History of Croatia

Croatia is a contact point between various people, cultures and civilizations. This is mainly due to the geographical situation of the country, between the plain of Pannonia and the Adriatic Sea, between the the Alps and the Balkans, between the Central Europe and the Mediterranean Monde, between the Western Europe of the Eastern Europe, close to the Eastern border of the Italian boot. During the last twenty centuries, Croatia was crossed by the border between:

Roman Empires of the East and Occident (of the end of at the end of);
the Empires Frankly and Byzantine ();
the Roman Catholic church and the orthodoxe Christian Church (since),
the Chrétienneté and the Islamic world (between and).

The history of Croatia can be divided into 6 great periods:

the area before the arrival of the Slavic people (of prehistory with);
the arrival of the Croats in the Balkan Peninsula and the foundation of the medieval State of the Croats (of at 1102);
union with Hungary (1102-1526);
integration in the States of Habsbourg (1527-1918);
Croatia within Yugoslavia (1918-1991);
the Republic of independent Croatia (since 1992).

Croatian grounds before the Croats (until VIIe century)

Prehistory

Right from the start, the territory that the Drave and the the Danube in north border, the Drina in the east and the Adriatique in the west constitute a delimited geographical space. The area was inhabited during the Préhistoire, since the Stone Age. During the Paleolithic means, the Homme of Néandertal occupied the area of Zagorje, in the north of Croatia. Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger discovered on a hill close to the town of Krapina of the bones and other remainders of a Man of Néandertal, called Homo krapiniensis thereafter. At the beginning of the Neolithic , the cultures Starčevo, Vinča and Sopot was scattered in the area. The most remarkable sites of excavation are those of Ščitarjevo close to Zagreb, of Sopot close to Vinkovci, of Vučedol close to Vukovar, and Nakovanj in the peninsula of Pelješac. Later Neolithic civilization presents also three surfaces definitely differentiated in Croatia, but nonimpermeable the ones with the others: the civilization of Vučedol in between-Save-and-Drave (the current Slavonia), the civilization of Butmir in the hinterland (current Bosnia) and the civilization of Hvar in the maritime areas (Dalmatie central).

The Age of iron left traces of the Culture of Hallstatt and culture Tène (It).

Antiquity

Towards -1900, the Croatian areas transfer bronze to replace copper. This fact agrees with the beginning of a series of migrations which will end only with the installation of the Celts with.

It is initially the installation of the It (1200-500), contemporary of that of Doriens in Greece, and which brings the age of iron. These tribes, which spoke a language It, are not a branch of the family of the Indo-Europeans. Among these tribes, one can note the Dalmates or Delmates (which will give its name to the area), but also the Liburnes and the Lapides - whose ethnicity remains less clear -, which lived various parts of the coast Adriatique and the interior, between current the Istrie and Herzégovine. The Phéniciens created colonies on the Adriatique coast with. The Age of late iron left traces of the Culture of Hallstatt and culture Tène (it).

Celtic or " populate field of the urnes" , penetrated on the Croatian ground around -500, that is to say while imposing itself militarily (where the autochtones resist: ruin of the " Halstatt-Kultur" of Glasinac), that is to say peacefully by intense commercial relations (the " Halstatt-Kultur" of Ripač). The north of current Croatia was also colonized by the tribe of the Scordisques. Other Celtic tribes were perhaps integrated elsewhere with It. Greek colonies were created under Denys of Syracuse (beginning of), which jetta bases of the foundation of the principal Dalmatian coastal cities: Corcyra Negra (island of Korčula), Issa (island of Screw), Pharos (island of Hvar), Tragurion (Trogir), Epidaure, Dimos, Héraclée, Epethion, Asseria, Barbaria)… A kingdom it was made up and it overcame the Macedonia into -355.

The pirate activity of the corsairs of the tribe it of Ardiéiens, under the reign of the Teuta queen (- 231), which foams the Italian coasts and plundered the Romains merchants, involved the opening the hostilities by the Roman République into -229 (catch of Dyrrachium). The " pacification" Roman of It (current Croatia) was one of most difficult than Rome had to undertake in its history. Thereafter, Rome declared the war with the kingdom of It and gained the victory into -168 vis-a-vis Genthius, last king it. However, several forwardings were necessary before Servius Fulvius Flaccus does not make a success of, in -135, to reduce Ardiéiens by particularly cruel means and to move them in the hinterland. The tribe of Dalmatian took again the torch and it followed a series of bloody wars from there (between -155 and -27) during which two Roman armies - of which one of Jules César in -50 - were crushed. Auguste completed the pacification of It while subjecting definitively into -35 Iapodes and -34 Delmates; in -27 it gave the It to the Senate of Rome.

After the extension of the Roman conquest to the Danube, under Auguste, the Roman province of It (It) was created into -9. Into 10, this province was divided between the Pannonia and the Dalmatie and the term It fell in disuse. The area was completely pacified into 27. The Romans dominated the whole of Balkans and of It romanized of the current Croatian areas became Roman Emperors (Aurélien, Probus, Dioclétien and others). Dioclétien, born with Salone, divided the coastal region, into 284, Dalmatia salonitana (capital: Salona) and Dalmatia Praevalitana (capital Scodra) then it abdicated into 305 and was withdrawn in its palate of Split close to Salone.

After the division of the Romain Empire by the emperor Théodose Ier, in 395, the current Croatian territories were located in the Roman Empire of occident.

At the time of the Great invasions cruel, the control of these provinces passed to the Huns, with the Avars, the Ostrogoths then with the Byzantine .

Migration of the Croats

The origin of the Croats before large the migration of Slavic is dubious. The origin of the name " Croate" (in Croatian: Hrvat) remains a historical enigma. It is in any case not Slavic. Several assumptions were advanced of which, most probable is the " thesis iranienne" ; however, this one is called in question by recent genetic studies.

No hard copy of the migration of the Croatian towards the Balkans was preserved until our days, in particular which would come from this area-even and would relate to the whole of these events. In the place, the historians are based on writings going back to several centuries after the facts, and even these writings undoubtedly derive from a Oral tradition.

The book De Administrando Imperio , writes with, is the source most referred concerning the migration of the Slavic people towards Europe of South-east. It there is specified that the Croats lived at the origin in white Croatia, which is located at the north of the Carpathes and the east of the the Vistula, in the area which covers the Galicie now. This State of white Croatia included most of the south of the current Poland as well as parts of the Bohemia and Slovakia; it disappeared in 1004. The Croats migrated initially, about the year 600, the areas in the east and the north of the the Danube, on the slopes of the Carpates, carried out by the Turkish people of the Avars. In the Geographon Bavarian (written between 666-890) various tribes are described - among which the Croats are mentioned - in the north of Carpates and the mounts. Avars combined with Slavic Eastern penetrated in the west of Balkans to the Adriatic, destroying Salone. According to De Administrando Imperio , the second movement of migration of the Croatian started, around year 620, when the Byzantine emperor Héraclius asked for the assistance of Slavic North of Carpates - of which Croats - to counter the Avars which threatened the Byzantine Empire. A certain number of Croatian tribes - seven according to the legend - crossed the the Danube and the Drave, conquered the Roman provinces of Pannonia, Dalmatie, It and Norique occupied by Avars. They were carried out by five brothers - Klukas, Lobel, Kosenc, Muhlo and Hrvat - and their two sisters - Tuga and Buga. In 625, the Croats beat Avars and arrived on the Adriatic. They settled like federate Byzantine Empire in It Western, in (Pannonia and in Dalmatie).

De Administrando Imperio also mentions another version of the events, where the Croats were not invited by Héraclius, but overcame Avars and settled of their own initiative after having emigrated since the surroundings of current the Galicie. This version is confirmed in the writings of a certain archdeacon Thomas, Historia Salonitana , dating from. However, the report/ratio of the Thomas archdeacon, just as the Chronic of the priest of Dioclée of, affirm that the Croats did not arrive in the way described by the Byzantine text. In the place, this work claims that the Croats were a Slavic group who remained after the occupation and the plundering of the Roman province of Dalmatie by the Goths and their " chief; Totila". The Chronicle of Dioclée, on the other hand, speaks about the invasion of Goths (under the command of " Svevlad" , then of its descendants " Selimir" and " Ostroilo") after which the Slavic ones did nothing but take the continuation.

Whatever various interpretations, the Slavic tribes settled finally in the area located between the Drave and the Adriatic Sea, in the west of the Roman provinces of Pannonia and Dalmatie. These Slavic people organized Croatia in two parts: the duchy of Pannonia in north and that of Dalmatie in the south.

The medieval Croatian State (of the arrival of the Croats until 1102)

After being crossed by the Goths, the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Gépides and the Lombards, the current Croatian areas pass under domination of Byzance (). The first populations Slaves of Croatia settle there at the beginning of, organizing Croatia in two parts. During the expansion of the frank empire, Croatia was divided between the Carolingian Empire and the Byzantine Empire but, after the death of Charlemagne, the dukes Croatian regained their autonomy quickly. The christianization of the Croats was completed with what was worth in Branimir to be the first chief of Slavic of Croatia to being recognized recognized by papacy like Duc of the Croats (879). Its Tomislav descendant was crowned " King of Croates" in 925 and this kingdom reached its apogee under Petar Krešimir IV, in second half of. Following successional fights and disappearance of the principal Croatian dynasty at the end of, the Croats recognized, in 1102, the Hungarian sovereign Coloman like the common king of Croatia and the Hungary. As from this moment, the future of Croatia was related to that of Hungary until the end of the First World War.

Christianization

The first trace of contact between the Pope and the Croats goes back to a writing of the medium of in the Liber Pontificalis . The Pope Jean IV (Jean the Dalmatian one, 640-642) sent an abbot of the name of Martin in Dalmatie and Istrie in order to pay the ransom for several prisoners and the relics of Christian martyrs. It is reported that this abbot crossed Dalmatie with the assistance of the Croatian chiefs, and that it establishes the bases of the future relations between the Pope and the Croats. Jean de Ravenne was charged by the pope Jean IV with restoring the antique archbishop's palace of Salone (Split). According to the writings of the Byzantine emperor Constantin VII Porphyrogénète, the Croats made an agreement with the pope Agathon, as of 679, by whom they were committed not undertaking any offensive war against the close Christian States.

The Christianisation of the Croats probably began with, shortly after their arrival in the Balkans, by missionaries of the Roman coastal cities and by the frank missionaries of the patriarchate of Aquilée. It was influenced by the proximity of the old Roman cities of Dalmatie. The beginnings of christianization are also discussed in the historical texts: the Byzantine texts speak about the duke of Porin which began it on incentive of the Héraclius emperor, then of the duke of Porga which mainly christianized its people under the influence of Roman missionaries, while the national tradition supports that christianization took place under the Dalmatian duke of Limited. It is possible that they are in fact interpretations different from the name from the same duke. Christianization was completed in north before.

The duke Trpimir Ier invited the monks Bénédictins to be installed on his grounds. Ones of the oldest monasteries Benedictines in Croatia are those of Karin (850), Bisevo (850), Rizinice (852), Sveti Krsevan (908), Sveti Ambrosius (941), Sveta Maria (948), Ugljan (988). With, there was more than 40 monasteries Benedictines in the kingdom of the Croats, the majority being located on the coast of the Adriatic.

