Slavonia

Historic Coat of arms of Slavonia (Habsburg Monarchy)

Map of Croatia with Slavonia highlighted

Detailed map of Slavonia with main cities and towns

Slavonia (Croatian and Bosnian: Slavonija, Serbian: Славонија, Slavonija, Hungarian: Szlavónia, Latin: Sclavonia) 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.

Geography

The area is divided into five counties, with a total population of 891,259 (2001 census). Two more counties mostly located in Central Croatia also include some western parts of Slavonia. 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, Donji Miholjac, Belišće.

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.

Historically, the 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 occupied 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).

History

This region was originally part of the Roman province of Pannonia. In the 7th century a Slavonic state owing allegiance to the Avars was established, but soon replaced by the Croats. Slavonia was defended by King Tomislav of the House of Trpimirović from Hungarian invaders and annexed to his newly-created Kingdom of Croatia in 925. In 1027 a Hungarian Army under Stjepan Svetoslavić of the side branch of the Trpimirović dynasty took Slavonia and made it the Slavonian Banate of the Kingdom of Hungary, ruled by its own dynasty of Svetoslavić. Slavonia was reunified with Croatia in the 1070s under King Dmitar Zvonimir Svetoslavić. In 1091 it separated again and accepted the suzerainty of the Hungarian crown. 11 years later, the rest of Croatia also accepted the suzerainty of the Hungarian crown. In the 12th century it became the practice that the successor of the throne first became Duke of "whole Slavonia" (like the eldest British prince becomes Prince of Wales), and there were some power grabs since in many cases son waged war against father while trying to establish and confirm his power base. Though Slavonia was originally considered to be part of the Kingdom of Hungary by Hungarian public law, it became more and more separated from the Kingdom of Hungary and more and more tied to the Kingdom of Croatia.

In the 13th century, Croatia was divided into 2 banovinas, one of which was named Slavonia (the other keeping the name Croatia). The nobility of Slavonia was more connected to Hungary than was the nobility of Croatia. In the late 13th century the eastern parts of the region were turned into the semi-independent state of the powerful local ruler Csák Ugrin, although the Hungarian King took the area in 1311 after the death of Ugrin.

Ever since the fall of the Serbian Despotate migrations of Serbs under the Ottoman yoke took place, including their nobility who became an important political factor in Slavonia. Slavonia and Croatia were ruled by separate bans until 1476 when these two ruling positions were merged into one.

When the Ottoman Turks invaded the Kingdom of Hungary and destroyed the Hungarian army at the battle of the Mohács in 1526, the Croatian Parliament invited the Habsburgs to assume control over Croatia. After many fierce battles the Ottomans conquered all of today's Slavonia bit by bit in 1529, 1536, 1540, 1543 and 1552, but not the whole of the late medieval Kingdom of Slavonia (its borders extending west to the Sutla river), with Habsburgs ruling over the western remaints around Zagreb, today considered Central Croatian region.

Kingdom of Slavonia in 1751

The Habsburgs took the entire region from the Ottomans in the Great Turkish War, a result affirmed by the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. During Habsburg rule, the Kingdom of Slavonia was a Habsburg province and was part of both the Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom of Hungary. The southern parts of present-day Slavonia were not included in this province, but into the Habsburg Military Frontier (Slavonian Krajina), which the Slavonian nobles at 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, Kupa and Sutla Rivers, Habsburg Slavonia was extended eastwards to include 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 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 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 for the rest of Croatia-Slavonia, the region became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in December 1918. Between 1922 and 1929, it was a province known as the Osijek Oblast (Osijek Province), administered from Osijek, and since the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, part of the Sava Banovina administered from Zagreb. In August 1939 it became part of the Banovina of Croatia.

Kingdom of Slavonia in 1849

During World War II, Slavonia became part of the Nazi puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia. 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, the Serbs of Krajina proclaimed their own state that comprised 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 the Croatian half of Baranja. This part of Krajina was ethnically mixed with a relative Croatian majority and witnessed bitter fighting during the war (See: War in Croatia). The 1991 Battle of Vukovar was the most important event of the war in this area. The western portion of Slavonia, controlled by RSK, included the area around Okučani and most of the Psunj mountain. In May 1995 the western region was seized by Croatian forces in the military Operation Flash. In 1996 the east was turned over to the UNTAES and integrated into Croatia by January 1998.

