The Role of Military-Political Myths in the Development of Montenegrin Statehood in the 19th – early 20th Centuries

Abstract

In this article the role of military-political myths in the formation and development of Montenegrin statehood in the 19th and early 20th centuries is discussed. In the second half of the twentieth century the interest in political mythology in the humanities and social sciences increased. Scientists drew attention to how quickly myths fused with modern political ideologies and how successfully they were used in public life to achieve political goals. This popularity of myths was explained by the fact that myths affect not only the consciousness, but also the subconscious of the electorate, referring to the ancient archetypes that underlie different cultures. This is the power of modern political mythology. It is invulnerable to rational arguments, often appealing to historical feelings, and not to reason. History knows many examples when myths rooted in the deep past brought politicians substantial dividends in the present. In the XIX – early XX centuries such an active “exploitation” of military-political myths could be observed in the Montenegrin principality. The myth of the invincibility of Montenegrin warriors became an incentive for an irreconcilable struggle with the Ottoman Empire. The heroic epic created by the people over several centuries justified the need to build their own national state. Myths helped strengthen the authority of the ruler, gave him the opportunity to keep the country in a state of strict discipline and unconditional submission to the monarch. Montenegrin military historical myths also helped to strengthen the authority of the principality in the international arena. The leaders of the Russian Empire were determined to use the unique fighting qualities of the Montenegrins to achieve their own goals in the Balkans and therefore did not spare the funds for the modernization of the armed forces of Montenegro. However the result of modernization was unexpectedly small compared to the size of Russian subsidies.

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