Enough curiously, the Croats was never constrained with the use of the Latin : they celebrated the Messe in their own language and used the glagolitic Alphabet. It was only in 1248 that the Pope Innocent IV condemned that officially and that the Latin alphabet started to prevail. The Latin Rite relatively early took a lead in the Byzantine Rite thanks to many interventions of the the Holy See. Many Synode S was held in Dalmatie with, in particular after the Great Schism of the East, which continuously reinforced the use of the Latin rite until it became prevalent.

The rise of the Croats

During the High Middle Ages, the Croatian grounds were included/understood between three great entities: the Roman Empire of the East which wished to adapt the city-States of Dalmatie and the islands, the Francs which wished to occupy north and the North-West, and in the North-East the Avars, then later the Magyars, and other young States. The fourth group, but not notably powerful compared to the Croatian State, was that of the Slavic neighbors in south-east, the Serbes and the Bulgares.

Into 796, the duke Vojnomir of Pannonia changed camp between the Avars and the Francs. As of the defeat and the destruction of the State avar in 799, Croatia panonienne (current Slavonia) and, a little later, Croatia southernmost, known as also " Croatia Blanche" were subjected manu militari to the authority of the margrave de Furlande. Charlemagne invades Dalmatie in 799, disputing it to the Byzantines, and finally conquered it in 803. The duke who at that time carried out the Croats towards the south called Višeslav. The patriarchate of Aquilée could then christianize the Slavic ones which remained in the area. The invasion of the Dalmatian cities by Charlemagne caused a war with the Byzantine Empire. The situation is devoted juridically by the Peace of Aachen (812) putting an end to the war with the Byzantine Empire which had refused to recognize the imperial title with Charlemagne. Southernmost Croatia (" Blanche") is reassigned with the Francs, whereas Byzance preserves sovereignty on Dalmatie coastal of population Romance and consisted of three islands (Osor, Krk and Rab) and five cities (Zadar, Trogir, Split, Dubrovnik and Kotor).

The franque influence weakens after the death of Charlemagne into 814 and, in 819, the Croatian duke Ljudevit Posavski raised a rebellion in Pannonia. The Margrave S francs sent armies into 820,821 and 822 but did not manage to subdue the rebels before finally the forces of Ljudevit are not withdrawn in Bosnia. What is nowadays is Slavonie and Syrmie was conquered by the Bulgares into 827 and the Francs took it again only into 845. After the wars between the frank empire and the Bulgarian ones (827-829), the margraviat of Furlande is removed, southernmost Croatia was subjected to the authority of the king d' Italie Lothaire Ier (828) and Croatia pannonienne with the authority of the king de Germanie (838). One can easily read in these events the first steps of the later political destiny of Croatia, divided between the zones of Italian and Germanic influence. The greatest part of Croatia pannonienne remained under franque domination until the end of.

The duke Mislav (835 - 845) built formidable a armada, and signed in 839 a peace treaty with the Doge de Venise Pietro Tradonico. The Venetian ones quickly started a series of confrontations with the Slavic pirates independent of the area of Paganie, but did not succeed in overcoming them. The Bulgarian tsar Boris Ier also began a long war against the Croats of Dalmatie, to try to increase his State towards the Adriatique.

The duke Trpimir Ier (845 - 864) succeeded Mislav and he is regarded as the founder of the dynasty of Trpimirović, which controlled Croatia from 845 to 1091 (with interruptions). He succeeds in gaining the war against the Bulgares and their subjects Rasciens and he overcame, also, the Byzantine with Zadar. Trpimir Ier increases its field by including all there the Bosnia until the Drina. It consolidated its capacity on Dalmatie and most of the interior of the grounds towards Pannonia, and instituted counties to control its vassal (an idea that it borrowed from the Francs). Trpimir invited the monks Bénédictins - known as being prmomoteurs of education and economy - to be installed on its possessions. The first known written mention of the Croats dates from the March 4th 852, in a edict of Trpimir.

In years 840, the Buckwheats, a group of Arab pirates , invaded Tarente and Bari. Their activities pushed Byzance to increase its military presence in the south of the Adriatic. In 867, a Byzantine fleet raised the seat of Buckwheats on Dubrovnik (then called Raguse) and also triumphed over the pirates of Paganie.

Vis-a-vis several naval threats, the duke Domagoj (864 - 876) rebuilt the Croatian fleet and helped the Francs to conquer Bari in 871. The Croatian vessels also obliged the Venetian ones to pay a tribute to be able to sail close to Eastern the Adriatique coast.

The son of Domagoj, which one does not know the name, reigned on Dalmatian Croatia between 876 and 878. Its forces attacked the cities of the Istrie west into 876, but were then beaten by the Venetian fleet. Its terrestrial forces triumphed over the duke of Pannonia Kocelj (861-874), which was subjected to the Francs. The wars of Domagoj and his/her son thus released the Dalmatian Croats of the influence of the Francs.

The following duke, Zdeslav (878-879), reversed the son of Domagoj, but reigned only briefly, without being able to prevent the Byzantine Empire from conquering vast parts of the Dalmatie. It was then reversed in its turn by the duke Branimir (879-892), who was supported by the Church of Occident. In 879, the country was recognized like an independent duchy by the Pape Jean VIII and Branimir was called dux Chroatorum (879). Branimir continued to push back the Byzantine incursions and reinforced its State under the aegis of papacy.

After the death of Branimir, the duke Muncimir (892 - 910), the brother of Zdeslav, took control of the Dalmatie and controlled it independently of Rome and Byzance under the title of divino munere Croatorum dux (duke of the Croats with the assistance of God).

The last duke of the Croats of Pannonia under the authority of the Francs was Braslav which died into 897 (?), at the time of a war against the Magyars which were migrating towards the plain of Pannonia. In Dalmatie, the duke Tomislav (910-928) succeeded Muncimir. Having driven back the Magyars beyond Drave, Tomislav links Croatian of Pannonia and of Dalmatie in only one State, was made acclaim king around 925.

Three Serb principalities - Paganie, Zachoumlie and Travounie - were formed, in the center and the south of Dalmatie. Initially independent, the Paganie and the Travounie passed under the authority of the Serb kingdom of Rascie between 930 and 950, then passed under Byzantine domination.

The Kingdom of Croatia (925-1102)

Union with Hungary (1102-1526)

The official fastening of Croatia to the Hungary had several important consequences.

The country was directed in the name of the king by a Ban , doing of this preexistent title one of highest of Croatia. Only one round of applause controlled all the provinces of Croatia until in 1225, date on which the authority was divided between a round of applause for the Slavonie and a round of applause for the Dalmatie and Croatia. After 1345 these two positions occupied in turn consequently anybody, and are finally gathered in only one in 1476.

Fastening with Hungarian monarchy involves the introduction of the Féodalisme and the emergence of local noble families like the Frankopan and the Šubić. Thereafter, the kings seek to restore part of their influence lost by giving to the cities certain privileges. Later, the Angevins intervene and restore the royal capacity. They also sell all the Dalmatie with the République of Venice in 1409.

While the Othoman incursion in Europe begins, Croatia becomes again border region. The Croats take part in a considerable number of battles and gradually lose territories with the profit of the Ottoman Empire.

Feudalism and conflicts with Venice and Byzantine Empire

The king of Hungary introduces an alternative of the Feudal system. Broad strongholds are granted to those which are ready to defend them against the external incursions, which ensures the protection of the entire country thus. However, while making it possible the nobility to increase its economic and military capacity, the kingdom loses of its influence to the profit of families like the Frankopan, the Šubić, Nelipčić, Kačić, Kurjaković, Drašković, or Babonić. With the XIIe century, after several stations in Hungary and Rascie, Serb prince Beloš becomes at the end of his life round of applause of Croatia.

Coloman Ier tore off with Venetian, with the agreement of Byzance, sovereignty on the Dalmatian cities, but at the time of the conflict with the emperor Alexis Comnène, the Venetian ones began again in 1115 Zadar, Belgrade-on-sea and the archipelago of Quarner. Under the reign of his/her son Etienne II of Hungary (1116-1131), they also obtained the allegiance of the other Dalmatian cities. The king makes a success of one moment to recover the Dalmatian cities, except for Zadar, but Venice reconquered them at once while making shave the Croatian city of crowning, Belgrade-on-sea, with the strong current of the foundations, in 1125. The city will never go back from there again. The stake of the wars between Venice and the kingdom hungaro-Croatian were especially the possession of Zadar, the Dalmatian city most opulent. Béla II of Hungary (1131-1141), wire of Almos took again the Dalmatian cities except for Zadar (1133). In 1137, the lords of Bosnia (Rowed) join the kingdom of Hungary-Croatia whose sovereign carries from now on also the title of " Rex Ramae" (1138).

In addition to with Venice, Arpadiens had also mesh to leave with Byzance. Intervening in the dynastic quarrels of the Hungarian crown, the emperor Manual Ier Comnène, succeeds in 1167 seizing the Bosnia, southernmost Croatia and all the Dalmatian cities except for Zadar, the Syrmie and the Banat). The death of the large last basileus in 1180 marked the final end of Byzantine hegemony in the Balkans.

Béla III of Hungary (1172-1196), high at the court of Byzance, seized the power in Croatia with died of his/her father of adoptive the basileus Emmanuel Comnène. It took again the Dalmatian cities with Venetian and accepted the allegiance of the round of applause Kulin of Bosnia and prince Miroslav de Chulmie (Herzégovine current). However, it lost with the beginning of the year the 1180 south of Dalmatie with the profit of the Serb kingdom of Rascie. Bleated III succeeds in definitively imposing primogeniture like death tax with the throne. It supported, in addition, in Croatia - by donations - the extension of the feudal system to the detriment of the old system of the phratries.

The dynastic quarrels of Émeric of Hungary (1196-1204) with his/her André younger brother (future Andre II of Hungary) provides the favorable occasion to the large doge Enrico Dandolo several coastal towns. Diverting with their profit the Fourth crusade, the Venetian ones seize Zadar in 1202, the most important higher coastal town of Dalmatie. In 1205, the free city of Dubrovnik recognizes the suzerainty of Venice. During this period, the Order of Templiers and the Ordre of Malta acquire a considerable quantity of grounds in Croatia.

Andrija II (Andre II of Hungary) (1205-1235) had to give up all its rights on Zadar as a compensation for transport of its troops crossed towards the Holy Land. Tired of its capricious and expensive government, the minor nobility rose and forced this sovereign to promulgate in 1222 famous the " Bubble of or" who drastiquement limited the absolute capacity of the sovereign by authorizing the nobility explicitly to be raised by the weapons against the sovereign if it did not respect the law. It is often compared " Bubble of or" , rightly, with the " Magna Charta Libertatum" English. It was used as charter of crowning of the kings hungaro-Croatian to Joseph II at the 18th century.

