I have covered a wide array of political leaders on here yet always I focus on Russia. Today this is going to change and I am going to share some facts with you about Nikola (Nicholas) I of Montenegro. Whilst he did take the throne very late in his life, this is a man who I have read so much about and to be honest, a man who was ahead of his time from a political standpoint. With this in mind I’d like to go into a little but more detail about the deceased King, a man who certainly helped to make Montenegro a better place during his life and his Kingship.

Taking the Reign

Nicholas I came to power at the ripe age of 69 having spent his life as a prince. Nicholas was actually the nephew of the previous king, who had no children to pass the throne to. When Danilo II, Nicholas’ uncle was assassinated, it was the role of Nicholas to take over as king and he was inaugurated in 1910.

Western Ways

Montenegro had long been under the control of the Ottoman Empire yet when the King took over he declared the nation a kingdom almost instantly, which was then recognized by other nations around the world. The king had been educated across the western world, particularly in Paris and it was clear from his writings throughout his life that he wanted to see Montenegro become the proud, independent nation that he knew it could be.

Strengthening

Nicholas was a masterful leader and he knew only too well how to strengthen the bonds of his kingdom, and that was through carefully planned marriages. For example his daughter Elena married the future king of Italy, another of his daughters married Russian grand dukes, ensuring that he and his family could work on becoming a dynasty and not, like his uncle who went before, simply come and go again.

Montenegro is the country that it is today because of the work which Nicholas, first of his name, did previously and the nation will be forever thankful to him for that work.