May Coup (Serbia)
Illustration of the May Coup published in 1903 in the French newspaper Le Petit Parisien | |
| Native name | Мајски преврат, Majski prevrat |
|---|---|
| Date | 10–11 June [O.S. 28–29 May] 1903 |
| Location | Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia |
| Also known as | May Overthrow |
| Type | Military coup, regicide, assassination |
| Motive | Regime change |
| Target | Stari Dvor, Belgrade |
| Organised by | Dragutin Dimitrijević and other officers |
| Participants | Officer faction within the Royal Serbian Army |
| Outcome | Success
|
| Burial | St. Mark's Church (Royal couple) |
The May Coup (Serbian: Мајски преврат, romanized: Majski prevrat) was a coup d'état in the Kingdom of Serbia which resulted in the assassination of King Alexander I and his consort, Queen Draga, inside the Stari Dvor in Belgrade on the night of 10–11 June [O.S. 28–29 May] 1903. This act resulted in the extinction of the Obrenović dynasty that had ruled Serbia since the middle of the 19th century. A group of Royal Serbian Army officers led by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijević (Apis) organized the assassination. After the May Coup, the throne passed to King Peter I of the Karađorđević dynasty.
Along with the royal couple, the conspirators killed prime minister Dimitrije Cincar-Marković, minister of the army Milovan Pavlović, and general-adjutant Lazar Petrović. The coup had a significant influence on Serbia's relations with other European powers; the Obrenović dynasty had mostly allied with Austria-Hungary, while the Karađorđević dynasty had close ties both with Russia and with France. Each dynasty received ongoing financial support from their powerful foreign sponsors.