ABSTRACT
1878 was the year when Montenegro, which for many decades had already defied Ottoman rule, became internationally recognized as an independent state. It was during Nikola’s long reign that Montenegro evolved from a fragmented, clan-dominated land into a more modern, albeit chronically impoverished, polity and an active participant in European political life. Nevertheless, the fact that Montenegro now had access to the sea was of considerable importance. Montenegro was permitted to retain the port of Bar (Antivari) and its seaboard – but only after it accepted Article 29, which neutralized the harbor and limited the types of vessels that could be anchored there. According to various estimates, before its territorial expansion in 1878, Montenegro’s population had numbered between 140,000 and 200,000. In keeping with the practice of other European countries, Montenegro introduced a number of state and dynastic distinctions in the course of the nineteenth century.
