Morskipasworld - History

History of Croatia

1. Republic of Croatia - History

What is now Croatia was part of the province of Pannonia in the Roman Empire. In the 6^th century AD the Avars, a Mongolian people, conquered Pannonia. The following century, the Slavic Croats conquered the Avars but were subsequently conquered by the Franks. Croatia was an independent kingdom from 925 until the end of the 11^th century, when it fell under the rule of Hungary.
Except for periods of Ottoman and French occupation, Croatia was an autonomous kingdom under Hungarian control from 1102 until 1848, when Croatia and Slavonia were made a separate Austrian crown land. In 1867 the Austrians and Hungarians created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and Croatia was assigned to Hungary, although it quickly gained autonomy and united with Slavonia.

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At the end of World War I (1914-1918), Croatia was forced to join the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes under monarch Aleksandar I. In 1929 the country was renamed Yugoslavia. Croatian and Macedonian extremists assassinated Aleksandar in 1934, and Fascist movements began gaining support among the Croats and Serbs. In 1941, during World War II, Nazi Germany and Italy invaded Yugoslavia, and the Independent State of Croatia was formed under the control of the Fascist Ustaches regime. Also during the war the forces of Josip Broz Tito, a Croatian Communist, fought against the Ustaches and the nationalist cetniks. When the war ended, Tito created a Yugoslav federation, with Croatia as a constituent republic. Following Tito's death in 1980, tensions mounted between Croatia and the Serb-dominated Yugoslav government.

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In 1991, led by President Franjo Tudjman, HDZ, Croatia voted for independence from Yugoslavia. Civil war broke out in Croatia between Croats and Serbs. Serbia backed the Serbs with all forces, including very powerful Yugoslav army and squads of Serb's volunteers. Croatian and serbian territories was burned and blasted village by village and town by town. Civilians were killed or were taken in the concentration camps. At the same time new-born Croatian state just began to create an army, made in beginning by police forces and volunteers. In year 1992, after first victories of Croatian forces, a United Nations-mandated international force was brought in to maintain peace and security. However, Serb forces continued with terrorist actions, what caused Croatian response in 1995, when Croatian forces trough actions "Flash" and "Storm" had recaptured most of Serb-controlled Croatian territory. Remain part of Croatia controlled by Serbs, located near border with Yugoslavia, was peacefully reintegrated under Croatian government in 1997. President Tudjman participated in the agreement established that year in Dayton, Ohio, which was designed to end the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Today, in year 2001, Croatia is governed by coalition of six political parties, where major parties are SDP (social-democratic) and HSLS (liberals), together with HNS, HSS, LS and IDS. After five years of war and lot of wrong political and economical decisions made by former government, Croatia is today in very bad economic and social situation. After ten years of independents, Croatia is today again on a beginning of transition and democratization.

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2. Chronologic History:

around 400BC	The first Greek colonies are founded on Adriatic islands.
around 100BC	Romans rule over the east coast of Adriatic.
305.	Roman emperor Diocletian in present-day Split.
around 600.	Croats start moving to what is today Croatia.
852.	Duke Trpimir issues the Charter in which for the first time is mentioned the name Croatia, in domestic official documents.
925.	Tomislav, the first Croatian king is mentioned, unifier of Pannonian and Dalmatian Croatia.
1102.	After the death of Petar Svacic, the last Croatian king, Croatia enters into a union with Hungary.
1242.	King Bela IV issues the Golden Bull in which he proclaims Zagreb a Free Royal City.
1433.	The beginning of defense against the Turks, who through time occupy the larger part of Croatian territory.
1527.	By a decision of the Croatian Assembly, the dynasty of Habsburg comes to the Croatian throne.
1699.	Croatia is largely liberated of Turkish rule. Continental Croatia remains under the rule of Habsburg, and the largest part of the Adriatic coast and islands are under Venice. Only Dubrovnik Republic remains completely independent.
1815.	After the short-term rule of the French under Napoleon, who abolished Venice and Dubrovnik Republic, almost the whole of present-day Croatia enters into the Habsburg Monarchy.
1847.	Croatian becomes the official language of Croatia in Croatian Parliament (Sabor), replacing the Latin language.
1848.	Ban (Viceroy) Josip Jelacic defends Croatia against attempts of Hungarian occupation and unites all Croatian provinces.
1918.	After the downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in World War I, Croatia becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later proclaimed Yugoslavia. Top of page
1941.	German and Italian forces occupy Yugoslavia. The organized partisan resistance starts, led by Croatian antifascists origin under the guidance of Josip Broz Tito.
1945.	The Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia is proclaimed.
1990.	The first multiparty elections after World War II are organized in Croatia. The Croatian Assembly elects Franjo Tudjman as the first president.
1991.	Croatia proclaims independence. The Serbian rebellion starts, supported by the Yugoslav National Army from Belgrade and results in the occupation of one third of Croatian territory.
1992.	The Republic of Croatia becomes a member of the United Nations.
1998.	The last occupied part of Croatia, in the east, including Vukovar, is integrated into the country.

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