In 19th-century Serbia, power was achieved not only through politics but also through arms, plots, and often bloodshed. For over a century, two dynasties vied for the throne: the Obrenovics and the Karadordevićs.

It all began with the uprisings against the Ottoman Empire. On one side, the memory of Karadorde Petrović, a symbol of armed struggle and independence achieved by force. In 1804, he led the Serbian uprising against the Ottoman rulers, who granted autonomy to the Slavs, but a new offensive in 1813 brought Serbian territory back under full Ottoman rule. On the other hand, Milos Obrenovic, a skilled negotiator, achieved autonomy through compromise and diplomacy following a new uprising in 1815. He became the first prince of Serbia, but a vassal of the Byzantine Empire. Throughout the 19th century, the Serbian throne changed hands several times, amid coups d'état, foreign pressure, and internal crises. The Obrenovics tended to look to Austria-Hungary, seeking stability and international recognition. The Karadordevics, on the other hand, were closer to Russia and Slavic nationalism. In 1878, Serbia gained formal independence from the Ottoman Empire, and the Obrenović family was crowned king.

The breaking point came on the night between May 28 and 29, 1903. A group of officers stormed the royal palace in Belgrade. King Alexander I Obrenovic and Queen Draga were captured, brutally killed, and their bodies thrown out the window. The Obrenović dynasty was abolished, and Peter I Karadordevic ascended the throne. Serbia changed strategy, drawing closer to Russia and more decisively supporting nationalist movements in the Balkans. Serbia's new course fueled growing tensions with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In the years that followed, Belgrade became a centre of political and conspiratorial ferment, where the army, secret societies, and nationalist ideals intertwined. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, the world plunged into World War I. And behind that assassination was also the political climate born of that long dynastic rivalry.