uprising was crashed. Serbian historians have invented myth about number of over 200.000 turkish soldiers which attacked Serbia but this number is simply ridiculous knowing that Ottoman empire have never, not even on peak of it's power or during the siege of Vienna raised 200.000 soldiers on one campaign. Neutraal sources handle with numbers of about (at most) 20-30.000 troops. At the end of uprising Karađorđe and other leaders of rebelion fled over the border into Austria leaving their comrades and people at the mercy of Turks.

So, in short, first serbian uprising wasn't uprising against turkish goverment at all, but against the terror of janissary warlords and this uprising had support of turkish sultan and pashas. Also this uprising was military insignificant engaging small number of troops on both sides in very low intensity combat activities. After that Russian tzar saw and opportunity to penetrate on Balkans and through it on "warm seas" (Meditteranean) so he engaged his troops to keep up and maintain this uprising . Exact number of this troops is unknown but since Tzar found neccessay to call them back during Napoleons attack we can draw a conclusion that they were pretty significant and numerous. Without their help uprising was soon easily crushed by turkish army.