From Béla IV of Hungary (1235-1270), the kings do not practice any more one crowning separated for Croatia. The duke Coloman, duke sovereign of the Croatian kingdom, subjected Bosnia (1237) and tried to set up without Zagreb success in archbishop's palace. The most remarkable event of this reign was the invasion of Hungary and Croatia by the Mongolian riders of the Horde of Gold. Practitioner a tactic tested successfully in Moscovie and Poland (to capture and kill the sovereign to destabilize the country), having demolishes the Hungarian army with the Mohi on banks of the Sajó (April 11th, 1241), they continue the king. Béla, its continuation and the remainders of its army had to take refuge near prince Frederic of Austria, which instead of helping them, benefitted from the occasion to tear off three counties with the king. The king took then the way of the Dalmatie and settled in Trau (Torgir), while waiting for the assistance of the Occident. The Mongols plunder the country and massacre part of the population; they set fire to Zagreb while going down towards the Dalmatian coast. In March 1242, the Mongolian avant-garde reached the Adriatique and the king Béla IV had his safety only while embarking on a ship in roads of Trogir. But the advertisement of died of large the khan forced soon the Mongolian armies to evacuate the Central Europe.

This ride devastator had as an immediate consequence to lead the kings to want to restore his influence by giving certain privileges to the cities, which can become Royal Districts or " royal city libre" (similar to the Free Imperial Cities of the Germanic Roman Holy roman Empire); in exchange of their support, the cities obtained the protection of the king against the lords. Many a " free cities royales" (Zagreb in 1242, Križevci in 1252 and Bihać in 1264), strengthened fortresses and churches were set up, of which the cathedral of Zagreb east certainly one of the European florets. Béla IV administratively divided Croatia into " kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatie" and in " kingdom of Slavonie" , the round of applause (viceroy) of " all Esclavonie" (totius Sclavoniae) having precedence of the croato-Dalmatian round of applause. In 1248, the Innocent pope IV, granted to évêché of Senj (Segna) the right to practice the glagolitic liturgy slavonne, at the conclusion of a three centuries fight against the absolute seizure of the Latin liturgy in the Croatian Church.

The civil wars began again under the reign of Etienne V of Hungary (1270-1272) and Ladislas IV of Hungary (1272-1290). The reign of the last Arpadien, André III of Hungary (1290-1301) was disputed by part of large Hungarian and especially Croatian. On the initiative of Marie of Naples, sister of Ladislas IV, which asserted the succession of the throne hungaro-Croatian for his son Charles Martel, the powerful Croatian princes of Bribir - who had obtained the dignity of round of applause on a purely hereditary basis for their family - made crown in Zagreb in 1301, as king de Croatie and of Dalmatie, Charobert of Anjou-Sicily, the son of Charles Martel. Princes de Bribir resulting from the family of Šubić become particularly influential with Pavao Šubić Bribirski (1272 - 1312), which takes the control of big parts of the Dalmatie, of the Slavonie and the Bosnia during an internal conflict between the dynasties of Árpád and Anjou.

Attempts at restoration of the royal capacity (1301-1490)

In 1301, Charles Robert of Anjou (Charles Robert of Hungary) reached the throne of Croatia (1301-1342). After one decade of civil war during which it was put out of balance with two other applicants at the Hungarian throne - Venceslas III of Bohemia and Otton III of Bavaria - Charles Robert (Charles Robert of Hungary) was crowned king de Hongrie, of Croatia and Dalmatie in 1310, with the approval then of the majority of notable Hungarian and Croatian.

As of the return of peace, the new dynasty applied the traditional policy capétienne of the reinforcement of the central capacity (royal) and restriction of the prerogatives of large of the kingdom. The reign of Angevins was characterized by an absolutist and centralist policy and thus of the extremely rare convocations of the General states (twice in some eighty years: 1342,1351), political decisions being caught - following the example their French cousins - within a royal council (consilium regium) composed prelates and the notable ones. Anjou supported the rise of the cities, introduced the knighthood and reinforced the role of the minor nobility. Charles-Robert comes from in 1322 to seize the round of applause Mladen de Bribir, which practically reigned as an absolute monarch on Croatia and a good part of current Bosnia, and to restore the royal authority in Croatia. The round of applause of Bosnia Etienne Cotroman benefitted from it to annex in Bosnia the Countries of the West.

His/her son, Louis Ier of Hungary (1342-1382) sought to extend his influence in Central Europe and in Balkans. It mâta initially princes Nelipić, who gave to him their fortress of Knin in 1345, and princes de Bribir in 1357, who accepted, n the other hand of their castrum of Ostrovica, Zrin in Slavonia, from where them later name of Zrinski (Hungarian Zrinyi). The king thus restores his authority in all Croatia. By its marriage with Elisabeth Kotromanić - the girl of the round of applause of Bosnia - it acquired Chulmie (Herzégovine Western current). In a lightning war against Venice, concluded by peace from Zadar in 1358, it recovered all Dalmatie, forced the doge to give up the title of " duke of Croatia and Dalmatie" and obliged Venice to promise to him the construction of a fleet of war (this promise will never be held). The Republic of Dubrovnik recognized it at once like its lord and it granted the right to him to carry the royal escutcheon. In 1366, it tore off with Stefan Uroš V of Serbia the area of Mačva and forced its ally, the round of applause of Bosnia Tvrtko Ier, which had rebelled against Hungary, to recognize its authority again. It obliged also the Bulgarian tsar Jean X Strajimir to make him allegiance in exchange of its personal freedom. In 1370, once again with the favor of the matrimonial bonds, he became king de Pologne, reigning from now on on a country which extended from the Baltic in the Adriatic. In 1377, the province of Bosnia émancipa definitively of the supervision hungaro-Croatian and becomes a kingdom independent under the dynasty of Kotromanić, which then included the major part of Dalmatie. The family of Angevins reacts vis-a-vis the Croatian nobility. The Šubić family was dispersed through the country (the family Zrinski will be an important branch).

Louis Ier had only two girls: Marie (1382-1395) - who became queen of Hungary and Croatia under the aegis of his/her Elisabeth mother of Bosnia - and Hedvige which became queen of Poland and which went, by marrying later on the large duke of Lithuania, to provide to Hungary and Croatia its last kings before the come to power of Habsbourgs. This female succession will involve new dynastic quarrels and bloody civil wars. The dissatisfied ones introduce Charles de Durazzo (1385-1386), close relative of the late king, in Croatia and Hungary but he is quickly assassinated at the instigation by the queen Elisabeth dowager and his accomplice palatine Gorjanski. This assassination united all the adversaries of the Marie queen, who had meanwhile married the Sigismond emperor of Luxembourg.

As of its election as king de Hongrie and of Croatia, Sigismond of Luxembourg (1386-1437), sovereign crafty one and without scruples, ran to the help of his wife imprisoned by the dissatisfied ones to Novigrad-lez-Zadar. But it does not succeed in preventing the king of Bosnia, Tvrtko Ier, brother-in-law of Louis Ier of Hungary, to seize almost all southernmost Croatia, thanks to the support of large the feudal dissatisfied ones, and to be made crown in 1390 " king de Croatie and of Dalmatie". Signing an armistice with its vassal Bosnian Stefan Dabiša, successor Tvrtko Ier, Sigismond Ier demolishes united in Dobor (1393) but undergoes with the head of a European army a cuisante demolished with the battle of Nicopolis (1396) against the Turks. This event definitively opens the door of Balkans to the Turks.

After king Sigismond had been given for died to the battle of Nicopolis, of the Croatian lords who were hostile seized the occasion for him to make elect, with the support of certain dissatisfied Hungarian barons, Ladislas Ier of Naples, wire of late Charles de Durazzo. After its return, Sigismond decided to punish this treason. As it had done with Jean Huss, Sigismond Ier convened General states in 1397 - be-saying for a reconciliation with the noble ones - but at the time of this " Sabor strapping of Krizevci" , it made massacre several Croatian lords who were hostile for him in order to be avenged for their " trahison". Noble Croatian, tired of violences of their king, revolted again under the control of the powerful Bosnian lord Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić. They even succeeded in being made main of the person of the emperor and imprison it with the fortress of Višegrad in 1401, but they release it and are reconciled with him thanks to the mediation of palatine prince Gorjanskiet. Ladislas Ier was crowned in Zadar, in 1403, as king de Hongrie, of Croatia and Dalmatie. One did not have any less than four forwardings, whose last was organized like crusade, to come to end from the rebels and to force their chief to make him allegiance. But the duke Hrvoje had called the Turks with the rescue, giving to those an opportunity to involve himself in the Bosnian businesses. Sigismond took again the crown and Ladislas, occupied by other projects, ignored Croatia. Ladislas sold its Dalmatian possessions, like all its rights on Croatia and Dalmatie to Venetian, in July 1409, percent thousand ducats. In spite of two wars that Sigismond made with Venetian because of Dalmatie (1411-1413 and 1418-1420), Venice obtained, in less than one decade (1420), the allegiance of all the Dalmatian cities except for Raguse (Dubrovnik). The loss of Dalmatie represented one of the most outstanding events of the Croatian history since the loss of " the indépendance" in 1102. As from this moment, the political center of gravity of Croatia will move towards Zagreb and north in general.

With died of Sigismond, the General states of Hungary and Croatia elect as king Albert de Habsbourg (1438-1439) who dies quickly of plague to the courses of the preparations of a forwarding against the Turks. The conflicts of succession began again at once. The majority of the Hungarian and Croatian tycoons supported the king of Poland Vladislas Ier (1439-1444) whereas the minority supported Ladislas Ier of Bohemia, the posthumous son of Albert of Austria. After having made an agreement of succession with the mother of Ladislas, Vladislas demolished the Turks with Kunovica and concludes with them peace from Szeged in 1444. According to the agreement made with the queen dowager, Ladislas Habsbourg (1444-1457) took the succession. The king being still minor, Jean Hunyadi was named governor of the kingdom and it made undergo, in 1456, a cuisante demolished with the sultan Mahomet II Belgrade front. The Croats contribute to this temporary victory of the Christian woman with the brother Ivan Kapistran.

With died of Ladislas, the Hungarian General states and the Croatian States élirent then as king de Hongrie, of Croatia and Dalmatie the son of Jean Hunyady, Mátyás Hunyadi (Matthias Ier of Hungary) (1458-1490). As much the personality which the reign of this sovereign constitute in all connections a bracket and an exception in this end of the Hungarian and Croatian Middle Ages. Of origin commoner, organizer born and strategist except par, he excelled as much in the control of the businesses as in the art of the war and the protection and the promotion of arts and the letters. After a conflict with Frederic III of Austria (Frederic III of the Holy roman Empire), he concludes an agreement from succession with this one in Wiener Neustadt, under the terms of which the death tax of the throne hungaro-Croatian was ensured Habsbourgs. He tore off with sultant Mahomet II, which had just seized Bosnia (1463), the fortress of Jajce and organized two banats against the Turkish incursions into septentrional Bosnia. Taking again the centralizing policy of its predecessors angevins, it sent the round of applause Blaise Podmanicky against the powerful Croatian lords Frankopan (seat of Senj in 1469), but Jean Frankopan preferred to rather yield the remainders of its field - Krk, the last Croatian island of the Adriatic - to Venetian than to its legitimate suzerain.

In 1483, less than thirty years after the Bible of Gutenberg, the first missal in Croatian characters glagolitic is printed in Senj.

Jagellons and Othoman wars (1490-1526)

With died of Matthias Ier of Hungary, the General states of Hungary and Croatia had recourse to the last descendants Polish angevins, Vladislas II Jagelon and Louis II. The weak kings did not succeed in preventing the arrival of the Othoman in Croatia.

