Military history of Croatia

Military history of Croatia

The military history of Croatia includes the history of wars, battles and all military affairs fought in the territory of modern Croatia and the military history of the Croats regardless of political geography.

Contents

Medieval Croatian state

Croatian principalities

First mention of Croatian military actions dates back to the time of Croatian principalities in 8th and 9th century. Prince Vojnomir led Croatian army in wars against Avars at the end of 8th century. He launched a joint counterattack with the help of Frankish troops under King Charlemagne in 791. The offensive was successful and the Avars were driven out of Croatia. Croatian Prince Ljudevit Posavski raised in 819 in Pannonian Croatia a rebellion against Frankish rule. Ljudevit won many battles against Franks, but eventually, in 822 his forces were defeated. One of the main roles in crushing Ljudevit's rebellion had Prince Borna of Croatia who led the army of Littoral Croatia. Borna reported his successes to the Frankish Emperor, stating that Ljudevit lost over 3,000 soldiers and 300 horses in his campaign. Croatian prince Trpimir battled successfully against his neighbours, the Byzantine coastal cities under the strategos of Zadar in 846–848. In 853 he repulsed an attack from an Army of the Bulgarian Khan Boris I and concluded a peace treaty with him, exchanging gifts. Prince Domagoj of Croatia is known in the history for his navy which helped the Franks to conquer Bari from the Arabs in 871. During Domagoj's reign piracy was a common practice, which earned him a title of The worst duke of Slavs (Latin: pessimus dux Sclavorum). One of the strongest Croatian princes was Branimir, whose naval fleet defeated the Venetian navy on 18 September 887.

Kingdom of Croatia

First Croatian king Tomislav defeated the Magyar mounted invasions of the Arpads in battle and forced them across the Drava River. In 927 Tomislav's army heavily defeated the army of Bulgarian Emperor Simeon, under the command of general Alobogotur in the Battle of the Bosnian Highlands. One of Tomislav's admirals lead more than 5,000 sailors, soldiers and their families into Slavic quarter of Palermo Sicily. At the peak of his reign, according to Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos' De Administrando Imperio, written around 950, Tomislav could raise a vast military force composed out of 100,000 infantrymen and 60,000 horsemen and a sizable fleet of 80 large ships and 100 smaller vessels (these numbers are highly disputed from today's point of view). King Dmitar Zvonimir of Croatia took the hard line against the Byzantine Empire and joined the Normansin wars against Byzantium. When Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia, invaded the western Balkan provinces of the empire in 1084, Zvonimir sent troops to his aid. King Petar Svačić's troops maintained resistance against repelling Hungarian assaults at Mount Gvozd in the war for the succession of the Croatian throne. At the end, the last native Croatian king was defeated and killed by King Coloman of Hungary in the Battle of Gvozd Mountain (1097).

Battle of Gvozd Mountain
Croatian ban Nikola Šubić Zrinski during Battle of Szigetvár
"The Zrinski Guard" – Croatian military uniform from the 16th century

Notable wars and battles of early medieval times

Notable wars and battles that included Croatian army:

Croatian-Ottoman Wars

Main article: Croatian-Ottoman Wars
Main article: Ottoman–Habsburg wars

Historic units and formations originating from the time of the Ottoman wars:

19th century

Croatian ban and general Josip Jelačić

At the beginning of 19th century many Croatian troops (as a part of Austrian imperial army) fought in Napoleonic wars against French Grande Armée. After the Treaty of Schönbrunn and formation of Illyrian Provinces, several Croatian units were formed as a part of French Army.

On the wave of French revolution, at the end of first half of 19th century Croatian romantic nationalism emerged to counteract the non-violent but apparent Germanization and Magyarization. By the 1840s, and during revolutions of 1848 the movement had moved from cultural goals to resisting Hungarian political demands which grew even bigger during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Croatian Ban Josip Jelačić cooperated with the Austrians in quenching the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 by leading a military campaign into Hungary.

Croatian troops also contributed in other conflicts who involved Austrian Empire. According to the sources, out of 7,871 sailors on Austrian ships around 5,000 were Croats.[1] Many of Croatian sailors fought on Austrian side in 1866 during Third Italian War of Independence in Battle of Vis.

World War I

Main article: World War I
General Stjepan Sarkotić

During World war I, Croatian soldiers served in Croatian Home Guard units, Croatian military section of Austro-Hungarian army formed after Croatian–Hungarian Agreement of 1868. Most notable Croatian commanders of that time were Field Marshal Svetozar Boroević, General Stjepan Sarkotić and Admiral Maximilian Njegovan.

