From a letter written by Stephen Pichon, French foreign minister, addressed to the King of Montenegro on 4 November 1918:
In regards to the peace in Montenegro, there can't be a better guarantee than with the regulations issued by the Supreme Commander of the Eastern Army.
Your Majesty may be assured that the troops placed under the command of General Franchet d'Espirey will neglect nothing to assure in Your Kingdom the maintenance of order, and that they will put into practice the respect of the constitutional authorities as well as of the liberties of the people of Montenegro.
From a letter written by Raymond Poincare, President of the French Republic 1913-20, to the King of Montenegro on 24 November 1918:
France has not forgotten the bravery with which Montenegro on the call of Your Majesty, rose in the defence of its independence; she knows what the people of Montenegro have endured, thus she takes interest in, how much it is possible for her, to help them.
As regards the French troops called upon to occupy provisionally the territory of Your Kingdom, respectful of established institutions, they will apply themselves to maintain order, by assisting to the best of their ability the population, so as to prepare the re-establishment of normal life, which was deeply disturbed by the painful trials resulting from the enemy's occupation.
William Ewart Gladstone, Prime Minister of England 1868-74, 1880-85, 1886, 1892-94, on October 18, 1895:
Braveries and battles for independence of Montenegrins surpass those of the ancient Hellenes at Thermopylae and at Marathon.
Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of England 1908-16, on 20 January 1916:
Countries which have been broken (Belgium, Serbia, and Montenegro) will have to be re-established and rebuilt.
England will always pursue her programme of a rigorous continuation of the war until Montenegro and Serbia are reintegrated as independent kingdoms.
David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, 1916-22, in September 1917:
But even though the present time is that of the Great Nations, yet the time of the Small Nations should come first, because round them is concentrated this great fight for freedom, that is round Belgium, round Serbia, Montenegro and Rumania.
They were the first to start this fight which will decide as to the future of humanity; they are temporarily overwhelmed by the much greater military force, but not one of them regretted having picked up the thrown glove, neither did one of them renounce her independence.
The day of their restoration will also be the day of deliverance for the world. Small nations have surely played a significant part in humanity's history.
From LeTemps of January 2, 1916:
The Allies will do justice to the heroism of the Montenegrins.
Henri de Regnier de l'Academie Francaise, French writer and poet (1894-1936):
The independence of Montenegro has never been wholly extinguished, not even in the beginning of the 16th century. The Montenegrin position differed from all other Slavic lands....
In their inaccessible mountains, Montenegrins lived not much caring for the Sultan.
Al-Henri Bezies (La France de l'Est):
Montenegro's people have a right to life. One can't strangle those who were once the lions of the Adriatic Sea.
From the Greek newspaper New World which appeared in Paris 5/12/1918 in the article "Heroic Montenegro":
Montenegro is a symbol of all humanity; a state that has, despite being small, known how throughout all the centuries to preserve her independence. We believe that the independence of Montenegro is a holy saunctuary, and that those who venture to move a hand against her are not friends of freedom, peace and humanity.
Henry Cabot Lodge, President of the Commission of Foreign Affairs in the USA Senate, leader of the Republican Party -- in his speech on the propects of peace, during the opening of the Conference on Peace --asked material guarantees of peace which would take into account:
Re-establishment of Belgium, return of Alsace and Lorraine to France, ... founding of the Yugoslav state and of Czecho-Slovakia, guarantee of Greece, re-establishment of Montenegro, re-establishment of Rumania...
Ronald Trip writing in the New York Times 7 May 1922 (reprinted in Glas Crnogoraca 18 June 1922):
Immense injustice inflicted on that Small Nation
About that Lord Salis had brought forth his thinking, a British Minister with the Vatican and perhaps the greatest British authority on the Balkans. Before returning from Montenegro a few months ago, it seemed that he supported the same outlook, in some of our conversations on that subject, but sadly his report for the Foreign Office never saw the daylight in spite of numerous questions from the debating chamber of the House of Commons. An immense injustice had been inflicted on a small nation (tr. Montenegro) from the side of a bigger one (tr. Serbia) and that just during the time when politicians of great powers are gathered together in Paris using such phrases as "the rights of small nations to self-determination".
L'Action Radical (in Geneva):
Montenegro with its centuries old traditions, is the cradle of an epic people, land of a celebrated past, torch of freedom, bravery and noble exploits.
Le Courier de Metz (12 July 1919):
You people, who march along with the sounds of the Marseilles, you heroes of great heroic days, you triumphants of justice over strength, don't you hear how from far away, among your turbulent and enthusiastic victorious jubilations, mixes the sigh of forgotten Russia and martyred Montenegro!
La Suiss, newspaper from Geneva, July 1919
As a consequence of the non-disputable and solemn promises of the Great Powers, Montenegro must be re-established as much as Serbia and Belgium.
The Montenegrin people wish, whatever the price it costs to remain free among their mountains, then why force them to be made a subject of Serbia?
This small but heroic people must freely choose their destiny, in agreement with the principles of President Wilson.
Woodrow Wilson, President of the USA 1913-22, in his message, which contains the means for Peace, delivered 8/1/1918 in Congress, his 11 points, solemnly proclaimed and all the Great Powers ratified:
Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro must be restored. Relations between the Balkan states must be settled in a friendly way, along paths which have been historically decreed to them. To these different states will be given international guarantees, which will secure political and economical independence, as also the whole integrity of their territory.
President Wilson sent this telegram on 4 July 1918 from Washington:
To His Majesty, King Nikolas of Montenegro:
I sincerely thank Your Majesty on the noble minded good wishes which you have kindly sent on the 4th of July and which I highly treasure. I deeply sympathise with Your Majesty in the misfortune which has overtaken Montenegro on the barbaric invasion of the enemy. I believe that Your Majesty and the noble and heroic people of Montenegro will not be subdued, but will believe that the USA has resolved to see, at the victorious end that will arrive, shall be secured the recognition of integrity and right of Montenegro. I send to Your Majesty my best wishes.
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www.montenegro.org Last updated on 1 Nov 1997