[Владимир Петровић]

“King Alexander I Unifier and his time” round table at the Royal Palace

Belgrade, 16 October 2014 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II hosted a Round table “King Alexander I and his time” at the Royal Palace last night.
“In the year when we mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, we are also marking the eighty years since the tragic death of King Alexander I the Unifier. I am happy and proud that such an important date in the Serbian history is not being forgotten.
Serbian historiography has not yet shed enough light on the period of my grandfather’s reign or it has misinterpreted it. I am grateful to Dr Batakovic and other speakers tonight, who will further illuminate the role and significance of my grandfather in Serbian history” said the Crown Prince in his greeting to the guests and the participants of the round table.
Dusan T. Batakovic, member of the Privy Council and director of the Institute for Balkan studies of the Serbian Academy of sciences and arts (SASA) has said: “King Alexander was determined modernizer, and important agent of regional stability and persistent advocate of reconciliation in the Balkans and peace time cooperation. King Alexander strived to create a new nation in order to prevent emerging national clashes and religious divisions, and at the same time to stop breakthrough of Bolshevism and Fascism in the South Eastern and Central Europe. It was for sure the most progressive idea of that time. His contribution to Serbian and Yugoslav history was much bigger than generally recognized, and review of his historical role is a necessity. Alexander I was deeply loved and respected in almost all regions of Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and hundreds of thousands of citizens who gathered near the railways from Split to Belgrade to pay respect to earthly remains of the King cowardly assassinated in the international conspiracy of fascists, ultra-nationalists and revisionists, organized under auspices of Mussolini. Bullets fired in King Alexander and French Minister Louis Barthou were actually bullets fired at peace and stability in Europe, and ominous announcement of rising tide of extremists ideologies, fascism and Nazism.”
Prominent historians Stanislav Sretenovic, Dragan Bakic and Aleksandar Marinkovic took part at the round table, while Dusan Batakovic, member of the Privy Council, was the moderator.