Czerny George

Czerny-George, Petrovitch (1779-1817), the liberator of Servia, is said to have been of French origin, and to have derived his name from his swarthy hue. Brought up as a peasant, he killed a Mussulman oppressor and fled to Transylvania for refuge. He served in the Austrian army against the Turks, but having to leave the Austrian service through some infraction of discipline, he turned bandit. This life not suiting him, he was soon serving again in the Austrian army. He then went to Servia, where he was a prosperous cattle-breeder, and became very popular. The pasha of the district was murdered by the janissaries. Czerny headed a successful movement against the janissaries, and his action gained the approval of the Sultan - an approval, however, which changed into disgust when he found Czerny extending the movement to the securing of Servian independence subject to the suzerainty of Turkey and a tribute to Constantinople. But this freedom once secured, Czerny seems unaccountably to have lost all energy, and his intrepidity turned to vacillating timidity. As a result of this weakness his enemies made head against him, and he was strangled and his head sent to Constantinople.