Counties

Five counties of Croatia located mostly in the Slavonia region are:

• Osijek-Baranja County (mostly in Slavonia, but also include Baranja region)
• Vukovar-Syrmia County (including the western part of Syrmia)
• Brod-Posavina County
• Požega-Slavonia County
• Virovitica-Podravina County

Two counties located mostly in Central Croatia, but also include parts of Slavonia:

• Sisak-Moslavina County
• Bjelovar-Bilogora County

Demographics

The rough population of Slavonia (comprising five Slavonian counties) numbering 891,259 people (2001 census), including:

• 763,323 (85.65%) Croats
• 78,085 (8.76%) Serbs
• others (including Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Bosniaks, Italians, Rusyns, Ukrainians etc.)

Miscellaneous

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.

Slavonian tradition

Slavonians are very familiar in that part of the Europe because of their traditional food. This foos includes so called kobasica (kobasytsa) sausage, kulen and krvavica. Most of traditional Slavonian dishes is made of pork, but lamb and beef are also very popular. During the great hunger on the Balkan many people came to Slavonia because in that time, Slavonia was te only part of the Balcan where you could live without empty stomach.

Slavonian warrior skills

Slavonian are also very familiar because of their warrior skills. In the Thirty years war Slavonian cavalrymen where the ones who killed Swedish king Gustav Adolf. In several occasions, Slavonian cavalrymen defeated 5 or even 10 times stronger enemy. Once the Slavonian cavalry squadron of 40 men killed over 200 French infantrymen, while losing only 2 wounded. In the War of the Austrian succession, one of the best Austrian guerilla leaders was Slavonian baron Franjo Trenk (sometimes refer as Franz Trenk). He mobilized one Corps made of Slavonian warriors. This Corps numbered little more than 1.000 men, poorly equipped. But they had excellent mobility and they were very brave. Friedrich the Great described them as "very brave, unstoppable when they are charging, they are not afraid of guns, smoke, fire, they use cover of darkness or fog to attack our troops. If there are perfect soldiers, I'm sure that Slavonians are they." Trenks men had a nickname "pandur". Each pandur was armed with a pair of pistols, a saber, a rifle and jatagan. In one battle against the combined Franco-Bavarian forces which numbered over 3.000 troops, Slavonian battalion of only 124 men defeated them in only fem hours and killed over 700 French. During the siege of Prussian fortress Kosel, Austrian army of 9.000 men couldn't take the fort which was defended by 6.000 Prussians. 13 pandurs crossed the ditch during the night, killed the guards on the walls and set up a bridgehead on the other side of the ditch. When Prussians saw what is going on, they started a counterattack. But on the walls were 200 pandurs, and they were followed by another 1.800 pandurs. After half on hour, Kosel fell in to the hands of the Slavonians. In this action only 10 pandurs were killed, and 35 of them were wounded. They killed 150 Prussians and captured the rest of them. Pandurs succeed in defeating far stronger enemy in several more actions. They have taken Zoptenberg, and then they were counterattacked by 6.000 Prussian infantry and hussars. But pandurs managed to escape the encirclement with much of loot. In 1741. they defended the bridge over Danube river at Vienna. Here they captured 5 ships with hays. In January 1742. they attacked the town of Claus, killed the guards and called the rest of the Prussian garrison to surrender. The whole garrison of Claus and two other forts have surrendered. Pandurs captured 664 soldiers, 2 officers, 5 cannons and 48 big rifles. They have taken the French fortress of Linz. French garrison and their commanding officer, Segur, could come out with weapons, but only after they promised that they will not fight against Maria Theresa for the next one year. In this skirmish Trenk's pandurs lost just 6 killed and 15 wounded. Among the wounded was Trenk. French fortresses in Deggendorf, Mainburg, Neustadt and Reichenhall also surrendered when they heard that against them are Slavonians. In the battles Slavonians always attacked with their music playing loudly. Generals of that time said that "Slavonians are fighting in the Turskih stile". During the war Slavonians killed 7.000 French and Bavarians and 3.000 Prussians. Once they almost captured Friedrich the Greathimself. They were the fighting fist of the Austrian cavalry during the Napoleonic wars. They were great problem for Napoleon during his Italian campaign, because the Slavonian cavalry was cutting the Napoleon's supply lines. Napoleon's Marshal Auguste Marmont was once told by one scout that in front of his army is a camp of 200 Austrian cavalrymen. Marmont asked him: How this cavalrymen look alike? The scout answered: They have fern hats, black horses, long coats and they are all moustached. Marmont turned his back on scout and said: Slavonians! Slavonians! Scout said: But there is only 200 of them, we can take them out in few seconds! Marmont put his hand of scouts shoulder and said: My boy, you don't know what are the Slavonians. It is better to met with 200.000 Black watch grenadiers, then 200 Slavonians. In [[WWI] Slavonians fought mostly on the Eastern front, but many of them deserted because they didn't want to fight against the Russians and Cossacks. (In Slavonia always was strong pro-Russian and panslavic influence. They never wanted to fight against the other Slavs. Even today, Slavonians consider every other Slavs as their countrymen, all Slavs, except the Serbs, because of the Croatian war of independence. But Slavonians also fought on the Italian front where they terrify the Italians with their night attacks. One Italian captain wrote:"I would rather lead my company into worst artillery baragge, than into the hands of two ragged Panonians (Slavonians). During WWII Slavonia created a whole corps of Yugoslav partisans (6th Slavonian corps). This Corps killed over 60.000 Axis troops. Best unit of the Yugoslav partisans was 12th Slavonian division. During the war, over 12.000 men past through the ranks of this division, and they killed over 40.000 Axis troops, suffering only 5.000 casualties. Slavonians are very aggressive fighters, very terrifying in the hand to hand combat. They usually fight to the last man and they never retreat. During the suicidal actions in Yugoslavia in WWII, usually for covering retreat of the main forces, Tito almost always pick Slavonians to do this actions. In modern warfare, best example of the Slavonian warrior skill is Battle of Vukovar, where less than 2.000 Slavonians stopped over 40.000 Serbs and YPA soldiers for three months. In the 21st century, Slavonians are mostly soldiers of fortune in the various parts of the world, especially in the Iraq.