As of its accession with the throne, Vladislas II Jagellon (1490-1516) renews the agreement of the succession to the throne of Hungary and Croatia of its predecessor with the emperor Maximilien, the son of Frederic III. Constrained by the large ones to remove the special taxes because of the Turkish danger, the kingdom is in financial bankruptcy. After the Bosnia and the close Herzégovine, the Turks attacked Croatia and it inflicted to him in 1493 an important defeat at the time of the battle of the field of Krbava in the Lika, in Croatia. This event marked the beginning of the amputation by the Othomans of about half of Croatia, followed Islamization of the local population (particularly in the area known as of “Turkish Croatia”, territory located between the Una rivers and Vrbas). Vladislas II being revealed unable to raise an army to help the Croatian army, the Croatian banns were reduced by it to require help and assistance of the emperor and of the pope. To counter this evolution of the events, palatine Hungarian Istvan Szapolyai made adopt with the General states, in 1505, with the support of the rebellious minor nobility, a law prohibiting the accession with the throne from abroad, thus setting up the stakes of a new civil war of succession. By retaliatory measure, the king ratified third once the death tax of Habsbourgs with the throne of Hungary and Croatia, by confirming it by reciprocal engagement between his children, Anne and Louis, and the small children of the emperor, Ferdinand and Marie. The pope Leon X allotted, in 1510, the title of Rempart of Christendom (Antemurale christianitatis) to the kingdom of Croatia.

Louis Ier Jagellon (Louis II of Hungary) (1516-1526) having reached the throne at the ten years age, the kingdom was directed by unable regents who looked further into the financial crisis and general anarchy. The Turks seized Belgrade in 1521, Knin and Skradin (1522). The joined together Croatian General states with Križevci required the secession of with Hungary and the election of Ferdinand de Habsbourg as king de Croatie and of Dalmatie. August 29th, 1526, the Hungarian army, in which also Croatian troops of Slavonia were, was beaten by the Turks at the time of the Bataille of Mohács. This event was crucial because the reign of the dynasty of the Jagellon taken end with the death of the king Louis II and this defeat opened to the Othomans the door of Hungary from which they will occupy a great part. In addition, this defeat underlines the incapacity of the feudal military system of Christendom to stop the Othomans, who will remain a major threat during centuries.

Within the Empire of Habsbourg (1527-1918)

See also: Croatia within the Empire of Habsbourg

The domination habsbourgeoise (1527-1830)

The battles of Mohács, in 1526, was a crucial event which opened the door of the Central Europe to the Othomans. The Ottoman Empire extended to the XVIe century to include most of the Slavonie, the Western Bosnia and Lika. Although they subjected Buda, Turkish never succeeded in reaching Zagreb.

The vacancy of the throne involved the new civil war at worst times of the history of the two kingdoms. The majority of the Hungarian tycoons, followed by the Croats of Slavonia, being based on the article of 1505 prohibiting the accession with the throne from abroad, élirent as king János Szapolyai (Jean Ier of Hungary) (1526-1540). A negligible part of the dignitaries and some comitats of the west of Croatia élirent a few days after (November 17th, 1526), in Presbourg, Ferdinand de Habsbourg. Joined together in Cetin, Sabor (Croatian diet) indicates, the January 1st, 1527, Ferdinand Ier de Habsbourg, brother-in-law of Louis II Jagellon, as king de Croatie and of Dalmatie but, without to revoke Pacta Conventa. The members of Sabor wrote proudly to the new king, who had committed himself to respect the specific privileges of the Croatian kingdom and maintaining a standing army 1000 riders and 200 infantrymen: " That your Majesty knows that one cannot find in the history which a lord was returned Master of Croatia by the force. After the death of our last king Zvonimir of happy memory, we joined of our full liking to the holy crown of the kingdom of Hungary and, after that, in your Majesté." Touefois, at the beginning of its reign in Croatia, Hungary and Bohemia, Ferdinand Ier will continue an absolutist policy and centralizing.

Then begin the era habsbourgeoise from the countries of continental Croatia, while Dalmatie remained Venetian. The armies of János Szapolyai were defeats with Tokay, which obliged it to ask for the support of Soliman the Magnificent, that it recognized as king with the help of the payment of a tribute of vassalage. During this time, the Turkish armies continued their progression and took, into 1528 the governorships of Licca and Krbava (1528), in 1537 Požega in Slavonia and the fortress of Klis - carries continental perched on the heights of Split -, which meant the loss of all southernmost Croatia in the south of the mount of Velebit. As of the battle of Mohács, the Republic of Dubrovnik was put under the " protection" sublime Door, with the help of an annual tribute of allegiance which will guarantee to him independence during nearly three centuries. Ferdinand tried to make an agreement of succession with anti-king János Szapolyai (1538), to cross short to the civil war, but this agreement remained without continuation because, as of the death of this last, its advisers again called with the rescue the sultan to assure the heritage of János Zsigmond Szapolyai. Soliman the Magnificent granted to Jean II of Hungary Transylvania to the Tisza, but it organized the conquered part of Hungary between the Tisza and the lake Balaton, as well as the Slavonia, in pachalik Turkish (1541). After an unfruitful military attempt, Ferdinand signed a five years trève with Soliman the Magnificent the (1547). The hostilities began again since 1551: Croatia lost with the profit of the Othomans Virovitica and Čazma (1552) and Kostajnica and Novi s/Una (1556). Ferdinand then required a new truce in 1562.

Several Croatian soldiers contributed largely to the fight against the Turks. Among them one can quote the round of applause of Croatia Petar Berislavić, which carried it in Dubica, on the Una river, in 1513 but lost with the battle of Korenica (1520), the captain of Senj - Petar Kružić - which defended the fortress of Klis during 15 years or the captain Nikola Jurišić who pushed back a more important Turkish force on the way towards Vienna in 1532. The round of applause Nikola Šubić Zrinski was illustrated while helping to save the town of Pest of the occupation (1542), while defending heroically of the fortified town of Siget (Szeged) (1566) vis-a-vis the Othoman armada, ordered by Soliman the Magnificent, but it lost the life with the battle of Szigetvar in 1566.

From 1559, broad areas of Croatia and Slavonia neighbors of the Ottoman Empire are cut out in a " border militaire" ( Vojna Krajina , or Militärgrenze in German), placed under the direct authority of the emperor of Austria. This buffer zone is relatively deserted and colonized thereafter by Serbes, Valaques, German and Autrichiens. In compensation of the obligatory military service due to the Empire Habsbourg during the conflict with the Ottoman Empire, the population of the military border is not submitted to the Servage and profits from a certain political autonomy, unlike the population living in the areas under Hungarian control.

The reign of Maximilien II of Habsbourg (1564-1576) was marked by the country jacqueries burst of the north of Croatia in 1572. Following the defeat with Stubićke Toplice the February 9th, 1573, the revolts are choked in blood and their leader, Matija Gubec, are burned alive the February 15th, 1573.

The culminating point of the Othoman conquests was reached under the reign of Rodolphe II of Habsbourg (Rodolphe II of the Holy roman Empire) (1576-1608). Because of the Othoman danger, the court had to move from Vienna to Prague. Introverted sovereign by no means interested by the businesses of the State, it entrusted to the management of the businesses of the kingdom to his brother the archduke Charles de Styrie who was at the origin of an original political creation in 1578. Following the example old Carolingian steps, it organized two military regions: - Croatian military Borders, with for seat a new fortified town (1579) which bears its name and which is the ancestor of the current town of Karlovac (Carlstadt); - the military Borders let us slavons, with for seat Varaždin (Warasdin). They were de facto withdrawn areas, if not of swears, with the authority of the round of applause and the General states, released from serfdom and the drudgery, but whose inhabitants were on war footing permanently. The Austrian officers of the military Borders are reflected to solicit orthodoxe colonists coming from the pachalik of Bosnia to settle in the areas deserted by the Croatian populations. These orthodoxe populations were not autochtones in Bosnia; they went down from the Wallachian shepherds, originating in southernmost Serbia, Herzégovine and Macedonia, which were moved in Bosnia by the Othomans to occupy the grounds deserted by the Croats. The military Borders became, with time, a true State in the State; they were ordered by Austrian senior officers, financed by the Austrian General states and raised exclusively of the Council of war of Graz created especially for this purpose. Throughout the history of Danubian monarchy, these areas were the occasion of multiple legal, political and constitutional conflicts between the kingdoms of Hungary and Croatia, on the one hand, and the imperial Court, on the other hand. After the fall of the fort of Bihać in 1592 and in spite of the victory of Sisak, in 1593, of a Croatian army directed by Divided into volumes Erdödy (1558-1624), Croatia is reduced (16.800 km ²) with the third of its current surface (western of a Karlobag-Karlovac-Virovitica line). The territory of the Croatian kingdom being reduced like a shagreen, the General states dalmato-Croatian and let us slavons decide to unify in only one constitutional body and to also unify the load of round of applause, the kingdom naming from now on " Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatie and Slavonie". Little before its death, Rodolphe was constrained to yield the crown to his/her Matthias brother.

The nomination as pasha de Bosnie of quarrelsome Hassan Predojević marked the last Turkish projections in Croatia. Having set up in 1592 a new fortified town Petrinja and being seized Bihać, it tried to invest Sisak the following year, but undergoes a defeat cuisante there that the historians generally regard as the beginning of the decline of the Othoman power in Balkans.

In 1600 Ferdinand of Austria the Duke (voidvoide) named Micheal Radic (Mihovil Raditsch) as war leader on December 1st, 1600. The Radic family is related to Anjou and Micheal Radic was cousin of Ferdinand 1. The name Radic comes from a battle. Indeed with the battle of Calugareni with Trgoviste on August 13rd, 1595 a Turkish warrior struck the Duke. He exclaimed while exclaiming and while laughing: " It is only that, most extremely which you can! " and it killed its enemy. Rad= Joy, Joviality.

In 1615 austro-Venetian the war known as " begins; war of Uskoks". Composed of Bosnian emigrants, taken refuge initially in the city strengthened of Klis (Wickered) until its catch by the Turks (1537), then for Senj (Segna) on the Croatian littoral, they were used Venetian corsairs and mercenaries against the Turks. After the armistice signed with the Sublime Door, Uskoks turned their weapons against Venice, regarding the armistice as a félonie. This involved a war between Venice and the Austrian Empire which ended in the " Peace of Uskoks" (1617) under the terms of laquel Matthias Ier (Matthias Ier of the Holy roman Empire) (1608-1619) committed itself dispersing Uskoks in the interior of the grounds.

It is under the reign of Ferdinand II of Habsbourg (Ferdinand II of the Holy roman Empire) (1619-1637) that the first serious restriction of the franknesses took place whose the Croatian kingdom like result enjoyed a centralizing policy of the court of Vienna. It is in vain that the Croatian General states required the return of the military Borders under their jurisdiction and that of the round of applause. To carry out the fight against the Othomans, Vienna decided, in 1630, to manage the military borders directly; the remainder of the kingdom of Croatia is called “Reliquiæ reliquiarum” (remains remainders). This same year is taken the Statute of the Wallachians (Statuta Valaquorum) which codifies the rights and the duties of the inhabitants of the military borders. Civil Croatia and military borders were placed under the authority of Nikola Zrinsky, round of applause of Croatia and general colonel of the border (1647-1664), called the " The Plague of the empire ottoman". The restriction of the jurisdiction of Sabor on civil Croatia (excluding the military Borders) is at the origin of the rise of a movement anti-Austrian.

