Slavonia
Slavonia (
Croatian:
Slavonija) is a geographical and historical region in eastern
Croatia. It is a fertile agricultural and forested lowland bounded, in part, by the
Drava river in the north, the
Sava river in the south, and the
Danube river in the east.
The area is divided in seven counties, total population of 781,454 (2001). The biggest city is
Osijek with a population of 114,616 (2001). Other cities are:
Slavonski Brod,
Vinkovci,
Vukovar,
Đakovo,
Požega,
Virovitica,
Nova Gradiška,
Slatina,
Županja,
Našice,
Valpovo,
Belišće.
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Map of Croatia with Slavonia highlighted |
While generally known as a lowland, Slavonia does actually have a number of hills. The main ones are
Psunj,
Papuk,
Požeška Gora,
Ravna gora,
Krndija and
Dilj, which in turn encircle the valley of Požega.
It should be noted that during the history borders of Slavonia fluctuated. In the early medieval period of the
Kingdom of Hungary, Slavonia was a vassal province of the Kingdom, and included only the western part of present-day Slavonia, but also parts of present-day central
Croatia (including
Zagreb) and the western and northern parts of present-day
Bosnia (The eastern parts of present-day Slavonia belonged to Hungary proper). In the late Medieval period Slavonia ocupied territories between the rivers
Sava,
Drava,
Sutla and
Danube. In the 18th and 19th century, the Kingdom of Slavonia was a province of the
Habsburg Monarchy, and included northern parts of present day regions of Slavonia and
Syrmia, while the southern parts of these regions were part of the Habsburg
Military Frontier (
Slavonian Krajina).
The region was originally part of the Roman province of
Pannonia. In the 7th century a Slavic state owing allegiance to the
Avars was established, soon replaced by the (also Slavic)
Croats and later part of their kingdom. Slavonia, unlike the rest of Croatia, came into personal union with the
Kingdom of Hungary in 1091, 11 years before the rest of the Croatian Kingdom, recognizing Hungarian king as the Croatian one. In the 12th century there was a practice that succesor of the throne first became Herzeg of Croatia (like the oldest British prince is prince of Wales), and there were some power grabs since in many cases son waged war against father, trying to establish and confirm its power base.
In the 13th century, Croatia was divided into 2 banovinas, one of which was named
Slavonia (other keeping the name Croatia). Nobility in Slavonia was more connected to Hungary (because of its proximity) than the nobility of Croatia. Both, Slavonia and Croatia were ruled by separate
bans, until 1476, when these two ruling positions were merged into one.
When Ottoman Turks invaded the Kingdom of Hungary and destroyed the Hungarian army at
Mohács in 1526, the
Croatian Parliament invited the
Habsburgs to assume control over Croatia. After many fierce battles Ottomans conquered all of today's Slavonia, but not the whole of the Medieval Croatia (its borders stretching west to Sutla river).
Habsburgs took the region from the Ottomans by the
Treaty of Karlowitz (1699). During the Habsburg rule, the
Kingdom of Slavonia was a Habsburg province, and it was part of both, the Kingdom of Croatia, and the Kingdom of Hungary. Southern parts of the present-day Slavonia were not included into this province, but into Habsburg
Military Frontier (
Slavonian Krajina), which Slavonian nobles numerous times tried to integrate into Slavonia, but with no success. Post-1699 Slavonia was a different geographical entity from the medieval Slavonia. Whereas medieval Slavonia incorporated the territories between the Drava and Kupa Rivers, Habsburg Slavonia was extended eastwards to refer to the sparsely populated territories between the Sava and Drava Rivers.
During the
Revolutions of 1848 Slavonia was temporarily united with Croatia under the Ban
Josip Jelačić. After 1849, both, Slavonia and Croatia were affirmed as a completely separate
Habsburg crown lands. Following the 1868 Settlement (
hrvatsko-ugarska nagodba) with the Kingdom of Hungary, Slavonia was joined with Croatia in the single
Croatia-Slavonia kingdom, which although it was under the suzerainty of the Crown of Saint Stephen kept a certain level of self-rule. The year 1881 also saw the final dissolution of the Slavonian Krajina and its incorporation into the existing Slavonian Counties.
As a rest of the Croatia-Slavonia, the region became part of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia) in December 1918. Between 1922 and 1929, it was a province known as the
Osijek Oblast (province), administered from Osijek, and since 1929, it was part of the
Sava Banovina, administered from Zagreb. In August 1939, it became part of the
Banovina of Croatia.
During
World War II, it was part of the
Independent State of Croatia (its northern section controlled by the
Nazi Germany). When the
Yugoslav federation was formed after the war, Slavonia became part of the Socialist Republic of
Croatia.
When Croatia declared its independence in 1991, Serbs of proclaimed their own state over portions of eastern and western Slavonia. The eastern portion was referred to as the
Serbian Autonomous Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia, and it encompassed roughly everything east of
Osijek and
Vinkovci and northeast of
Županja, including the cities of
Vukovar and
Ilok, as well as all of
Baranja. This part of Krajina was ethnically mixed with a Croatian relative majority and had seen bitter fighting during the war (See:
War in Croatia). The western portion included the area around
Okučani and most of the
Psunj moutain. In May 1995, the western region was restored to Croatian control in the military
Operation Flash. In 1996 the east was turned over to the
UNTAES, and reintegrated into Croatia by January 1998.
Wheat and
maize are the major crops, and the leading industry is
food processing. It also has some
oil and
natural gas resources.
A subspecies of
pedunculate (common)
oak Quercus robur slavonica is named after Slavonia. The region is home to these and sessile oaks.
Image:St. Michael's Church, Osijek.jpg|Osijek, St. Michael's ChurchImage:Osijek.jpg|Baroque Façade of OsijekImage:StPeter's Cathedral Dakovo.jpg|Đakovo, St. Peter's CathedralImage:Main street, Vukovar.jpg|Vukovar, Main StreetImage:Karašica&malta.JPG|Valpovo, River Karašica and bridge MaltaImage:Pallace of Count Normann-Prandau.jpg|Valpovo, Palace of Count Normann- PrandauImage:Medieval pozega.jpg|Fortress and city of Požega (18th century)Image:Urania Cinema, Osijek.jpg|Kino Urania (Urania Cinema), Osijek*
Kingdom of Slavonia*
Banovina of Slavonia*
Croatia-Slavonia*
Slavonian Krajina
