BICENTENARY OF THE BATTLE AT IVANKOVAC

Belgrade, August 18, 2005. – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II sent a message which professor Dragoljub Kavran, member of the Crown Council, read to the people who gathered today in Ivankovac in order to celebrate the jubilee of the one of the greatest battles in the First Serbian Uprising, the battle in which Serbs defeated, for the first time, the regular army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Milenko Stojković and Petar Dobrnjac, helped by the Supreme leader Karadjordje.

As the descendant of Karadjordje, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II greeted the descendants of those who were there two hundred years ago, together with Karadjordje; but he also greeted all Serbs and all of those who share with the Serbian people their history and destiny.

Speaking of the strategic and moral significance of this first achieved victory in the uprising in which the foundations of the modern Serbian state were established, Crown Prince Alexander sent a message to the gathered people:

“Here was raised one of the most glorious pennons that Serbs raised during their history. Where is that pennon today if it is not in our hands? If the illiterate peasants from the mountains knew what they wanted two centuries ago, why would we not, the literate and educated, know what do we want today? If they stretched out both of their hands to the world, why would we not follow their path?

The uprising is not over, nor have its goals been achieved. The foundation is set, but the walls and roof are missing.

Two hundred years ago at Ivankovac, there were far less of us than today. And it was much more difficult than today. But then we believed in ourselves.

When Orašac, Takovo and Oplenac sank, Serbia sank too. It is time for it to resurrect again at same those places.

As a matter of fact, we do not have a choice. We will either get off the wrong path and bring Serbia back to the foundation of truth and justice or we will stay on the wrong path until our destruction.

Our enemy today is not the Turks, but our backwardness, ignorance, hate, and primitiveness. We reconciled with everybody else but with ourselves. We are all in the right, just Serbia is not.

Our goal is to bring Serbia back to where it belongs. Serbia does not accept the fact that she is ignored because of someone else’s sullenness and our laziness and squalor.

My predecessor Karadjordje was the father and the redeemer of Serbia. My great grandfather was its liberator. My grandfather was the unifier, my father was a refugee. I would like to become a peacemaker.” – stated Crown Prince Alexander.