The Croats take share with the Guerre Thirty Year old (1618-1648). Croatian regiments of riders are used in the royal army of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. They will be consequently occasion at the origin of the passion of the Court of Versailles for the tie, additional original of their uniform, which will be an unhoped-for success thereafter. The world Protesting remembers them for their brutality. A protesting temple with Aachen points out still today the reputation of the Croats, as the prayers of the Germans of the time evoked it: " God, saves to us hunger, Croats, and peste" !

Under Ferdinand III (Ferdinand III of the Holy roman Empire) (1637-1657), the court of Vienna passed to the ultimate phase of centralization States known as " héréditaires" who consisted in transforming the kingdoms of Hungary and Croatia and Hungary into Austrian provinces.

This policy reached its apogee under Léopold I (Léopold Ier of the Holy roman Empire) (1657-1705). The Transylvanian businesses involve it in a news but victorious war with the Othomans (1663-1664); the Croatian face was directed by the banns Nicolas and Pierre Zrini, descendants of the powerful lords of Bribir. The truce of Vasvar (1664), concluded for twenty years with haste by the court from Vienna without the least requirement from territorial concessions on behalf of the overcome Othomans, caused a sling of the Croatian and Hungarian tycoons, who sought support in Venice, in Poland, in France and even near the Othomans. The Croatian nobility supported that the creation of the military Borders and peace disastrous truce of Vasvár constituted a violation of the agreement by which Sabor entrusted in 1527 the Croatian crown to Habsbourg. A secret correspondence (1664-1669) develops between the round of applause of Croatia (Nicolas Zrinski, then its brother Pierre Zrinski) and the diplomats French in station in Venice and Vienna; the requests for a French military support remain without continuations. The revolt is subdued by the Austrians and the round of applause Petar Zrinsky as well as prince Krsto Frankopan were decapitated in Wiener-Neustadt in 1671 for félonie with the crown. It was the death-blow for the Croatian and Hungarian feudal franknesses. The General states and the load of round of applause were suspended for ten years and one named a governor for Croatia, become simple province of the Empire. But the expiry of the trève with the Othomans, as well as the hostilities with Louis XIV, forced the emperor to restore the authority of the General states and the dignity of the round of applause in Croatia.

The Othomans started a new war (1683-1699), in an ultimate effort for conquèrire the Austrian Empire. After the failure of the head office of Vienna in 1683 and the defeat of the Othomans with Harkany (1687), the Slavonia was released. In the war against the Othomans which followed (1683-1699), the armed forces of the the Holy Alliance (Holy roman Empire, Poland, Venice and towards the end Russia) were right of the power of the Othomans. Although the imperial ones penetrated as far as Bulgaria - causing a rising of the Serb ones - they had to be withdrawn because of the invasion of the Rhineland by France. The Turkish repression which started against the Serb populations involved, in 1690, a massive exodus (Great Migration) of Serb in Hungary (Vojvodine current) and Slavonia, under the control of Arsenije III. In 1697, the victory of the Holy Alliance allowed the signature of the Treaty of Karlowitz (Srijemski Karlovici) (1699) which devoted the delivery of all Hungary and a good part of Croatia. Croatia of recovered its Eastern grounds until Zemun (Sirmie), with the confluence of Save in the Danube, Venice of recovered Dalmatie and the sultan yielded Hungary to Austria. But the tensions with the Court will begin again of more beautiful, the king, refusing to give the Croatian areas reconquered on the Othomans under the jurisdiction of the round of applause and of the General states, entrusts them to the management of the Room of the Court. The rebellion of the Hungarian tycoons under the control of François II Rákóczy, prince de Transylvanie and grandson of the chief of the Croatian sling Petar Zrini, forced the emperor, in 1703, to give the Croatian Borders, at least theoretically, under the authority of the round of applause. Croatia, Dalmatie nonVenetian and the Slavonia formed the “kingdom triunitaire” or kingdom of It (40 200 km ²). The major part of the current frontier layout croato-bosnien, confirmed in 1739 (treaty of Belgrade), goes up at that time.

Under the reign of Joseph I of Habsbourg (Joseph Ier of the Holy roman Empire) (1705-1711), benefitting from the support that the large ones of Croatia sought at Hungary against the absolutist policy and centralizing of Léopold, the Hungarian tycoons gradually tried to assimilate Croatia by gumming the legislative differences between the two kingdoms. In 1706, the baron Joseph Vojnović, agent of Hungarian prince Rakoczy, vainly tried to raise Croatia against Habsbourg and request without success a French military support.

The tensions between Croatia and Hungary reached their roof under the reign of Charles III of Austria (Charles VI of the Holy roman Empire) (1711-1740), when the Croatian States, in the obvious intention to underline the independence of the kingdom with respect to Hungary, proclaimed in 1712 the Pragmatic Sanction by which they recognized in Habsbourg the death tax matrilinéaire in Croatia. Sabor of Croatia underlined, thus, even more its autonomy with respect to Hungary. The treaty of Passarowitz (Požarevac), concluded in 1718, allowed the annexation of the remaining part of the Sérmie by Croatia, the definition of the border croato-Bosnian and the annexation of the interior of Dalmatie by Venice. To avoid having a common border with the Venetian ones, the patricians of Dubrovnik yield to the Ottoman Empire the territories of Herceg Novi and Neum (this last constitutes today the access of Bosnia-Herzégovine to the sea). Banat, the remainder of Sérmie, as well as Bosnia and septentrional Serbia were also conquered by Hungary but they were lost after the second war against the Othomans (1737-1739), with the Peace of Belgrade (1739). This treaty fixed the borders between the two empires on Save and the Danube for nearly one hundred forty years. The imperial Council of war was then harnessed to organize the military Borders croato-slavons in imperial Land. The Austrian troops was replaced by autochtones but the supreme command remained Austrian.

The Empress Marie-Therese (1740-1780) was supported by the Croats during the War of succession of Austria (1740 - 1748), and it intervened, thereafter, in their favor on various subjects. She restored in Croatia the comitats slavons recovered on the Othomans, except for the areas along the Save (Posavina) attached to the military Borders slavons. She reorganized these Borders in three general information (Karlovac, Varaždin, Osijek) and their financial management was submitted directly to the empress; this caused rebellions both in Croatia and in Hungary. In 1767, Marie-Therese founded, for Croatia, the royal Council, during the Hungarian royal Council, composed of the round of applause, of a representative of the high clergy, aristocracy and of three representatives of the minor nobility. She restored with the authority of the round of applause, in 1777, the old confiscated possessions of Zrini and Frankopan. Vis-a-vis the dissatisfaction with the Croats due to the suspension of their General states and the instigation of the Hungarians who sought to subject Croatia, the empress removed, in 1779, the royal Council and transferred her competences to the Council from Hungarian regency. It was the first time in the history of the relations croato-Hungarian women which Croatia administratively was directly subordinated to Hungary. The wearing of Rijeka accepted, on this occasion, a special autonomous statute (body separated under the direct authority from the Court), while remaining integral part of the Croatian kingdom.

Joseph II of Austria (1780-1790), " despot éclairé" and large reformer, in vain tried to transform by the force his multiethnic empire, pluriculturel and multiconfessionnel in a centralized and germanized laic State. He removed the comitats, bastions of the passive resistance against the reforms, and replaced them by districts managed by civils servant of the State (directing) named by the Court. The administrative language became for all the empire German. The recruitment and the lifting of additional taxes to finance a new war against the Othomans in 1787, as well as the bursting of the Revolution brabançonne, forced the sovereign to repeal all his reforms except for the letters patent on the tolerance and the emancipation of the serfs, who remained however dead letters. It restored with the General states with Presbourg the crown of Hungary which it had sent like " vieillerie" in Vienna and made the promise to convene the General states of the two kingdoms and to be made crown king de Hongrie and of Croatia " according to the coutume".

Its successor, Léopold II of Austria (1790-1792), was made crown king de Hongrie and of Croatia according to the traditional rules, to alleviate the anger of his subjects with respect to his predecessor. The treaty of Svichtov (1791) allows the annexation of the remainder of Lika by Croatia which reaches from now on 41.575 km ². Nevertheless, the Croatian, anxious nobility of centralizing inclinations and germanisatrices of the Court of Vienna, accepted that the management of the Croatian comitats was submitted with the royal Council of Hungary, at least as a long time as the Croatian grounds held by the Turk and Venice was not reinstated in the motherland. The Croatian States however refused to replace traditional Latin like administrative language by the Hungarian language and required that the Croatian contributions of war be voted exclusively at the sessions common of the States to Presbourg, separately for each kingdom.

The Croatian national alarm clock (1797-1918)

The treaty of Campoformio signed in 1797 involved the disappearance of the République of Venice; the Dalmatie and Istrie were attached (Venetian since 1409) to Austria. At the time of the peace of S Napoleonean wars, the France and the Austria dispute the possessions in the east of the Adriatique. By the treaty of Presbourg (1805), Austria had to yield Dalmatie to the Royaume of Italy in 1806. Military commander, then governor, Auguste de Marmont (duke of Raguse in 1808) encouraga the economic development and social of the area. The government of the République of Raguse was dissolves the January 31st, 1809. After the Austrian defeat with the battle of Wagram, François Ier of Austria (1792-1835) yielded by the treaty of Schönbrunn (October 14th, 1809), all its countries beyond Right Bank of Save. Slovenia, part of Croatia and Borders military, Dalmatie and Raguse was plain to constitute the Provinces It with for chief town Ljubljana. These provinces formed integral part of the French Empire. The Napoleonean reorganization of the capacity (communications, health, instruction, administration and justice) and the contribution and the diffusion of the concept of Nation gave birth to a new period for the Croatian descendants: the assertion of a strong Croatian identity. Measures were in particular taken to formalize and institutionalize the Croatian language. Many Croatian regiments are characterized by their feats of arms while taking part in the military campaigns from the Large army.

At the time of the Congress of Vienna (1815), the Napoleonean empire is cut up: Dalmatie, Istrie and the other territories " it; turn over to Habsbourg; the Dalmatie, the Istrie and military Croatia are attached to the Empire of Austria whereas Croatia slavonne is integrated into Hungary. In spite of their Croatian requirements, François Ier restored civil Croatia in the Croatian States only in 1822; on the other hand, he refused to make some in the same way for Dalmatie and the islands of Quarner were attached to the margraviat of Istrie. To calm the nervousness of large, caused by the absolutism of the Metternich chancellor, the emperor convenes the General states in 1825 in Presbourg. Although the Croatian emissary refused the introduction of the Hungarian language there into the administration and the Croatian teaching (which is still in Latin), the Croatian States, under the Hungarian pressure, vote nevertheless in 1827 the introduction of Hungarian as connects obligatory in Croatian teaching. The common States, joined together in 1830 at the time of the crowning of the Fredinand archduke as king de Hongrie and of Croatia, sanction not only the decision of 1825 to impose Hungarian on Croatia, but even decide that Hungarian will be the official language of the royal Council and the Room of justice. The attempts of magyarisation and abolition of the autonomy of Croatia, which were followed from there, were going prograssivement to carry out towards an armed confrontation.

