Montenegro had been planning and preparing for unification with Serbia for over 50 years; Nikola I wished to become the ruler of the united state. This project had failed in 1903, after which the population became divided in political blocks, for a united state (Serbia) or for confederation (Serbia and Montenegro). The last negotiations between Montenegro and Serbia started shortly before World War I in 1914, concerning military, economic and foreign affairs. The most important point of disagreement during negotiations was the position of Montenegro in the union: as an equal partner to Serbia or as a province of Serbia. In Montenegro the strongest supporter of unconditional union was future prime minister Andrija Radović, titled by the Serbian government which had been working on annexation of Montenegro from 1866. Since the beginning of October 1918, various initiatives were raised to formalize unification with the war drawing to a close. Even Nicholas I gave support to a new united Yugoslav confederation, but this position was still against Belgrade's wish of a united state. Various tiny assemblies in territory controlled by the Serbian army were organized similar to the ones in the former Austro-Hungarian lands.