Page 46 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

44  INTRODUCING CRO A TIA

in an attempt to suppress the uprising
and placate the discontented, in 1939 the
government of Belgrade established the
Banovina of Croatia within the Kingdom
of Yugoslavia. However, a few days later
World War II began.
World War II
Initially, Yugoslavia supported the Axis,
but a military revolt removed the king
of Yugoslavia, and the country was then
invaded by Nazi troops. A kingdom of
Croatia was established, which was to
be governed by Aimone of Savoy, but in
reality it was an independent state led by
Assassination of King Alexander in Marseilles (1934) Pavelić. Italy took control of the islands and
cities of the Dalmatian coast. Resistance
From the State of Slovenes, gained ground in all of Yugoslavia led by
Croats and Serbs to the Kingdom the Communist Party and its chief, Marshal
of Yugoslavia Tito: from 1941 to 1945 Croatia was
Croatia proclaimed independence in 1918, bloodied by war and internal conflicts that
but a few months later agreed to be part of caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.
a state formed by Slovenes and Serbs under
the Serbian dynasty of Karađorđević. The Marshal Tito
Treaty of Rapallo (1920) allotted Istria, Zadar, At the end of the war the state of Yugoslavia
the islands of Cres, Lošinj, Lastovo and was reunited, and regained land granted
Palagruža to Italy, followed in 1924 by Rijeka. to Italy after World War I (see p51), as well
The discontent of Croatians led many to join as the area of
the People’s Peasant Party, led by Stjepan Prekomurje and
Radić until he was shot and fatally wounded a part of
in parliament in Belgrade in 1928. The revolts Baranja, which
which broke out in Croatia were repressed were both
and in 1929 King Alexander abolished the Hungarian at
constitution and then established the the time.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The assassination of In 1948, the
the king in Marseilles (1934) by a member break between
of a Macedonian revolutionary group the Yugoslav
working with the Ustaše (Croatian fascists), Communist Tito with his wife and son in a photo
led by Ante Pavelić, increased tension, and Party and the from 1927

1948 Yugoslavia breaks
1919 Treaty of Paris: a country of away from Soviet influence
Slovenes, Croats and Serbs is 1934 King Alexander is and begins policy of
created, which later becomes the killed in Marseilles; his non-alignment
kingdom of Yugoslavia cousin Paul takes power
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970
1929 King Alexander 1939–41 World War II:
Karađorđević proclaims a Yugoslavia is conquered 1947–48 Exodus of nearly all the
dictatorship. Croat Ante Pavelić and divided, and Croatia Italians from Istria and Dalmatia
founds terrorist organization of nominally becomes
Ustaše to fight the Serbs a kingdom under 1945 The Yugoslav Federal
Aimone of Savoy state is founded

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