In 1830 began from the cultural and political revival Croatian started by Ljudevit Gaj. This one published its " Summary of the orthography croato-slavonne" , in which he proposed to substitute for the diversity of the regional C-Ws communication (inspired by the C-Ws communication Italian, German and Hungarian woman according to the areas) the adoption of the Czech C-W communication, adapted to the Croatian language, for all the Croatian linguistic field. The same year, Josip Kušević diffused a treaty, in Latin, on the " rights municipaux" Croatian where it juridically showed the confederal character of the political association secular croato-Hungarian woman. The romantic Nationalisme Croatian appeared in the middle of the XIXe century to counterbalance connect it Germanisation and Magyarisation of Croatia. The movement it attracted many influential personalities as of the years 1830, and causes important evolutions of the culture and Croatian language . The count Janko Drasković claimed in 1832, in his Essay, the reunification of all the Croatian territories, the constitution of a self government and the adoption of the Croatian language like official language. This first political program, written in the dialect stokavien of the Croatian language, will be useful thereafter basic during the standardization of the Croatian literary language. Matija Smodek substituted this same year, in its courses with the Academy of Zagreb (future University), Croatian with Latin. Ivan Derkos published its " Genius of Patrie" where he recommended the unification of the dialects of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatie in only one Croatian language standardized on the basis of the dialect chtokavien, most widespread. With the authorization of the Court of Vienna, Gaj started to publish (January 6th, 1835), the first Croatian daily newspaper, " The Croates" News;.

Under the reign of Ferdinand Ier of Austria (1835-1848), Ljudevit GajC crosses a step moreover by calling its movement " Movement it; , in the intention to gain with its cause the Sloveniens and the Serb ones. It thus provided the ideological foundations of the future yougoslavism. Its daily newspaper changa of name to be called " New Main roads It;. In the intention to arouse the interest for the language and the Croatian culture, one founded, since 1838, of the rooms of reading it in the country. One also created a company of the theatrical people, a chamber of commerce (1841) and a national museum. The Croatian General states decided into 1840 to found a Croatian pulpit of language to the Academy and courses with Croatian option in secondary education (gymnasia, humanities). But apprehending an extension of the political movement of solidarity to the other Slavic subjects of the Empire, the Court prohibits the use of the name " it; , on May 20th, 1843. October 23rd, 1847, Croatian becomes finally the official language of the kingdom, instead of Latin.

The year 1848 marks the " Spring of the peuples" in all Europe. Sabor promulgates on March 25th " Claims of the peuples" who ask for autonomy with respect to Budapest, the fastening of Dalmatie in Croatia; he proposes the general Josip Jelačić (1801-59) like round of applause. This last opens Sabor with nonnoble, abolishes the drudgery and serfdom, founds a self government, challenges the Hungarian supervision and preaches the transformation of Austria-Hungary of Federation of the people. The Hungarian government opposes these measurements and Jelačić penetrates in Hungary with the head of 40.000 men, takes Budapest and mâte the Hungarian revolution.

After the revolution 1848 and the creation of the double monarchy of Austria-Hungary, Croatia loses its autonomy, in spite of the contribution of the Round of applause Josip Jelačić to extinguish the Hungarian rebellion. In order to moderate the revolutionary aspirations, the emperor François-Joseph Ier of Austria (1848-1916) suspends the constitutional order in 1851 and establishes an administration absolutist. The Bach chancellor replaces replaces the round of applause by an imperial representation, the privileges of the nobility and historical provinces are removed, the Croatian Tricolor is prohibited, a censure is installation, German is imposed in the administration and secondary education. In 1860, in front of the failure of “the absolutism of Bach”, the emperor restores the old order.

In 1861, Sabor confirms the decisions of 1848, repeals bonds between Croatia and Hungary - except those remaining by the person of the king - proclaims the sovereignty of the kingdom of Croatia. Following these decision Sabor east dissolves by Vienna, which ratifies the Hungary-Croatia scission however. Ante Starčevíc founds, this same year, the first Croatian political party: the HSP (Left the right, conservative); its program preaches the reunification and independence with regard to Vienna of all the " territories croates" , Bosnia included/understood. In 1863, Ivan Mazuranić founds the independent Popular party. The Croatian bishop of Djakovo, Josip J. Strossmayer (1815-1905), works out the first programme of unification of Slavic of the South (1866) of Monarchy under name, then new, of “Yugoslavian” (south-Slavic) and founds in Zagreb the Croatian Academy which he baptizes Yugoslav Académie of sciences and arts. The Compromise Austro-Hungarian (double monarchy) of 1867 rebalances the role of Hungary within the empire of Austria by giving rise to the Double Monarchy of Austria-Hungary: Croatia and Slavonia (43.000 km ²) belong to the kingdom of Hungary whereas Dalmatie and islands (12.000 km ²) are integrated into the Empire of Austria. Fearing for its autonomy, Croatia obtains, as of the following year, the conclusion of Nagodba (hungaro-Croatian agreement) by which is reaffirmed the restricted autonomy of Croatia and the Slavonia within the Hungarian kingdom.

The first “Yugoslav” congress is held in Ljubljana in 1870. In 1871 the Insurrection of Rakovica fails, not far from Plitvice, carried out by Eugen Kvaternik which wants to raise the military borders to create independent Croatia. The revolt fails and Kvaternik is killed. In 1873 Ivan Mazuranić becomes the first commoner round of applause of Croatia. The university of Zagreb is founded the following year. Following the Congress of Berlin of 1878, Auriche-Hungary occupies Bosnia-Herzégovine after the Croatian insurrection of Herzégovine. Militärgrenze are abolished in 1881, after the disappearance of the Turkish threat, and their territory reinstated in the kingdom of Croatia; after two centuries and half of separation, military Croatia (20.332 km ²) and civil Croatia (23.264 km ²) are reunified. The round of applause of Croatia (1883-1903), of Hungarian origin, Khuen Hedrvary follows a policy of magyarisation and antagonisation of the Croats and the Serb ones; 500.000 Croatian and Serb of Croatia emigrates in the United States. This déclanches of the demonstrations anti-Hungarian women in Zagreb, in 1895, which are severely repressed.

While the crisis of dualism shakes Austria-Hungary, the Croatian politicians Ante Trumbić and Frano Supilo launch the " New cap" in 1903: in the place of the policy cash on the support of Austria vis-a-vis in Hungary, the Croatian opposition engages then of the consultations with the Magyar opposition and the Serb parties in Croatia. The Radic brothers create the Croatian country Popular party in 1904, renamed Croatian republican country Parti in 1918, before finally becoming, in 1925, the Croatian country Party (HSS). The Croatian deputies establish the Resolutions of Rijeka (October 1905) for the fastening of Dalmatie in Croatia. As from 1905, the croato-Serb coalition (Hrvatsko-Srbska Koalizija - HSK) joining together several Croatian and Serb political parties of Croatia militates for the union and the autonomy of all the Slavic ones of the South of Monarchy (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzégovine and Voïvodine); it will gain the elections of 1906. The annexation of Bosnia-Herzégovine by Austria-Hungary, in 1908, reinforces the desire of stamping from Slavic South.

A score of Slovenien, Croatian and Serb politicians in exile found in 1915 the Yugoslav Committee for the creation of a common Yugoslav State. In exchange of its rallying to the Agreement, Italy sees itself promising by the Allies all the Croatian littoral (secret Convention of London). July 20th, 1917 is adopted the " Declaration of Corfou" by Nikola Pasić - Prime Minister of Serbia - and the Yugoslav Committee.

Croatia within Yugoslavia (1918-1991)

Croatia within first Yugoslavia (1918-1941)

See also: Croatia within first Yugoslavia

Little before the end First World War in 1918, the Croatian Parliament broke the relations with Austria-Hungary while the armies of the Entente beat those of the Habsbourg. October 29th, 1918, Sabor proclaimed the independence of the Triunitaire Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatie, which rejoined the State of the Sloveniens, the Croats and Serb the. This last gathered the Slavic territories located in the south of the Austria-Hungary in the course of dislocation (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzégovine and Voïvodine). A provisional government was established with Zagreb. Although the new State inherited most of the military arsenal Austro-Hungarian, whose whole of its fleet, the Royaume of Italy very quickly tried to annex the territories more in the west, which were promised to him by the Pacte of London in 1915. The Italian army took the Istrie, started to annex the islands of the Adriatique one by one, and reached even Zadar. After the Syrmie had left the Croatia and Slavonie to be attached to Serbia with the Voïvodine, and after a referendum to attach Bosnia-Herzégovine to Serbia, the Council of the People ( Narodno vijeće ), animated by one half-century of Panslavisme, decided to join the Royaume of Serbia within the Royaume of Serb, Croatian and Slovenien the on December 1st, 1918. The Serb dynasty of Karageorgević was placed at the head of the new State. The chief of the republican country party, Stjepan Radić, opposed it with vehemence. The popular dispute expressed in Croatia was subdued by the brutal intervention of the Serb troops.

The poet pro-fascist Gabrielle d' Annunzio penetrates in Croatia, on September 11th, 1919, with the head of his legionaries and seizes the Croatian port of Rijeka (Fiume), object of claims Italian irredentists. By the Treated of Rapallo (1920), Italy obtained important Croatian territories (Istrie, Zadar and its surroundings, islands of Cres, Losinj and Lastovo). Rijeka was proclaimed free city, but was annexed by Mussolini in 1924 following the pact of Rome; it became again Croatian only in May 1945.

The new Constitution of the Kingdom, proclaimed of 1921, abolishes the historical political entities, including Croatia and the Slavonia, and centralizes the capacity in the capital Belgrade. The State is organized in administrative units which did not correspond to the historical entities. These reforms cause the distress of the Croatian political community - at the origin of the “Yugoslav” movement which they wanted levelling - which estimated that its vision of the common State had been betrayed. This resentment was reinforced by the policy of brimades whose Croatian was the object on behalf of the central authorities. The Kingdom of Serb, Croatian and Slovenien, centralized in Belgrade, never managed to reconcile the political aspirations of Croatian and Serb, because of their different past during the last centuries. Then begin a period from repression and Serb hegemony. Stjepan Radić, chief charismatic of the republican country party, which gathered the large majority of the Croats around its republican and federalistic theses, starts a fight baited against the Serb centralism. Being based on the commitments entered into in the Fourteen Points of Wilson, Radić addresses to the SDN a memorandum, in 1922, by which he claims his support for the establishment of independent Croatia; this is worth to him to be imprisoned shortly after. The Croatian Country Party boycotts the government of the Serb Radical Popular party for all this period. A coalition government gathering the Serb radical party and the Croatian country party is formed in 1925 when very whole Yugoslavia is threatened by the expansionism Italian combined with the Albania, with the Hungary, the Romania and with Bulgaria; Radić - recently left prison - obtains the secondary wallet of Minister for Education. This government lasted of 1925 to 1927. June 20th, 1928, Puniša Račić - elected official of the Serb Radical Popular party - drew, in full meeting of the Parliament, on the Croatian deputies. Stjepan Radić - emblematic figure of the strength to large-Serb hegemony - was among the victims. He succumbed shortly after to his wounds. This event caused a resentment even larger within part of the Croatian elites.

January 6th, 1929, the king Alexandre suspended the constitution and proclaimed the dictatorship. The State took the name of Royaume of Yugoslavia . The king imposed a new constitution which re-elected the country Royaume of Yugoslavia . The territory of Croatia was composed of the Banat of the Save and littoral Banat. In 1934, king Alexandre was assassinated in Marseilles (France) by a member of the ORIM (interior revolutionary Organization of Macedonia, pro-Bulgarian) in complicity with the revolutionary movement Ustaše created two years before by Ante Pavelić.

