Page 43 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

THE HIST OR Y OF CRO A TIA  41

Venice and the Purchase of Dalmatia
The wars with Venice over coastal Dalmatia
continued until 1409 when Ladislaus of
Anjou, the King of Naples, renounced all
rights over Dalmatia and sold it for 100,000
gold ducats to Venice. The towns and
islands stayed under Venetian rule from
1409 until 1797, when Venice surrendered
to Napoleon. As well as the territories
purchased by Venice, other towns wanted
to become Venetian possessions. They
were given a great deal of autonomy by
Venice, whose principal interest was in the
security of the ports and their defence, Osijek at the time of liberation from the Turks in 1687
building the ramparts which today
characterize these towns. During the Serb, Morlach and Bosnian refugees
wars of the early 18th century, Venice were brought in and integrated with the
conquered the whole of Dalmatia, except military garrisons. For some decades there
for Dubrovnik, then an independent was a truce, then the Turkish offensive
republic, and a small stretch of coast, against Vienna resumed, but the Turks
extending its borders to the Velebit passes, were pushed back, first in 1664 and
which still separate Croatia from Bosnia- again in 1683. The slow retreat of the
Herzegovina today. “infidels” from Croatia began at
this point. Croatia was liberated
Ties with the Habsburgs ten years later, while Bosnia
In 1527, Croatian and remained under the Turks. The
Hungarian nobles granted liberated areas became border
what remained of the lands and remained so until
kingdom to Archduke 1881. Vienna’s heavy taxation
Ferdinand of Habsburg, who and centralized rule caused
then concentrated all power discontent, but in 1670 a plan to
in the court, depriving the Fran Krsto Frankopan, detach Croatia from Hungary and
nobility of control of the cities beheaded in 1671 Vienna, devised by some of
and border areas. In 1578, he Croatia’s most influential families
established the Military Frontier (Vojna (including the Frankopans and Zrinskis)
Krajina) which was administered by (see p181), resulted in the beheading of
the military governor of Vienna. This Ban Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Franko pan
was to serve as a buffer zone against the and the other two rebel leaders in 1671,
advancing Turks. To populate this frontier, halting any attempt at revolt.

1566 Suleyman II besieges Siget, which, led by 1670 Attempted revolt
Nikola Zrinski, resists for five weeks by the Croatian princes 1718 Treaty of
Petar Zrinski and Krsto Passarowitz (Požarevac):
1573 Peasant revolt in Zagorje, against nobles Frankopan against Turkey loses Serbia and
and emperor, put down with much bloodshed Leopold of Austria part of inland Dalmatia
1550 1600 1650 1700 1750
1688 Pope Innocent XI promotes Holy League
Nikola against Turks; the battle of Petervaradino brings
Zrinski, 1592 The Turks capture Bihać and extend Turkish defeat and liberation of all of Croatia
Ban of the borders to the river Kupa, which still
Croatia separates Bosnia from Croatia 1683 Siege of Vienna by the Turks; Austria wins and
reconquers Buda and Pannonia

040-041_EW_Croatia.indd 41 20/10/16 12:31 pm