Serb

The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans region. Though they have a long and storied history dating back to the 6th century AD, the Serbs in this timeline never succeeded in establishing a unified national state or achieving independence from the major empires that ruled their homelands.

Origins and Early History

The origins of the Serb people can be traced to Slavic tribes that migrated to the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, settling in what is now Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and parts of Croatia and North Macedonia. Over time, these disparate Slavic communities coalesced into distinct regional kingdoms, principalities, and tribal confederations.

The most prominent of these early Serb polities was the Principality of Serbia, which emerged in the 9th century and fluctuated in power and territory over the subsequent centuries. However, the Serbs never managed to unify under a single sovereign state, remaining divided among various rulers, ethnicities, and religious affiliations (Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim).

Serbs Under Foreign Rule

In the 14th century, the Serb lands fell increasingly under the control of the expanding Ottoman Empire, which gradually incorporated them into its administrative structure as provinces and vassal states. Though the Ottomans granted some autonomy to Serb aristocratic families, the majority of the population suffered under Ottoman taxation, land confiscation, and religious/cultural oppression.

Beginning in the 16th century, parts of the Serb-inhabited territories also came under the sway of the Habsburg Monarchy and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Here too, the Serbs faced discrimination, forced assimilation, and periodic violent crackdowns on nationalist sentiment. Repeated uprisings and rebellions against Ottoman and Habsburg rule were ruthlessly suppressed.

Serb Culture and Identity

Despite their lack of political independence, the Serbs maintained a distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious identity centered around the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Serbian language, literature, music, and folk traditions flourished, producing influential figures like the writer Vuk Karadžić and the composer Stevan Mokranjac.

The Serbs also developed a warrior culture, with many serving as mercenary soldiers, frontier guards, and irregular light cavalry in the Ottoman and Habsburg armies. This martial heritage earned the Serbs a reputation for ferocity in battle, though it did little to advance their nationalist aspirations.

Lack of Unified Serbian State

Unlike in our timeline, the Serbs in this alternate history never managed to consolidate their disparate kingdoms, principalities, and provinces into a single unified Serbian state. Repeated attempts at rebellion and autonomy were crushed, leaving the Serb population politically fragmented and largely powerless.

Without a strong nation-state to champion their cause, Serb nationalism and cultural identity remained regionalized and sporadic. Serbs participated in various Balkan uprisings and revolts, but were unable to parlay these into lasting political independence or self-determination.

Persecution and Ethnic Conflict

The lack of a unified Serbian state left the Serb population vulnerable to persecution, discrimination, and ethnic violence at the hands of the Ottoman, Habsburg, and other regional powers. Serbs faced forced conversions, land confiscation, massacres, and attempts at cultural assimilation over the centuries.

Inter-communal tensions and clashes between Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Albanians, and other Balkan ethnic groups were also common, fueled by competing nationalist sentiments and the divide-and-rule policies of the ruling empires. This legacy of ethnic strife has continued to shape the geopolitics of the region to the present day.

Serb Influence Despite Lack of Independence

Though the Serbs never achieved the level of political autonomy or nationalist unity seen in our timeline, they nonetheless exerted a significant influence on the history, culture, and military affairs of Southeastern Europe. Serb mercenary soldiers, religious leaders, and intellectuals were sought after throughout the Balkans.

The Serb martial tradition, in particular, made them valuable assets to the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, which frequently deployed Serb irregular cavalry and infantry in campaigns against rival powers. This military prowess, combined with the Serbs' strategic location, ensured their continued relevance in Balkan geopolitics, despite their lack of a unified national state.