The Serbo-croatian government of Dragiša Cvetković and Vlatko Maček which came to the capacity moved away from the France and the the United Kingdom, old allies of Yugoslavia, and approached to the fascistic Italy and the Nazi Germany for the period 1935-1941. The country party - directed by Maček - was voted by plebiscite with the legislative elections in Croatia, in 1938, and took share with the constitution of the Yugoslav government. Under the pressure of fascistic Italy and Nazi Germany and in spite of the extreme opposition of the large-Serb mediums, the Cvetković-Maček agreement gave birth, in 1939, with the Banovine of Croatia . This banat was made up, within the Royaume of Yugoslavia, from both banats existing, as well as fractions of the banats of Zeta, Vrbas, Drina and the Danube and town of Dubrovnik with its surroundings. It was equipped with a Parliament, which could choose a Croatian Ban and a Vice-round of applause. Croatia, was thus equipped with a very broad autonomy and gathered all the Croatian provinces except Istrie - then Italian - and also included the territories of Croatian population in Bosnia-Herzégovine.

The State independent of Croatia (1941-1945)

The installation of the fascistic mode

The Prince Paul yielded to the pressure fascistic powers and signed, the March 25th 1941 with Vienna (Austria), the tripartite Traité, hoping to keep Yugoslavia apart from the war. This decision caused a military coup d'etat the March 27th: the delegation of Vienna was stopped, the Regent - whose popularity already was very weakened - was dislocated of his functions and exiled, the general Dušan Simović seized the power and Pierre II was proclaimed ready to exert the functions of king. Following this blow and Yugoslav refusal to ratify the tripartite pact, the Germany attacked Yugoslavia the April 6th 1941 and invades it in a few days. After the occupation of the Yugoslavia in April 1941, the forces of the Axe installed in Croatia and Serbia of the satellite modes. Taking into account the refusal of Vlatko Maček to direct a satellite Croatian State of Germany, the powers of the Axe installed in Zagreb, on April 10th, a State independent of Croatia ( Nezavisna Država Hrvatska or NDH) with at its head Ante Pavelić, chief of the movement of the Oustachis. This State includes all the Bosnia-Herzégovine and the major part of current Croatia but had to yield the Istrie and a big part of the Dalmatie to the Italy. Croatia was divided, in addition, in zones of German and Italian occupation.

After the invasion of the Soviet Union by the Nazi Germany in June 1941, Croatia declared the war in the USSR and sent a division for its beating beside the Wehrmacht and of the Waffen S on the Face of the east. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Croatia also declared the war with the the United States of America.

The dictatorial mode of Pavelić started by abolishing the Croatian Parliament which had not been consulted on the installation of the new State and he pursued any opposition. Dismembered Yugoslavia was the theater of a bloody war which on bottom of world war opposes collaborator and resistant buildings, but also holding them of particular national interests. As a satellite of IIIe Reich, it introduced racial laws and sheltered several camps of deportation and/or concentration, in particular the Concentration camp of Jasenovac. Tens of thousands of Serb prisoners , Jewish S, Tziganes or Croatian, opponents with the mode, find death there. The senior official Mile Budak declared in Gospić on July 22nd, 1941: " We should kill a third of the Serb population, to exile another third and the remainder should be converted with the catholic and Roman faith and thus compared to Croatian. Thus we will destroy any trace of them and all that will remain about it will be a bad souvenir". Several concentration camps were opened by the authorities of the State independent of Croatia, since 1941, from which that of Jasenovac was largest in Croatia and the third camp of dead the more " productif" after those of Auschwitz and Treblinka. The execution of Serb, the Jews and the gipsies took place with the approval of most of the Croatian catholic clergy which had lent oath to the mode oustachi and with the active participation of certain members, of which the more particularly monks franciscains. Insofar as there were no gas chambers in the Croatian camps, the prisoners were killed there by exhaustion with work, by the famine, with firearms and knives; a great part also died because of the epidemics which prevailed there.

The principal persons in charge of the mode oustachi were, in addition to Ante Pavelić, Slavko Kvaternik, Mirko Puk, Andrija Artuković, Ivan Petrić, Lovro Šušič, Mile Budak, Ivica Frković, Jozo Dumandžič, Milovan Zanič, Osman Kulenović and Džafer beg Kulenović.

The opposition interns with the fascistic mode

With this policy of terror answered that practiced against Croatian and to the Bosnian Moslems by the Serb royalist Tchetniks of Mihajlović - also combined Axis - and by the Serb fascistic units of the Zbor of Ljotic. During the war, an event of military limited but singular range to many regards proceeded, on September 17th, 1943, with Villefranche-of-Rouergue: the “revolt of the Croats”, mutiny against the Nazis of the units croato-Bosnians enlisted of force and stationed in the south of occupied France.

Vis-a-vis the few 60.000 oustachis on which the mode of Pavelić rested, resistance emerged in Croatia, as in the other parts of the Royaume of Yugoslavia, with the beginning of the year 1941. It was organized as of the insurrection armed of June 22nd, 1941 and belonged to the movement in favor antifascist. Manpower of this movement reached 100.000 men, thus exceeding, since 1943, those of the oustachis. The resistance movement belonged to the popular Council antifascist of Yugoslav release (AVNOJ) - founded in 1942 - dominated by the party Communiste of Yugoslavia and conduit by Croatian Josip Broz Tito. On the 26 divisions setting-up by the partisans of Tito, 11 were established in Croatia (7 in Bosnia-Herzégovine, 5 as Slovenia, 2 in Serbia and 1 in Montenegro). The Partisans - who fought the forces of the Axis and the whole of their allies - profited from the growing support of the Allies. As from June 1943, the Croatian maquis obtained a national civil Staff - the ZAVNOH (the territorial Council national antifascist of the liberation movement of Croatia) - chaired by Vladimir Nazor, and assisted by Andrija Hebrang, another figure of Croatian national resistance. Supreme authority of Resistance in Croatia, this council coordinates the military actions of the Croatian units of the Partisans. In 1944, it was constituted in constituent assembly of the federate State of Croatia (Federalna Drazava Hrvatska) within future federal Yugoslavia and it named, in April 1945, the first Croatian government of the post-war period.

The third force fighting on the ground, was the Serb royalist guerilla of the Četnici , established since 1941 on the debris of the Yugoslav royal army. Their role was ambiguous owing to the fact that they fought at the same time the Ustaše - incarnating in their eyes the sworn enemies of Large Serbia - and the Partisans of Tito - ideological enemies - what was worth quickly the support to them military and financial Axis and, consequently, the loss of that of Allied which chose to support Tito. The many atrocities of which they were made guilty were worth with their chief - Draža Mihailović - to be shot with the Release.

In this context where the policy issues and ideological local were superimposed on those of the planetary conflict, the Second world war was particularly fatal in Croatia, with nearly 300.000 victims - is 30% of the total assessment for the whole of the territory of Yugoslavia of pre-war period (between 1.014.000 and 1.027.000 victims). For the whole of the territory of the State independent of Croatia (Bosnia-Herzégovine and Syrmie include), this number reached between 650.000 and 700.000 dead - of which a half of Serb (335.000-353.000), a third of Croats (186.000-204.000), a eighth of Bosnians (75.000-78.000), between 20.000 and 27.000 Jews and 34.000 and 38.000 people of various nationalities. Among these victims, one counted some 261.000 soldiers (139.000 partisans of Tito and 122.000 collaborators, oustachis and tchetniks). This assessment includes the " purification " who followed the Release, in particular the slaughter of Bleiburg in May 1945 where tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers Croatian, ustaše or domobrani (regular army), seeking refuge in Austria, was delivered by the Allies to the reprisals of the units of the Partisans of the IE, IIe and IIIe Armées, primarily recruited in Serbia and Voïvodine from the semione, and of which part of the troops was made up of many defectors tchetniks.

Croatia within second Yugoslavia (1945-1991)

See also: Croatia within second Yugoslavia

Croatia belonged to second Yugoslavia of 1945 with its dislocation in 1991.

Policy

Within Yugoslavia de Tito

Croatia belonged to the democratic Fédération of Yugoslavia, directed by the Communist party of Tito, since 1943. The Popular republic of Croatia became one of the six components of the popular Federal republic of Yugoslavia, created on November 29th, 1945 and directed the Croatian Communist of origin Josip Broz, said Tito.

In 1946 took place the Stalinist lawsuit of the cardinal Stepinac, defender of the Jews during the occupation and burning opposing to Pavelić, but in favor of the independence of the Croatian Catholic church with respect to the PC directed by Tito. In 1948, Andrija Hebrang, resisting and Croatian communist leader dismissed after the war by Tito, died in detention in Belgrade in a suspect way. Favorable since 1937 to the establishment of independent communist Croatia, Hebrang had become awkward since 1944, in particular because he then preached a bringing together with the country party and defended the Croatian identity vis-a-vis the centralism of Belgrade.

The country followed a phase of rebuilding after the Second world war, industrializing and starting to develop the Tourisme. Under the new communist system, the property was nationalized, the self-management experiment was launched in 1950 and the economy was planned according to a Socialisme of market.

Tito, itself Croatian, arranga to follow a policy avoiding the conflict enter the Croatian and Serb national ambitions. However, it adopted a policy prudently worked out to manage the nationalist ambitions conflict of the two nations: the nationalism of each repressed east coast. With the Constitution of the April 7th 1963, the RFPY became the Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia (RFSY) and the Popular republic of Croatia yielded the place to the socialist Republic of Croatia. This new constitution balanced the capacities in the country between the Croats and the Serb ones and attenuated the fact that the Croats were still minority. The Croats take part in the policy of the State to the more high level: five of the nine Prime Ministers for the socialist Federal republic of Yugoslavia were Croats. The Serb ones, as for them, dominate the secret services and the army: the majority of the generals of the Armée popular Yugoslavian were either Serbes, or Montenegrins.

Whereas Serbia played an increasingly dominating part in the Yugoslav federal structures, Aleksandar Ranković - the pitiless owner of the secret services and leader of the partisans of Serb hegemony - was dismissed by Tito in 1966. He was principal the two decade old prime-contractor of relentless repression vis-a-vis any identity demonstration within Yugoslavia. A Statement on the clean identity of the “Croatian literary language” was made by nationalist Croatian in 1967. The end of the year 1960 corresponded to a certain easing of the anti-nationalist activity of UDB-a - the Yugoslav political police - person in charge of many assassinations of Croatian dissidents exiled for the majority in the Western countries. One attends a revival of the cultural activity in Croatia. These evolutions lead to the Croatian Printemps of 1970 - 1971, when students with Zagreb organize demonstrations to assert more larger Civil liberties and autonomy for Croatia. This movement was supported in silence by several Croatian members of the Communist party. Following general strikes of the students and Croatian workmen claiming more freedoms, Tito dismisses the Croatian communist direction (Dabcevic-Kucar and Tripalo) because of its reforming dashes and brutally breaks the movement of “Croatian Spring”. Many intellectuals, students or journalists are imprisoned, victims of massive purgings. Among them, Budisa, Djodan, Gotovac, Mesić, Tudjman, Veselica, but also Dabcević-Kucar and Tripalo, the most eminent figures of the dispute, which will reconsider twenty years later the front of the political scene, when Croatia reaches independence. The mode repressed the demonstrations and imprisoned the leaders, but the movement brought, nevertheless, with the ratification of a new constitution, in 1974, granting more rights to the federate republics. In its preamble, it reaffirms in particular their rights resulting from the Release and initially that to " self-determination until the sécession".

