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King Peter I Karageorgevich
King of Serbia King of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes
Reign	11 June 1903 – 16 August 1921
Coronation	HM King Peter I of Serbia (1903-1918) HM The King of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (1918-1921)
Born	June 29, 1844
	Belgrade
Died	August 16, 1921 (aged 77)
	Belgrade
Buried	Saint George's Church in Oplenac
Predecessor	Alexander I (Obrenović)
Successor	Alexander I (Karageorgevich)
Consort	Princess Zorka of Montenegro
Issue	Helen Milena George Alexander I Andrew
Royal House	House of Karageorgevich
Royal anthem	Bože pravde ("God of Justice")
Father	Prince Alexander Karageorgevich
Mother	Persida Nenadović

King Peter I of Serbia (Serbian Cyrillic: Петар I Карађорђевић, Petar I Karađorđević) (29 June 1844 – 16 August 1921), also known as King Peter the Liberator, was King of Serbia from 1903 to 1918 after which he became the first King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Peter was born in Belgrade to Prince Alexander of Serbia and his consort, Princess Persida Nenadović. Prince Alexander abdicated in 1858 and took his son with him into exile in present-day Romania.

The young noble spent much of his exile in France, where he received an education and even participated in Franco-Prussian War of 1871 as a French Army officer. On one occasion during the war, after being separated from his unit, he narrowly avoided capture by swimming across the near-frozen Loire River. He married Princess Zorka of Montenegro, daughter of King Nicholas I, in 1883. They had five children: Princess Helen in 1884, Princess Milena in 1886, Prince George in 1887, Prince Alexander in 1888 and Prince Andrew in 1890. Princess Milena died at the age of one in 1887, and Prince Andrew, the last child, died in childbirth along with his mother.

Peter returned to Serbia in 1903, when a military coup d'état removed King Alexander from the throne. Peter was crowned King of Serbia on 11 June.

The Western-educated King attempted to liberalise Serbia with the goal of creating a Western-style constitutional monarchy, even translating John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" into Serbo-Croatian.

Peter chose to "retire" due to ill health following the Balkan Wars which, from a Serb perspective, were a great success. Executive power passed to his son Alexander.

The King was relatively inactive during the First World War, although he did occasionally visit trenches to check up on his troops. One memorable visit in 1915 involved Peter, by then 71, picking up a rifle and shooting at enemy soldiers.

His last public appearance was on 1 December 1918, when he was proclaimed King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. King Peter I died in Belgrade in 1921 at the age of 77.

As his eldest son, Prince George was King Peter's presumed successor. This changed in 1909, when he kicked a servant to death in a fit of rage, after which the Crown Prince was forced to renounce his claim to the throne in favour of his brother Alexander.

King Peter I is remembered for his modesty, attributed to his military background. He was immensely popular throghout his reign and remains one of Serbia's most popular leaders.

His children were influential in European affairs as adults. His son, King Alexander, joined Yugoslavia with the West and helped foster the "Yugoslav" national identity. His daughter, Princess Helen, married Prince Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia who was killed in the Revolution.

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