Montefiore
SIR MOSES (monte-fe-ō'rē), a Jewish philanthropist, descendant of a wealthy family of bankers; born in Leghorn, Italy, Oct. 24, 1784.
In 1812 he married Judith Cohen (1784- 1862), a lady who went hand in hand with him in all his many schemes of philanthropy. As a stock-broker he soon achieved great success. In 1818 he was elected president of the Spanish and Portuguese community. From 1829 onward he took a prominent part in the struggle for removing the civil disabilities of English Jews. He was for a time High Sheriff of Kent, and, after long exclusion and repeated re-election, was legally admitted as Sheriff of London in 1837. In that year he was knighted . and valleys, where even almonds, vines, and pomegranates ripen. Agriculture is in a very rude and inefficient state, though every cultivable piece of land is planted with Indian corn, potatoes, tobacco, rye, wheat, cabbages, or some other useful plant. Sheep, cattle, and goats reared in great numbers . Manufactures, with exception of a coarse woolen stuff, woolen stuff , are unknown. The chief occupations of the Montenegrins are agriculture and fishing, trade being altogether left to foreigners. The exports are sheep and cattle, mutton-hams, sumach, honey, hides, cheese, butter, and other agricultural produce. tural produce. The chief towns are Cettinje, the capital; Podgoritza; Niksich; and the seaports Dulcigno and Antivari. The Montenegrins are pure Serbs and speak a Serbian dialect. They are generally of tall stature and well proportioned. The men go at all times fully armed, whatever be the occupation in which they are engaged, and all between 18 and 50 years of age (estimated at 29,000) are liable to military service .
In religion they are of the Greek Church.
Education, though once neglected, is free and compulsory. Montenegro was nominally a constitutional monarchy, with a state council of eight members, but the king was practically absolute The chief towns are Montenegro, first appearing as a principality under the name of Zeta in the MONTENEGRO 4th century, was subject to the great Serbian kingdom till about 1389. In 1516 the secular prince abdicated in favor of the Archbishop Vavil, who then formed Montenegro into a theocratic state, under an autocratic vladika or celibate princebishop. The dignity was inherited through brothers and nephews, and after 1697 became hereditary in the family of Petrovitch Njegos. The history of Montenegro for many years is a record of deadly struggle with the Turks, and of a slowly growing civilization among its inhabitants. In 1852 Danilo became vladika, but in 1855 he married, threw off his ecclesiastical character, assuming the title of hospodar or prince, and transformed his land into a secular principality, the independence of which was soon recognized by Russia. Danilo was assassinated in 1860, and Nicholas I. was proclaimed his successor, Aug. 14, of that year. In 1861-1862 he engaged in a not altogether successful war against Turkey; but in 1876 he joined Serbia and in 1877-1878 Russia against his hereditary foe, with the results that 1,900 square miles were added to his territory by the Treaty of Berlin; that the port of Antivari and all the waters of Montenegro were closed to the ships of war of all nations; and that the administration of the maritime and sanitary police on the coast was placed in the hands of Austria.
Montenegro suffered severely in the World War. At the first invasion of Serbia by the Austrian armies, Montenegro lost no time in declaring war against the Central Empires. Although the army numbered only about 40,000 men, they were at once placed in the field. A separate army was dispatched by Austria to invade Montenegro and to prevent a junction of the Serbian and Montenegrin armies. This force, however, was repulsed, and from the top of the strongly fortified Mount Lovcen, the Montenegrins carried on the bombardment of Cattaro held by the enemy. On Aug. 10, 1914, the Montenegrin infantry delivered a strong attack against the Austrian garrisons, but they were unable to make good the advantage they first gained. They successfully resisted the Austrians in the second invasion of Serbia and almost succeeded in reaching Sarajevo in Bosnia. With the beginning of the third invasion, however, they were compelled to retire before greatly superior numbers, and Serbia was finally overrun by Austro-German armies. Montenegro was also invaded and for the remainder of the war was in the possession of the Central Powers. King Nicholas fled to Italy and then to France, MONTE ROSA The government was transferred to Bordeaux. In December, 1918, King Nicholas was deposed by the National Assembly, on account of attempts made previously to bring about peace with Austria. On the creation of the state of Jugoslavia, Montenegro became part of this kingdom. See JUGOSLAVIA.. a a MONTENOTTE (mon-te-not'te), a small village of northern Italy, 26 miles W. of Genoa, where Napoleon won his first victory over the Austrians, April 12, 1796.
MONTEPULCIANO (mon-te-pöl-chä'nō), a town of Italy, a bishop's see, 43 miles S. E. of Siena. The birthplace of Politian and Bellarmine, and is famous for its red wine. Pop. about 16,000.
MONTEREAU (mongt-rō'), a French town at the confluence of the Seine and Yonne. At the bridge here, in 1419, Jeansans-Peur, Duke of Burgundy, was as sassinated at the instigation and in the presence of the young Dauphin, afterward Charles VII. In the vicinity Napoleon, on Feb. 18, 1814, gained his last victory over the allies.