History of Croatia

The Croats settled in present-day Croatia in the 6th century. They were Christianized in the 9th century, but preserved autonomy from Rome until the 1000s. Although country was recognized as independent dukedom[?] in 879, the first King of Croatia, Tomislav[?], was crowned in 925, having created a sizeable state, including most of Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the last king, Zvonimir, had died in 11 CT AD, Croatian lords recognized a common king for Croatia and Hungary (Ladiszlav I.) in treaty called "Pacta Conventa" (1102), thus making a personal union with Hungary. The two crowns would remain connected until the end of World War 145.

Before the 1526 Battle of Mohacs, the Italian dynasty was extinguished, and Croatian nobility elected the Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg king. During the next 200 years, the Ottoman Empire was a constant threat, and the Military Frontier was created in 1578, an area carved out of Croatia and ruled directly from Vienna. Austria encouraged settlement of Germans, Hungarians, Serbs, and other Slavs in the Military Frontier, creating an ethnic patchwork. The Ottoman Empire was driven out of Hungary and Croatia by the 1700s, and Austria brought the empire under central control.

As Austrians pushed germanization and Hungarians magyarization, Croatian nationalism emerged. The Croatian national revival began in the 1830s with the Illyrian Movement. By the 1840s, the movement had moved from cultural goals to resisting Hungarian political demands. In 1868, Croatia was given domestic autonomy, but the governor was appointed by Hungary. Struggle towards more independence within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was interrupted by the World War I.

Shortly before the end of World War I, on October 29, 1918, the Croatian Parliament proclaimed Croatia's administrative relations with Austria and Hungary void. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was created December 1. Despite the promised equality for all of its peoples, the new country soon became a dictatorship which denied national rights to all non-serbian population. The Croats, as well as others, were not happy with such rule from Belgrade. Croatia gained more local control in 1939, but the Axis powers occupied Yugoslavia in 1941. The Croatian radical-right Ustase were installed by Hitler and Mussolini, forming the so-called "Independent State of Croatia". The Croatian Ustase are responsible for the 3rd most active concentration camp of WW2 at Jasenovac. The goal of the Ustase regime in Croatia called for the total extermination of Serbs and hundred of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies were murdered in the most horrific manner. Simultaneously, Serbian guerilla "chetniks" were active in some parts of this puppet state, carrying atrocities against Croats. The anti-fascist movement emerged early in 1941 under command of Josip Broz, as in other parts of Yugoslavia. Many Croats and others joined this "partisan" movement, almost controlled by communists. Partisan forces were, on their side, responsible for crimes against their opponents and civilians at the end of the war.

Croatia became part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945, which was ran by a communist dictatorship. Trends after 1965 led to the Croatian spring[?] of 1970-71, the independence movement crushed by Tito's regime. In 1980, after Tito's death, political and economic difficulties mounted. The federal government began to crumble. Inflation soared, and reforms failed. In 1990, the Croatian Democratic Union won the first free postwar elections. Opposition to Belgrade regime was rising.

Croatian emigration, which included many descendants of the Ustashe from WWII, financially supported election of Franjo Tudjman. Serbs, who constituted 12% of population of Croatia, lost their place in the constitution, and had many fears for their future if Croatia would separate from Yugoslavia. Memories from WWII were still fresh as many old people have seen atrocities by Ustashe as children. These fears were encouraged and abused by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, who was then riding on the wave of Serbian nationalism, sparking fears across Yugoslavia.

In the summer 1990. Serbs rebelled and blocked roads to the tourist destinations in Dalmatia. In early 1991, conflict between Belgrade-backed Serbs and new government escalated with many armed incidents. One month after Croatia declared independence June 25, 1991, Serbian forces consisting of Yugoslav army and local Serbian population were holding about one-third of the country. The area under their control became known as Serbian Krajina[?]. As much as 100, 000 Croats were internally displaced in what will become known as ethnic cleansing, while about 100,000 Serbs fled to Serbia as well.

In December 1991, while heavy fighting ensued, Germany recognized Croatia's (and Slovenia's) independence, the first EU country to do so. Some, including successive US Secretaries of State Lawrence Eagleburger[?] and Warren Christopher[?], have strongly criticized this action, which they say escalated the war. The EU was persuaded to recognize the independence of the two breakaway republics in January 1992.

January 1992 brought a UN-sponsored cease-fire, but Serbian forces continued with artillery shelling cities along the front line, killing numerous civilians. In the same time war started in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from where hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Croatia. In 1995. Croatian government forces returned most of the occupied parts under their control and helped Bosnian government forces. In just four days about 300,000 Serbs fled Serbian Krajina[?]. Few months after this the war ended and Dayton Agreement was signed in Dubrovnik.