History of Croatia

At the time of the Roman Empire, the area of modern Croatia comprised two Roman provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the area was subjugated by the Ostrogoths for 50 years, before being incorporated into the Byzantine Empire.

Croatia, as a polity, first appeared as a duchy in the 7th century, the Duchy of Croatia. With the nearby Principality of Lower Pannonia,^[1] it was united and elevated into the Kingdom of Croatia which lasted from 925 until 1102. From the 12th century, the Kingdom of Croatia entered a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary. It remained a distinct state with its ruler (Ban) and Sabor, but it elected royal dynasties from neighboring powers, primarily Hungary, Naples, and the Habsburg monarchy.

The period from the 15th to the 17th centuries was marked by intense struggles between the Ottoman Empire to the south and the Habsburg Empire to the north.

Following the First World War and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Croatian lands were incorporated into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Following the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, the puppet state Independent State of Croatia the Axis powers satellite state, was established. It was defeated in May 1945, after the Bleiburg repatriations. The Socialist Republic of Croatia was formed as a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1991, Croatia's leadership severed ties with Yugoslavia and proclaimed independence amidst the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

^ Rao, D. Vijaya; Rao, D. Vijaya (2012), "Preface", Armies, Wars and their Food, Cambridge University Press, pp. ix–x, doi:10.1017/upo9788175969384.002, ISBN 978-81-7596-938-4

[1] Rao, D. Vijaya; Rao, D. Vijaya (2012), "Preface", Armies, Wars and their Food, Cambridge University Press, pp. ix–x, doi:10.1017/upo9788175969384.002, ISBN 978-81-7596-938-4

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