Slavonian tomb-stone

In the chancel at St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham, between Southampton and Winchester, England, there is a tomb inscribed to Slavonian merchants who died in 1491. The tombstone bears a shield charged with a double-headed eagle surrounded by Gothic foliage; round the edge of the slab runs a marginal inscription with the evangelistic symbols at the four angles — "Sepultura De La Schola De Sclavoni Año Dñi MCCCCLXXXXI" ("The Burial Place of the Guild of Slavonians").

The tomb originated in the fifteenth century when a fair was held at Winchester starting on St. Giles' Day in early September. At the time, this was the largest fair in Europe; for the sixteen days of the fair, all other trading at Southampton and at every place within seven leagues of Winchester was prohibited, and the Bishop of Winchester received the revenues normally due to the King.

Among the many foreigners who attended the fair were some who formed themselves into a guild — the "Schola dei Sclavoni" or Guild of Slavonians. Their business was so great that in 1491 they purchased a vault in North Stoneham church where they might inter any of their guild who should chance to die in England. The need for their vault soon arose, for in 1499 highwaymen attacked their trade convoy between Southampton and Winchester and killed two of their number.

Gallery

• 
  Osijek, St. Michael's Church
• 
  Art Nouveau Façade of Osijek
• 
  Đakovo, St. Peter's Cathedral
• 
  Vukovar, Main Street
• 
  Valpovo, River Karašica and bridge Malta
• 
  Valpovo, Palace of Count Normann- Prandau
• 
  Fortress and city of Požega (13th century)
• 
  Kino Urania (Urania Cinema), Osijek

See also

• Kingdom of Slavonia
• Banovina of Slavonia
• Croatia-Slavonia
• Slavonian Krajina
• Sava Banovina

External links

• Slavonia - Croatia Tourist Center