State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

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Država Slovencev, Hrvatov in Srbov
Država Slovenaca, Hrvata i Srba
Држава Словенаца, Хрвата и Срба
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

←

1918

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Flag

Capital

Zagreb
45°48′N, 15°58′E

Language(s)

Slovenian, Croatian, and Serbian language

Government

Republic

President¹

Anton Korošec

Vice presidents¹

Ante Pavelić

Svetozar Pribićević

Historical era

World War I

- Independence

29 October, 1918

- Joined Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes

1 December, 1918

¹ President and vice presidents of the National Council.

The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Slovenian: Država Slovencev, Hrvatov in Srbov; Croatian: Država Slovenaca, Hrvata i Srba, Serbian: Држава Словенаца, Хрвата и Срба) was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Note that the Serbs referred to in the State's name are those resident in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia-Slavonia (including Syrmia) and Dalmatia (including Boka Kotorska and Montenegrin Littoral up to Spič near Bar), not the populations of the Kingdom of Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro and Vojvodina (including Banat, Bačka and Baranja).

1 History
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] History

The State was officially formed on October 29, 1918. Its governing body was the National Council (Narodno vijeće), composed ad hoc of influential politicians at the time. The President was a Slovene, Dr Anton Korošec. The two vice presidents were a Serb, Svetozar Pribićević, and a Croat, Dr Ante Pavelić (not to be confused with Ante Pavelić, the leader of the regime set up by the Germans in Croatia in 1941).

The aspirations of the new state were to include all territories of former Austria-Hungary inhabited by Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. However, the Serbs in Vojvodina (including the Banat, Bačka and Baranja regions) objected to this and formed their own administration under the supreme authority of the Serbian National Board in Novi Sad. Vojvodina then joined to the Kingdom of Serbia on November 25, 1918. One day before this, on November 24, 1918, the region of Syrmia, which at first was part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, seceded from this state and also joined the Kingdom of Serbia.

Map of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, showing areas mainly inhabited by Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Most of those territories was included in the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

In order to avoid handing the navy to the winners, the Austrian Emperor gave the entire Austro-Hungarian Navy and merchant fleet, with all harbours, arsenals and shore fortifications to the National Council of SCS. They in turn sent diplomatic notes to the governments of France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States of America and Russia, to notify them that the State of SCS was not at war with any of them and that the Council had taken over the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet. However, the fleet was soon attacked and dismembered by the Italian Regia Marina.

The state was not internationally recognized before the National Council joined it with the Kingdom of Serbia (which already had joined with the Kingdom of Montenegro, Vojvodina, and Syrmia), and formed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on 1 December 1918.