Đorđe Simić

Đorđe S. Simić (28 February 1843, in Belgrade – 11 October 1921, in Zemun), was a Serbian politician and diplomat. He was twice Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia.

Đorđe Simić Ђорђе Симић
President of the Government of Serbia
In office 24 January 1894 – 3 April 1894
Monarch	Alexander I
Preceded by	Sava Grujić
Succeeded by	Svetomir Nikolajević
President of the Government of Serbia
In office 27 December 1896 – 19 October 1897
Monarch	Alexander I
Preceded by	Stojan Novaković
Succeeded by	Vladan Đorđević
Personal details
Born	28 February 1843 Belgrade, Serbia
Died	11 October 1921 (1921-10-12) (aged 78) Zemun, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Nationality	Serb
Political party	People's Radical Party
Spouse(s)	Princess Jelena of Serbia

Biography

Đorđe S. Simić was the son of Stojan Simić and the nephew of Aleksa Simić, both Serbian politicians. Upon graduation in Belgrade, he studied the state sciences in Berlin, Heidelberg and Paris.

He was hired as a civil servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and was head of its political department from 1867 to 1882. From 1882 to 1884 was Consul-General in Sofia, from 1887 to 1890 Serbian Minister to St. Petersburg and from 1890 to 1894 Serbian Minister in Vienna.

Đorđe S. Simić was the Prime Minister of Serbia for the first time from 12 January to 21 March 1894. The government quickly came to a crisis and fall due to the King Aleksandar I, demanding the Simić cabinet to fight the People's Radical Party, which Simić and several other ministers refused to accept.

Simić was again Serbian Minister in Vienna from 1894 to 1896. He was the Prime Minister for the second time (and also Minister of Foreign Affairs) from 17 December 1896 to 11 October 1897. This government was composed of neutral politicians and radicals. In foreign policy the Simić's second cabinet has achieved only partial results in Macedonia: Serbia obtained the right to establish schools in the Serbian language, and a Serbian bishop was temporarily installed in Skopje. In internal politics, the government improved finances and armament of the Serbian Army after the threats to the regional security provoked by the Greco-Turkish War of 1897.

in 1900, Simić was appointed as the Serbian Minister in Rome, then he was Senator and President of the State Council in 1901, permanent Extraordinary Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) to Istanbul from 1903 to 1906, and again in Vienna from 1906 to 1912.

One of the founders of Red Cross in Serbia, Simić was its longtime president.

A man of noble manners and capable diplomat, Simić was a weak as politician and soft in character, without his own initiative, the man who had no significant political weight but arrived at the high position in the government as a compromise candidate chosen by the king (Slobodan Jovanović).

Simić was married, in 1867, to Princess Jelena of Serbia (18 October 1846 – 26 July 1867), daughter of Alexander, Prince of Serbia.

Work

Đorđe S. Simić translated in 1883 the capital work of Benjamin Constant -- Principes de Politique Applicable a Tous Les Gouvernements -- on the principles of the political and ministerial responsibilities, considered a reference work by the elite of the Radical deputies.[1]

Bibliography

• Ana Stolić, Đorđe Simić. Poslednji srpski diplomata XIX veka, Istorijski Institut, Beograd 2003.

See also

• List of Prime Ministers of Serbia

References

1. Milan St. Protić (2015). Between Democracy and Populism: Political Ideas of the Peopleʹs Radical Party in Serbia:(The Formative Period: 1860ʹs to 1903). Balkanološki institut SANU. p. 72. ISBN 978-86-7179-094-9.

Government offices
Preceded by Sava Grujić	Prime Minister of Serbia 1894	Succeeded by Svetomir Nikolajević
Preceded by Mihailo V. Vujić	Minister of Finance of Serbia 1894	Succeeded by Čedomilj Mijatović
Preceded by Stojan Novaković	Prime Minister of Serbia 1896–1897	Succeeded by Vladan Đorđević
Preceded by Sava Grujić	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1894	Succeeded by Sima Lozanić
Preceded by Stojan Novaković	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1896–1897	Succeeded by Vladan Đorđević