Crown Prince
The May Coup in 1903 saw the Obrenović dynasty overthrown in a palace coup orchestrated by conspiratory army officers (the root of the Black Hand). Petar moved to Serbia upon this, with George leaving the military academy. The Parliament chose Petar to rule and he was coronated the new King. George thus became the Crown Prince of Serbia, the official heir to the throne. The younger brother Alexander stayed in the military academy in Russia. George was tutored by mathematics professor Mihajlo Petrović-Alas, who became his close friend. He became known as extravagant and arrogant.
King Petar planned for George's future succession, but his lack of political talent, the Serbian political intrigue, and self-willed and spectacular behaviour led to annoyance in parts of the court- and political circle. He rode horse on the frozen Sava river and drove a new car fast on the Belgrade cobblestones. In January 1907 he survived a bomb explosion at his residence. There are diary entries of fellow young cadets wanting him dead as his future succession worried them, feeling they would lose influence and being worried about their own fate. Dragutin Dimitrijević-Apis worked as an aide to the Drina Division in 1908, and he was tasked by King Peter to accompany crown prince George on his six-weeks trip to Europe (Geneva and Italy); George was reluctant, but the two became friends. Upon his return to Belgrade, he was happy to hear that Nikola Pašić, who he felt was his greatest opponent, resigned and the Radicals led the government independently. His brother Alexander planned to study in Russia, and George hoped that Petar Živković, Alexander's close associate, also left with him as he was "increasingly less inclined to see him at the court and by Alexander's side". Apis (at the head of the conspiratory officer group) became very influential, and the Radicals feared his political (and revolutionary) ambitions.
The Annexation Crisis (1908), when Austria-Hungary annexed the province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led to a huge revolt throughout Serbian society as the province was considered Serb. The International powers put pressure on Serbia to accept the annexation, and thus, the king and government of Stojan Novaković sent the political strongman Nikola Pašić and the crown prince to Russia in October–December 1908. Tsar Nicholas II and Foreign Minister Izvolsky had all understanding for the Serbian discontent, but demanded that Serbia accept the annexation, as the Crisis according to them could not be solved without war. At the time, Austria-Hungary feared for the potential of having George succeed as king, as he was seen as openly nationalistic. George held fiery speeches in front of 20,000 demonstrators in Belgrade and burned the Austro-Hungarian flag. In Serbia, and outside, the question of the royal succession, whether George should be replaced with his younger brother Alexander, was posed. When the Serbian political leadership and king himself withdrew from fighting the annexation politically, George supported war, even if Serbia would fight alone. There was a conflict between officer group and George during the crisis. According to many historians, King Petar was a puppet in the hands of the officers (what became the Black Hand), whom George openly told that he would break the neck of as soon as the came to power. George gained sympathy among the people but his opponents determined he was unfit for rule due to his tactlessness and lack of political thinking. He had an outburst at the Russian embassy on the Tsar's birthday where he called the Russian ruler a liar for promising but not helping Serbia, and to the Austro-Hungarian envoy that their monarch was a thief that stole other people's lands. The media reported on George's outbursts and endeavours, which gave more reason to intrigue. A French envoy reported that the crown prince was surrounded by Austrian spies. Both Apis and Pašić supported the removal of George, as they thought Alexander would be easier to control. Apis' officer group became impatient with George and talked about having him poisoned, but nothing serious came of it. While George's trip to Russia was seen positively, his remarks were seen as a real problem, and the officer group told Stojan Novaković that they would not stand by George and wanted him removed.
At the beginning of 1909, George became angry with his servant Stevan Kolaković (allegedly for not delivering a love letter), and hit him (kicking him in the stomach), leaving him with two critical hernias that resulted in his death shortly after. This was a huge scandal in Serbian media, and Austro-Hungarian media reported on it intensively. George was pressured to abdicate, but still, King Petar wanted him to succeed the Serbian throne. In March 1909, George officially abdicated in favour of his younger brother Alexander. Miroslav Spalajković, a counsellor in the Internal Affairs, as well as the journalist Živojin Protić-Ajfel, talked George into renouncing the throne. After this, he was often used as a tool by various political and military circles to put pressure on the new heir (and eventual regent) Alexander. Alexander worked with both officer groups, under Apis and Živković, respectively; this showed good political manoeuvring as it prevented their excessive strengthening. Apis became close with Alexander. There was a rift between the brothers. In 1910, Alexander was sick with typhus, and there were rumours that Apis' group planned a coup if George was to succeed in his place. Živković kept defaming Apis, and Alexander had a falling out with Apis in 1911 when the potential of a coup became clearer to him. While Apis suggested to King Peter to give over the throne to his son Alexander in February 1911, Peter refused, until mid-1914, at the beginning of World War I.
