Jovan Ristić
| Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић |
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| President of the Ministry of Serbia | |
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In office 15 November 1867 – 3 December 1867 |
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| Monarch | Michael I |
| Preceded by | Ilija Garašanin |
| Succeeded by | Nikola Hristić |
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In office 5 April 1873 – 3 November 1873 |
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| Monarch | Milan I |
| Preceded by | Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac |
| Succeeded by | Jovan Marinović |
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In office 13 October 1878 – 2 November 1880 |
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| Monarch | Milan I |
| Preceded by | Stevča Mihailović |
| Succeeded by | Milan Piroćanac |
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In office 13 June 1887 – 1 January 1888 |
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| Monarch | Alexander I |
| Preceded by | Milutin Garašanin |
| Succeeded by | Sava Grujić |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 16, 1831 Kragujevac, Serbia |
| Died | September 4, 1899 (aged 68) Belgrade, Serbia |
| Nationality | Serbian |
Jovan Ristić, or Ristitch (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Ристић) (January 16, 1831 – September 4, 1899) was a Serbian statesman, diplomat and historian.
Born at Kragujevac, he was educated at Belgrade, Heidelberg, Berlin and Paris. After failing to obtain a professorship at Belgrade's Grandes écoles, he was appointed in 1861 Serbian diplomatic agent at Constantinople. On his return from Constantinople, his brilliant intellectual qualities attracted the attention of the government. He soon became known as the most competent of the government officials. He was immediately offered a ministerial post by Prince Mihailo, who described him as his "right arm", but declined office, being opposed to the reactionary methods adopted by the prince's government. He had already become the recognized leader of the Liberal Party. As a politician, he saw all the dangers that would have to be faced should Serbia embark on a policy of land redemption. The Turkish army, always a formidable fighting force, would overwhelm the Serbs, if it could be wholly massed against them. A Serbian invasion of the rebellious provinces would also, if successful, mean a conflict with Austria-Hungary, in which Russia would probably not interfere, while France was then in no condition to support other nations' plights for freedom. Ristić's reputation was enhanced by the series of negotiations which ended in the peaceful withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the Serbian fortresses in 1867. After the assassination of Prince Mihailo in 1868, he was nominated member of the council of regency, and on the 2nd of January 1869 the third Serbian constitution, which was mainly his creation, was promulgated. When the regency came to an end, and Prince MIlan attained his majority in 1872, Ristić became foreign minister; a few months later he was appointed prime minister, but resigned in the following autumn (1873). Later, Old Serbia broke into rebellion, and this was followed by a similar movement in Bulgaria. Ristić again became prime minister in April 1876, and was faced with a dilemma. If Serbia could only act quickly and establish herself in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Old Serbia, it would take time to dislodge her, and meanwhile the example of insurrection would probably spread far and wide over the whole of Turkey in Europe. Also Ristić, Stevča Mihailović, Ilija Garašanin, Nikola Hristić, Miloje Lješanin, Ljubomir Kaljević, Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac, Jovan Marinović, Milan Piroćanac, Sava Grujić, and other distinguished Serbian statesmen have been taught by long experience that with the Powers nothing succeeds like self-help. Possession is nine points of the law. Ristić was able to deduct, if Serbia could maintain a position, however precarious, in the unredeemed Serbian lands, the Serbs could look forward with confidence to being ultimately supported by Russia. Ristić therefore decided to act, and all Serbia was behind him. In that way he gained an international reputation as foreign minister on two important occasions (while prosecuting two wars against Turkey: July 1876; and March 1877 and December 1877; March 1878) by promoting an expansionist policy that he hoped would make Serbia the nucleus for a strong South Slav state. There were times when things looked dim. While Bulgaria was to obtain frontiers far beyond her wildest dreams, Serbia was to obtain little more than the merest rectification.
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