Notable battles of World war I that included Croatian troops:

Field Marshal Svetozar Boroević

End of the WWI was followed by dissolution of Austro-Hungarian monarchy and formation of new national states. The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was formed from the southernmost parts of the Austria-Hungary but it lasted for only a month. After it was clear that Austria-Hungary had lost World War I, the Austrian government decided to give much of the Austro-Hungarian Navy fleet, to the newly-formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. This move would have avoided handing the fleet to the Allies, since the new state had declared neutrality. Soon, the Fleet was attacked and dismembered by the Italian Regia Marina and the flag-ship SMS Viribus Unitis was sunk along with his captain and commander of Navy of the newly formed state, admiral Janko Vuković.

World War II

Main article: Yugoslav Front (World War II)

Battles of World War II:

Croatian War of Independence

Main article: Croatian War of Independence

Battles of Croatian War of Independence:

See also

References

  1. ^ The Battle of Vis, by Ante Sucur
  • Enciklopedija leksikografskog zavoda 1966–69 (Croatian)
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v · d · eCroatia Wars and battles involving Croatia  
Medieval wars and battles
8th/9th-century battles
Siege of Trsat • Battle of Kupa • Battle of Makarska (887) •
Croatian-Hungarian wars
Battle of Drava River (925) • Battle of Gvozd Mountain •
Croatian-Bulgarian wars
Croatian-Bulgarian battle of 927 • Battle of the Bosnian Highlands •
Croatian-Venetian wars
Battle of Omiš (948) • Battle of Lastovo (1000) •
High and Late Middle Ages wars and battles
Siege of Zadar • Fifth Crusade • Battle of Grobnik field • Battle of Bliska • Bosnian-Dubrovnik War (1403-1404) • Battle of Samobor • Crusade of Varna •
Zvonimir.jpg Triune Kingdom of Croatia unofficial.gif
Croatian-Ottoman Wars
Hundred Years' Croatian-Ottoman War (1493–1593)
Battle of Krbava field • Battle of Mohács • Siege of Jajce • Hungarian campaign of 1527–1528 • Balkan campaign of 1529 • Little War in Hungary • Siege of Klis • Battle of Đakovo • Siege of Đurđevac (1552) • Siege of Gvozdansko • Battle of Slunj (1584) • Battle of Sisak •
Long War (1593–1606)
Great Turkish War (1662–1699)
Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) • Battle of Otočac (1663) • Battle of Novi Zrin (1664) • Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664) • Battle of Mohács (1687) • Battle of Slankamen • Battle of Zenta •
18th-century Ottoman wars
Battle of Saint Gotthard (1705) • Battle of Petrovaradin • Battle of Banja Luka • Battle of Drežnik (1788) • Battle of Cetingrad (1790) •
European 17th/18th-century
wars
19th-century wars
Battle of Castiglione • Battle of Bassano • Battle of Ostrach • Battle of Stockach (1799) • Battle of Marengo • Battle of Caldiero (1805) • Battle of Austerlitz • Battle of Landshut (1809) • Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit • Battle of Sankt Michael • Battle of Raab • Battle of Graz • Battle of Leipzig •
Battle of Pákozd • Vienna Uprising • Battle of Schwechat • Battle of Mór • Battle of Kápolna • Battles of Komárom • Battle of Temesvár •
Third Italian War of Independence
Austro-Hungarian – Bosnia-Herzegovinian War
Battle of Vitez (1878) • Battle of Sarajevo (1878) •
20th-century wars
Invasion of Yugoslavia • Battle of Kozara • Battle of Livno • Battle of Stalingrad • Battle of Neretva • Operation Otto • Battle of the Sutjeska • Raid on Drvar • Syrmian Front • Battle on Lijevče field • Battle of Sarajevo (1945) •
Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995)
Pakrac clash • Plitvice Lakes incident • Borovo Selo killings • Operation Coast-91 • Dalj massacre • Battle of Osijek • Battle of Vukovar • Vukovar massacre • Battle of Šibenik • Battle of the Barracks • Battle of the Dalmatian channels • Gospić massacre • Siege of Dubrovnik • Operation Otkos 10 • Operation Orkan 91 • Operation Vihor • Miljevci plateau incident • Operation Maslenica • Operation Medak Pocket • Operation Winter '94 • Operation Flash • Operation Summer '95 • Operation Storm • Operation Maestral •
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995)
Siege of Sarajevo • Siege of Bihać • Operation Vrbas '92 • Operation Koridor • Siege of Mostar • Operation Neretva '93 •
Category •

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