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The Herzegovina uprising (Serbian: Херцеговачки устанак, romanized: Hercegovački ustanak) was an uprising led by the Christian Serb population against the Ottoman Empire, firstly and predominantly in Herzegovina, from where it spread into Bosnia and Raška. It broke out in the summer of 1875, and in some regions lasted until the beginning of 1878. It was followed by the Bulgarian April Uprising of 1876, and coincided with the Serbian-Turkish wars (1876–1878); these events were each situated within the Great Eastern Crisis (1875–1878).

The primary cause of the uprising was the harsh treatment of peasants in the Ottoman province of Bosnia by its governors and landowners, who resisted the implementation of Sultan Abdülmecid I's reforming policies. The reforms, which provided that all should have religious liberty and equal civil rights; that tax farming be abolished; and that taxes be fairly imposed, were frequently opposed in more distant parts of the empire. As such, in Bosnia, peasants continued to be heavily taxed and Christians continued to be oppressed.

The rebels were aided with weapons and volunteers from the principalities of Montenegro and Serbia, whose governments eventually jointly declared war on the Ottomans on 18 June 1876, leading to the Serbian-Ottoman War (1876–78) and Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78). These led to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) and the Great Eastern Crisis. The crisis ended in 1878 with the Congress of Berlin, which granted Montenegro and Serbia independence and placed Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austro-Hungarian occupation for 30 years, although it remained de jure Ottoman territory.

Background

During early 19th century, a large part of the Balkans were under Ottoman rule. However, Ottoman influence in the region declined as a result of the Serbian Revolution and the Greek War of Independence, in which Christian Serbs and Greeks rebelled against the Ottomans and established the Principality of Serbia and the Hellenic Republic, respectively.……

Preparations

In Herzegovina

In Herzegovina, local Serbian leaders began to organize the rebellion during August and September 1874. The leaders, such as Jovan Gutić, Simun Zečević, Ilija Stevanović, Trivko Grubačić, Prodan Rupar, and Petar Radović convened in secret to organize. Their plans detailed the preparation of weapon caches, the location of safe-places, and the securing of foreign aid.

In Bosnia

Preparation for revolt in Bosnia began later than in Herzegovina, as the actions in the two regions were not coordinated.……

Uprising in Herzegovina

The revolt first began in the summer of 1875 among Christians in the village of Gabela on 3 July, followed by the start of the larger uprising in Nevesinje on July 9.……

Uprising in Bosnia

According to Herr Fritz, the Serb rebels were "extremely numerous and in some cases well armed" and were divided among following troops and bands:

Risovac and Grmeč, in West Bosnia, under the leadership of well-known Golub Babić, Marinković, Simo Davidović, Pop-Karan and Trifko Amelić.……

Aftermath

The uprising was the starting point of the Great Eastern Crisis, the reopening of the "Eastern Question". The unrest rapidly spread among the Christian populations of the other Ottoman provinces in the Balkans (notably the April Uprising in Bulgaria) setting off what would become known as the Great Eastern Crisis.……

Legacy

The Nevesinje municipality has a coat of arms with two rifles, symbolising the revolt. The government of Republika Srpska together with the Nevesinje municipality annually organises the anniversary of the revolt.

In 1963, a Yugoslav film by Žika Mitrović about the Nevesinje rebellion was released, titled in Serbian as Невесињска пушка and in English as Thundering Mountains.