The Croatian History

Croatia emerged as a unified nation state in 925 A.D., and, through a personal union under a single king, joined what would become the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the twelfth century.

Following World War I, Croatia was absorbed into the new artificial state that would become Yugoslavia. The first Yugoslavia, from 1918-1941 was little more than an extension of Serbia with a Serbian king, ruling from the Serbian capital of Belgrade with Serbian laws. This marked the first time in history that the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins and Macedonians had lived together in a single state. The history of royalist Yugoslavia was marked by the brutal suppression of Croatian political, human and civil rights.

In the end, it would be the Communist-backed Partisan army led by a Croatian, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, with the backing of the Red Army, which would emerge victorious.

The Second Yugoslavia
After World War II, Yugoslavia was reconstituted as a Communist federal republic with the promise of equality for all its nations and peoples. As in most Communist states, promises were not fulfilled. A ruthless secret police compounded by the economic and political exploitation of Croatia led hundreds of thousands of young Croatians to seek freedom and prosperity abroad. One target of the new round of repression was a dissident former Partisan hero and Yugoslav Army general, Franjo Tudjman. The events of 1971 put into motion events twenty years later that would result in Croatian independence.

The death of Tito in 1980 led to increased demands for democracy and a market-based economy as well as for greater autonomy by Croatia and Slovenia from the Serbian-controlled central government. As Western-oriented Slovenia and Croatia moved quickly toward democratic reform, Eastern-oriented Serbia struggled to maintain Communist authoritarianism and a centralized government. In 1990, Dr. Franjo Tudjman became the first freely elected President of Croatia in over half a century.

Free and democratic elections in Croatia and Slovenia demonstrated a commitment to the democratic process, the protection of human rights, and the development of a free market economy in those Republics. Croatia immediately began negotiations in mid-1990 toward the formation of a loose confederation of nations that would have granted national autonomy while preserving Yugoslavia in some form.

The Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, remained committed to a single party, totalitarian regime in Serbia and throughout Yugoslavia.

Spurred on by Milosevic, Serbs in Croatia launched a well- planned armed insurrection on August 17, 1990, attacking police stations and blockading the main highway south of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. When Croatian police attempted to stop the violence, the central government dispatched the Serbian-controlled air force and army to "restore order". In 1991, after months of fruitless negotiations and increased violence by the Serbian minority in Croatia, fuelled by the Serbian government and military, the Croatians voted for independence. On June 25, 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared themselves to be free and independent of Serbia and Yugoslavia.

Independence and Aggression
Under the pretence of protecting the Serbian minority in Croatia, a full-scale war was launched against Croatia by the Serbian-Yugoslav armed forces and Serbian militias. Croatia abided by over a dozen cease-fires only to see the army regroup and attack again. By the end of 1991, over one-third of Croatia's territory had been seized, the city of Vukovar and others totally destroyed and thousands of Croatians had been killed. In December 1991, the Serbian government openly admitted that it aimed to annex territory in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in order to form a new "Greater Serbia".

On January 14, 1992 the European Community recognized the independence of Croatia and most of the world's major powers followed suit.

On April 26, 1992, Serbia declared the birth of a new Federal Yugoslavia and became the last nation in Europe to remove the red star from its flag. The history of the three Yugoslavia's has been filled with mythology, but no myth was greater than the myth that Yugoslavia ever really existed.

Short summary

The Republic of Croatia, or in Croatian - Republika Hrvatska (HR).

The Croatian people again declared themselves to be free and independent on June 25, 1991. One year later, virtually the entire world had recognized Croatia within the borders designated in 1945. The overwhelming majority of Croatia's twelve hundred mile border is based upon ancient boundaries that Croatia brought with her into Yugoslavia in 1918.

REALITY: Croatia's border with Serbia is essentially the same as in 1848 and 1918 with the exception of those lands taken from Croatia and given to Serbia and Montenegro under both Yugoslav regimes. Croatia ruled by the Habsburgs, as a member of the Habsburg Crown (1527-1918, Austro Hungarian Empire from 1867 to 1918).

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.

1945. The Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia is proclaimed and within Yugoslavia, today's Croatia is a federative republic.

1990. The first multiparty elections after World War II are organized in Croatia; the Croatian Assembly elects Dr. 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.

1995. The Dayton agreement of December 1995 eventually brought a sense of stability to the country, allowing the government to attempt to deal with unemployed ex-soldiers, housing for displaced Croats and a severely damaged infrastructure.

1998. The last occupied part of Croatia, in the east, including Vukovar, is integrated into the country.

1999. The First Croatian President, Franjo Tudjman, dies in December. 2000. On the general elections, late president's ruling party (HDZ) lost the election. The coalition of 6 parties is now in power. Next election is in November 2003.

2003. The HDZ is back in power as of December 2003. New Prime Minister is Ivo Sanader (see more under news)