Serbia and the Ottoman Empire: The Loss and Recuperation of Independence

During the second half of the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire was extending its rule into the Balkans. One of the regional powers that the Ottomans encountered during their conquest of the Balkans was the Serbian Empire, which was established by Stefan Dušan, ‘the Mighty’ of the Nemanjić Dynasty during the first half of the same century.

The Serbian State During the Middle Ages

The history of the state of Serbia may be said to have its beginnings in the Middle Ages. Between the 6th and 11th centuries AD, the Slavic ‘invasion’ of the Balkans brought the Serbs into this region. During these early years, there was no unified Serbian state, but a number of tribes. It was under the Nemanjić Dynasty in the 13th century than Serbia rose as a dominant power in the Balkans, and achieved its golden age under Stefan Dušan.

Following Stefan Dušan’s death in 1355, the throne passed to his son, Stefan Uroš V, ‘the Weak.’ This was the beginning of the decline of the Serbian Empire, which would eventually be conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and would remain occupied by this power until the 19th century.