Consequences of died of Tito

Josip Broz, known as Tito, founder of second Yugoslavia - federal and socialist - died on May 4th, 1980. An annual rotating collegial presidency was installation, making it possible each federate entity to reach the report heading. The political and economic difficulties start to grow and the Federal government to be exhausted.

The ethnic tensions are increasing and result in to put an end to the existence of Yugoslavia. The rising crisis with the Kosovo, the nationalist memorandum of the Serb Académie of sciences and arts, rise of Slobodan Milošević as leader of Serbia, and all that follows cause very negative reactions in Croatia. Divisions, old women fifty year old, remake surface, and the Croats express more and more their nationalist feelings and their opposition to the mode of Belgrade.

The crisis with the Kosovo and the emergence of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia in 1986 cause very negative reactions in Croatia and Slovenia. 1986 - Drafting of the “Memorandum” of the Serb Academy of Sciences and Arts in the line line of the large-Serb expansionist programs, such Plane “Nacertanije” (Garasanin, 1844), “To the extermination” (Stojanovic, 1902), “the expulsion of Arnaoutes” (Cubrilovic, 1937) or “homogeneous Serbia” (Moljevic, 1941). True text programming science of Serb hegemony, it will be used as a basis theoretical for the political action warmonger of the Serb leader, Slobodan Milosevic, who will arrive at the capacity the following year. It carries in germ the causes of Yugoslav dislocation and the Serb armed aggression. Whereas the Serb ones account for only 36% of the population, the Memorandum preaches the control of two thirds of Yugoslavia by Serbia. However even in such borders, the Serb ones would still not constitute the majority of the population.

The federation was prosperous until the fall of the Communisme, and Croatia was the richer second of the six republics, behind the Slovenia. However, probably because of the imminent end of the Cold war and all the subtle benefit that Yugoslavia drew some, inflation explodes. The last first federal minister, Ante Marković, a Croatian , spends two years to apply various economic reforms and policies. The efforts of its government are crowned success seemingly, but end up failing.

The October 17th 1989, the group rock'n'roll Prljavo kazalište (Theater salts) gives a great concert in front of nearly 250.000 people on the principal place of Zagreb, the place Ban Jelaćić. In the light of the political circumstances changeantes, their song Mojoj majci (With my mother) striking particularly people being there because of expressed patriotism. The author speaks about “ last pink of Croatie ” to designate his/her mother. While the communist influence is called in question in all the Central Europe and of the East, the calls to multi-party elections are done increasingly many.

1990 - Refusing the diktat of Milosevic, the delegates Slovenien and their Croatian counterparts, taken along by Ivica Racan, claquent the door of XIVe congress of the Yugoslav communist League in January. In April and May, the first free legislative elections held in Croatia since the inter-war period see the defeat of the PC and the victory of the HDZ (center-right) of Franjo Tudjman. Former general of Tito entered in dissidence since the years 1960, it is elected on May 30th President of the Republic by Sabor, from now on restored and pluralist.

Mid-August, of the Serb separatist groups, supported and armed by Belgrade and profiting from the logistic support from the units from the Yugoslav army stationed on the spot, divide Croatia in two, by drawing up barricades in the surroundings of Knin as in other areas where the Serb minority (12% of the population of Croatia in 1991) is majority or simply important. As of September, they proclaim “the autonomy” of the territories which they control in Croatia and commètent the first terrorist acts. December 22nd, Sabor adopts the new Croatian Constitution which, following the example that of the socialist Republic of Croatia, also envisages the possibility of resorting to independence.

The Croatia was integrated into the socialist Federal republic of Yugoslavia in 1944, directed at the time by the Communist party of Yugoslavia of Tito. Croatia was a socialist republic within a Fédération of six entities.

The new constitutional policy

In 1990, at the time of the 14th Congress of the League of the Communists of Yugoslavia, the Serb delegation directed by Slobodan Milošević insists to pass from the constitutional policy of 1974, which granted the capacity to the republics, to a new policy of “ a person, a vote ”, which would make rock the capacity with the hands of the majority population , i.e. the Serb ones. In answer, the delegations Slovenien and Croatian (directed respectively by Milan Kučan and Ivica Račan) leave the Congress as a protest, which marks the apogee of a division within the party in power.

The Serb ones, which constitutes 12% of the population of Croatia, reject the idea of the separation of Yugoslavia. The Serb politicians fear the loss of the influence of which they enjoyed by their membership of the Ligue the Communists Croatia (denounced like disproportionate by the Croats). The memories of the Second world war are handled and exploited by the mode, more and more militant, of Milošević with Belgrade.

As Milošević and its " clique" benefit from the Serb vagueness of nationalism through Yugoslavia, speaking about combat against Serbia, the emergent Croatian leader, Franjo Tuđman, evokes the idea to make of Croatia a State-nation. The use of the great media allows the fast diffusion of the Propagande supporting the Chauvinisme, causing the feeling of fear and creating an important tense atmosphere.

In March 1990, the Armée popular Yugoslavian meets with the Présidence of Yugoslavia (a council made up of 8 members representing the six autonomous republics and the two provinces) and tries to convince it to proclaim the state of emergency which would make it possible the army to take the control of the country. The representatives of the Croatia (Feather-grass Mesić), of the Slovenia (Janez Drnovšek), of the Macedonia (Vasil Tupurkovski) and of the Bosnia-Herzégovine (Bogić Bogićević) vote against. The others vote in favor; the equality of the vote delays the climbing somewhat.

Economy and company

Under the new Communist system , all Private property is nationalized. Consequently, the former rich person landowners as well as the Catholic church in Croatia lose enormous quantities of richnesses. The country crosses a major process of rebuilding in order to be restored Second world war. A notable phenomenon lasting this process are the public Travaux voluntary which rejoin the young people for the construction of roads and other public installations.

The economy evolves/moves in a type of Socialisme called “ car-gestion ” ( samoupravljanje ), where the workers were entitled to a share of the profits of the companies managed by the State. This socialism of market allows better economic conditions that in the countries of the Communist bloc. Croatia knows an important industrialization in the Années 1960 and 1970, and the industrial basin of Zagreb catches up with and exceeds even that of Belgrade. The factories and other organizations often bear the name of Partisans which are declared Héros of the People. At the same time the coast Croatian Adriatique becomes again a popular tourist destination.

Sources

The Republic of independent Croatia (since 1991)

Conflicts after independence (1991-1998)

Walk towards the European Union (1998-)

During the War of Kosovo (1999), the Croatian government gave its political and logistic support for the operations of the Atlantic Alliance. The first Croatian president, Franjo Tuđman, are deceased the December 10th, 1999.

January 3rd, 2000, constituting the first political alternation since independence, the legislative ones, are gained high the hand, with more than 56% of the votes, by the coalition of opposition gathering six parties around the forces reformists of center-left (social democrat of the SDP and social-liberals of the HSLS), against less than 27% of the votes to the outgoing HDZ. With the number of the electoral topics which carried them to the capacity: a resolutely pro-European orientation, a program anti-corruption, a democratization accelerated as well as the reduction in the prerogatives of the Head of the State to the profit of the government and the Parliament. Ivica Račan, president of the social democrats, is named Prime Minister. February 7th, 2000 - whereas two candidates of opposition find themselves in string with the second ballot - moderate the Stjepan Mesić - candidate of the modest HNS (popular party) - gains the presidential elections with 56% of the voices, against Drazen Budisa, president of the social-liberals, however favorite party one month before, after the victory of tandem HSLS-SDP to the legislative ones. These two elections mark a major turning for Croatia. As from 2000, the country was democratized and opened on Europe, the authors of exactions during the military conflicts were continued, it followed a policy of privatizations and opened with the overseas investments. These liberal reforms allowed the economic re-establishment of the country and the cure of many wounds of wars. That was done, however, with strong internal resistances because of presence of nationalists extremists in unquestionable structures of the apparatus of State (defense) and in certain areas (Split).

As of at the end of May 2000, the European Community gives agreement to enter into the negociations on the Agreement of stabilization and association while Croatia is allowed in the Partnership for Peace, first step towards adhesion with NATO. Croatia is allowed with OMC in July and in September the Council of Europe puts an end to the procedure of follow-up of Croatia.

The victory of the conservatives to the legislative elections of November 2003 involved the nomination of Ivo Sanader with the head of the government, which constituted the one second political alternation. With the presidential elections of January 16th, 2005, Stjepan Mesić was re-elected with the second turn for a second presidential mandate vis-a-vis Jadranka Kosor with more than 60% of the votes.

Because of the war and adhesion limited of the country to the democratic principles, after the dissolution of the Socialist Federal republic of Yugoslavia, no total contractual relation was established between Croatia and the European Union (EU) before 2001. The financial co-operation was limited to humanitarian aid, the assistance with democratization and, as from 1996, the assistance with the rebuilding. After the change of government in 2000, Croatia left international insulation and it signed, on October 29th, 2001, an agreement of stabilization and association (ASA) with the EU. This agreement came into effect on February 1st, 2005 and replaced an interim agreement on the trade and the accompanying measures, which was into force since March 1st, 2002. Croatia officially deposited its candidature for adhesion with the European Union the February 21st, 2003, with for objective an adhesion in 2007. After the favorable opinion of the European commission, the European Council of the June 17th and 18th 2004 recognized the statute of State candidate to him and at its meeting of December 17th, 2004, he proposed to open the negotiations of adhesion with Croatia in March 2005, if the co-operation full and whole of the Croatian authorities with the International penal court for ex-Yugoslavia (TPIY) were noted. The Council of March 17th, 2005 estimated that such was not the case and deferred the opening of the negotiations until the report is made that Croatia cooperates fully with the TPIY. The October 3rd, 2005, the prosecutor as a chief of the TPIY noted that Croatia cooperates from now on fully with the TPIY. The same day, the Council of the European Union concluded that the last condition for the opening of the negotiations was met; the negotiations of adhesion were launched. The phase of " screening" negotiations of adhesion was open on October 20th, 2005. Croatia, recipient of the strategy the pre-accession one of the applicant countries, is eligible with the programs Phare, Ispa and Sapard for an amount of 140 million euros in 2006. In his report/ratio of follow-up of November 8th, 2006, the European commission indicates that Croatia is on the right track in its negotiations of adhesion with the EU. The country made important progress in particular about the political criteria; it, also, adopted measures of scale in many fields to adapt its legislation. The document specifies, however, that Croatia must still intensify considerably its efforts to take up the big challenges which constitute, for example, the reform of the judicial power, the fight against corruption and the economic reforms.

See too

Chronology & historic atlas of Croatia,
List of the sovereigns of Croatia,
History of Europe

External bonds

Overview off History, Culture and Science off Croatia
Dr. Michael McAdams: Croatia-Myth and Reality
History off Croatia ace year introduction to the battle off Vukovar
Historical Maps off Croatia

Be-X-old: ГісторыяХарватыі

Random links: