Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia

Kraljevina Hrvatska i Slavonija
Horvát-Szlavón Királyság

Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
Land of the Crown of St. Stephen
(within the Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Flag of Croatia Landesfarben.gif
 
Flag of the Kingdom of Slavonia.gif
1868–1918 Flag of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.svg
Flag Coat of arms
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem
Carevka
Lijepa naša domovino
Location of Croatia
Map of the Kingdom of Croatia Slavonia (red) cca. 1885. The Kingdom was a part of Transleithanian Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Hungary (Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen). The rest of Austria-Hungary is in light gray.
Capital Zagreb
Language(s) Croatian[1][2][3][4] or Croatian or Serbian,[5][6][7] Hungarian
Religion Roman Catholic
Government Monarchy
Historical era Austria–Hungary
 - 1867 Compromise 29 May 1867
 - Established 1868
 - Joined the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs 29 October 1918
Area
 - 1910 42,541 km² (16,425 sq mi)
Population
 - 1880 est. 1,892,499 
 - 1910 est. 2,621,954 
     Density 61.6 /km²  (159.6 /sq mi)
Currency Gulden (up to 1892)
Croatian Kruna (from 1892)
Area source:[8] Population source:[9]
Croatia-Slavonia within Austria-Hungary (number 17)

The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia or Croatia Slavonia (Croatian: Trojedna Kraljevina Hrvatska-Slavonija-Dalmacija; Hungarian: Horvát-, Szlavon- és Dalmátországok; German: Königreich Kroatien und Slawonien) was an autonomous kingdom within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was part of the Hungarian Kingdom within the dual Austro-Hungarian state, being within the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen or Transleithania. The kingdom was ruled by the Habsburg King-Emperor of Austria-Hungary (Kaiser und König), under his title as King of Hungary. The monarch's title was "King of Croatia and Slavonia". The King's appointed steward was the Ban of Croatia and Slavonia.

The kingdom pressed its claim on the Kingdom of Dalmatia under the title the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia within the Hungarian part of the monarchy, which was also a historic name for a Croatian Kingdom. Dalmatia was a Kronland within the imperial Austrian part of Austria-Hungary (also known as Cisleithania). The claim was, for most of the time, supported by the Hungarian government which backed Croatia-Slavonia in an effort to increase its share of the dual state. The union between the two primarily Croatian lands of Austria-Hungary never took place however.[10] According to the Article 53 of the Croatian–Hungarian Agreement, that governed Croatia's political status in the Hungarian-ruled part of Austria-Hungary, ban's official title was "Ban of Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia".[11][12]

Contents

History

Ivan Mažuranić, Ban (viceroy) of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (in office 1873-1880)

The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was created in 1868, when the former kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia were joined into one single kingdom. The Croatian parliament elected in a questionable manner, confirmed the subordination of Croatia-Slavonia to Hungary in 1868 with signing of Hungarian-Croatian union constitution called the Nagodba.[13] This kingdom included parts of present-day Croatia and Serbia (eastern part of Syrmia).

After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 the only remaining open question of the new state was the status of Croatia, which would be solved with the Hungarian-Croatian compromise of 1868 when agreement was reached between the Parliament of Hungary on one hand and the Parliament of Croatia-Slavonia on the other hand, with regard to the composition by a joint enactment of the constitutional questions at issue between them.[11]

With this compromise the parliament of personal union (in which Croatia-Slavonia had only twenty-nine deputies) controlled the military, the financial system, legislation and administration, Sea Law, Commercial Law, the law of Bills of Exchange and Mining Law, and generally matters of commerce, customs, telegraphs, Post Office, railways, harbors, shipping, and those roads and rivers which jointly concern Hungary and Croatia-Slavonia.[11]

Similarly to these affairs, trade matters including hawking, likewise with regard to societies which do not exist for public gain, and also with regard to passports, frontier police, citizenship and naturalization, the legislation was joint, but the executive in respect of these affairs was reserved to Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.[11] In the end, fifty-five per cent of the total income of Croatia-Slavonia were assigned to the Joint Treasury.

The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia held independent elections for Croatian Parliament in 1865, 1867, 1871, 1872, 1878, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1887, 1892, 1897, 1901, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1913.

The kingdom existed until 1918 when it joined the newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, which together with the Kingdom of Serbia formed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The new Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom was divided into counties between 1918 and 1922 and into oblasts between 1922 and 1929. With the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, most of the territory of the former Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia became a part of the Sava Banate.

Government and politics

Political status

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise (Ausgleich) of 1867 created the Dual Monarchy. Under the Compromise, Austria and Hungary each had separate parliaments that passed and maintained separate laws. Each region had its own government, headed by its own prime minister. The "common monarchy" consisted of the emperor-king and the common ministers of foreign affairs, defense and finance in Vienna. The Compromise confirmed Croatia-Slavonia's historic, eight-centuries-old relationship with Hungary and perpetuated the division of the Croat lands, for both Dalmatia and Istria remained under Austrian administration.[14]

At Franz Joseph's insistence, Hungary and Croatia reached the Compromise (or Nagodba)) in 1868, giving the Croats a special status in Hungary. The agreement granted the Croats autonomy over their internal affairs. The Croatian ban would now be nominated by the Hungarian prime minister and appointed by the king. Areas of "common" concern to Hungarians and Croats included finance, currency matters, commercial policy, the post office, and the railroad. Croatian became the official language of Croatia's government, and Croatian representatives discussing "common" affairs before the Hungarian diet were permitted to speak Croatian.[15] A ministry of Croatian Affairs was created within the Hungarian government.

Although the Nagodba provided a measure of political autonomy to Croatia-Slavonia, it was subordinated politically and economically to Hungary.[14]

Autonomous Government

The Autonomous Government or Land Government (Croatian: Zemaljska vlada), established in 1868 with seat in Zagreb, until 1914 it possessed three departments:

In 1914 a fourth department was added for national economy (Croatian: Odjel za narodno gospodarstvo).[14]

At the head of the Autonomous Government in Croatia-Slavonia stood the Ban, who was responsible to the Croatian-Slavonian-Dalmatian Diet.[16]

Ban (viceroy)

Ban's palace

The Ban was appointed by the King, on the proposal and under the counter-signature of the Joint Hungarian minister-president.[16]

List of bans (viceroys) from 1868 until 1918:

Law

The supreme court of kingdom was the Stol sedmorice (Table of Seven), while the second-level court was the Banski stol (Ban's Table) headed by the ban.[17]

Counties

Counties of Croatia-Slavonia within the Austro-Hungary

In November 1874, under Croatian ban Ivan Mažuranić, Croatia-Slavonia was divided into eight counties (known as comitatus):[18]

  1. Modruš-Rijeka County
  2. Zagreb County
  3. Varaždin County
  4. Bjelovar-Križevci County
  5. Virovitica County
  6. Požega County
  7. Srijem County
  8. Lika-Krbava County

Lika-Krbava became a county after the incorporation of the Croatian Military Frontier into Croatia-Slavonia in 1881.[18] The counties were subsequently divided into a total of 77 districts, which were then divided into okrugs and municipalities.

Symbols

Alternate flag, used internally "for autonomic affairs" by decree of the viceroy.[19]
The Coat of Arms of Croatia-Slavonia on the building of the Parliament of Croatia

According to the Croatian–Hungarian Agreement in 1868:

Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia can, within their own frontiers in their internal affairs, use their own combined colours and coat of arms, the latter, however, being surmounted by the Crown of St. Stephen.(Art. 61) The emblem of the Joint Affairs of the territories of the Hungarian Crown is formed by the combined arms of Hungary and of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. (Art. 62) At times when Joint Affairs are being debated, the combined Croatian-Slavonia-Dalmatian flag is to be hoisted beside the Hungarian flag, upon the building in which the Joint Parliament of the territories of the Hungarian Crown is being held. (Art. 63)[20][21]

Demographics

Nationality

In the 1910 census, the total population numbered 2,621,954, of the following nationalities:[22]

Religion

Data taken from the 1910 census.[22]

Literacy

In the 1910 census, the illiteracy rates were as follows:[23]

Military

Memorial to Croatian soldiers who fought in the First World War

The Croatian Home Guard was the military of the Kingdom. Notable Croatians in the Austro-Hungarian Army included Field Marshal Svetozar Boroević, commander of the Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Emil Uzelac, and commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy Maximilian Njegovan.

Culture

The modern University of Zagreb was founded in 1874. The Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts and Matica hrvatska were the main cultural institutions in the kingdom. In 1911 the main cultural institution in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Matica dalmatinska, marged with Matica hrvatska. Vijenac was one of the most important cultural magazines in the kingdom. The building of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb was opened in 1895. The Croatian National Theatre in Osijek was established in 1907. The Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb was the first established in the kingdom.

Religion

Roughly 75% of the population were Roman Catholic, with the remaining 25% Serbian Orthodox. The Catholic Church had the following hierarchy within the kingdom:

Dioceses Croatian name Est. Cathedral
Archdiocese of Zagreb Zagrebačka nadbiskupija 1093 Zagreb Cathedral
Eparchy of Križevci (Greek-Catholic) Križevačka biskupija 1777
Diocese of Srijem Srijemska biskupija 4th century Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul
Diocese of Senj-Modruš Senjsko-modruška biskupija 1168

Transportation

History of Croatia
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
This article is part of a series
Early history
Prehistoric Croatia
Origins of the Croats
White Croatia
Medieval history
Littoral Croatia · Pannonian Croatia · Pagania · Zachlumia
Kingdom of Croatia
Republic of Poljica
Republic of Dubrovnik
Habsburg Empire
Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Slavonia
Illyrian Provinces
Kingdom of Dalmatia
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs
Yugoslavia

Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(Banovina of Croatia)


World War II
(Federal State of Croatia,
Independent State of Croatia)


Socialist Republic of Croatia
Contemporary Croatia
War of independence
Republic of Croatia

Croatia Portal

The first railway line opened in the kingdom was the Zidani Most-Zagreb-Sisak route which began operations in 1862. The Zaprešić-Varaždin-Čakovec line was opened in 1886 and the Vinkovci-Osijek line was opened in 1910.

Sports

The Croatian Sports Association was formed in 1909 with Franjo Bučar as its president. While Austria-Hungary had competed in the modern Olympics since the inaugural games in 1896, the Austrian Olympic Committee and Hungarian Olympic Committee held the exclusive right to send their athletes to the games. The association organized a national football league in 1912.

Legacy

In 1918, during last days of World War I, Croatian parliament abolished the Hungarian-Croatian personal union, and both parts of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia and the Kingdom of Dalmatia (excluding Zadar and Lastovo), became part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, which together with the Kingdom of Serbia, formed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). The new Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom was divided into counties between 1918 and 1922 and into oblasts between 1922 and 1929. With the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, most of the territory of the former Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia became a part of the Sava Banovina, and most of the former Kingdom of Dalmatia became part of the Littoral Banovina.

Notes

  1. Biondich, Mark; Stjepan Radić, the Croat Peasant Party, and the politics of mass mobilization, 1904-1928; University of Toronto Press, 2000 ISBN 0-80208-294-7, page 9
  2. Marcus Tanner, "A nation forged in war", Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-09125-7, page 99
  3. According to articles 56 and 57 of Nagodba only official language in Croatia is Croatian (Po čl. 56. i 57. Hrvatsko-ugarske nagodbe u Hrvatskoj je u službenoj uporabi samo hrvatski jezik), Dragutin Pavličević, "Povijest Hrvatske", Naklada Pavičić, Zagreb, 2007, ISBN 978-953-6308-71-2, page 273
  4. 56. In the whole territory of Croatia-Slavonia the Croatian language is the language alike of the Legislature, the Administration and the Judicature. 57. Inside the frontiers of Croatia-Slavonia the Croatian language is prescribed as the official language for the organs of the Joint Government also. http://www.h-net.org/~habsweb/sourcetexts/nagodba2.htm - online text from Robert William Seton-Watson, "The Southern Slav Question and the Habsburg Monarchy", London, Constable and Co., 1911, ISBN 0-72222-328-5, page 371
  5. Austro-Hungarian census documents
  6. Charles Jelavich, South Slav nationalisms - textbooks and Yugoslav Union before 1914; Ohio State University Press, 1990; pp. 171-173 ISBN 0-81420-500-3
  7. Jelena Milojković-Djurić, The Eastern question and the voices of reason: Austria-Hungary, Russia, and the Balkan States, 1875-1908; East European Monographs, 2002; pp. 82-83 ISBN 0-88033-490-8
  8. Rothschild, Joseph (1974). East Central Europe Between the Two World Wars (3rd ed.). Volume 9. University of Washington Press. p. 155. ISBN 0295953578.
  9. Biondich 2000, p. 15
  10. Ivo Goldstein, Nikolina Jovanović; Croatia: a history; C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1999 ISBN 1-85065-525-1
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Constitution of Union between Croatia-Slavonia and Hungary
  12. The Hungaro-Croatian Compromise (Croatian)
  13. Britannica 2009 Nagodba
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Biondich 2000, p. 9
  15. History of Hungary
  16. 16.0 16.1 http://www.h-net.org/~habsweb/sourcetexts/nagodba3.htm The Hungaro-Croatian Compromise of 1868 (The Nagodba), III
  17. Hrvatska pravna povijest 1790. - 1918., Croatian Supreme Court
  18. 18.0 18.1 Biondich 2000, p. 11
  19. Ban (viceroy) Iván Skerlecz: "According to the § 61 article I from the year 1868 of Agreement and of decree of the Department of Interior of the Royal Country Government of November 16th, 1867, No. 18.307, red-white-blue tricolour is civil flag in the Kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia, which with the united Coat-of-Arms of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia with the crown of saint Stephen on the top is official flag for usage in autonomic affairs. Above-mentioned civil flag may be used by everyone in appropriate way." [1] [2]
  20. The Hungaro-Croatian Compromise of 1868 (The Nagodba), II
  21. Croatia - Historical Flags (1848-1918), www.fotw.net
  22. 22.0 22.1 Seton-Watson, Hugh (1945). Eastern Europe Between the Wars, 1918–1941 (3rd ed.). CUP Archive. p. 434. ISBN 100128478X.
  23. Biondich 2000, p. 16

References

External links