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The history of Croatia on Best European Cruises.

Modern Croatia was known as Illyricum during the Roman Empire era, Pula and Split being the region’s most important towns of that period. The first Slavs came here in the 7th century but political problems tempted the Venetians to invade the coast in the 11th century. Their foothold on the region remained until Venice was conquered by Napoleon in 1797. In 1815 Croatia was taken over by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but after its defeat in World War 1, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia). The German invasion in 1941 prompted tens of thousands of Croats to join the partisans led by Josip Broz, also known as Marsal Tito.

After the Second World War, the Yugoslav Federation was restored and Tito became prime minister. Croatia and Slovenia were the federation’s economic powerhouses, performing far better than the southern republics (Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro). After Tito’s death in 1980, Yugoslavia became increasingly Serb-dominated, and Croatia began to fear for its political autonomy. The rise to power of Slobodan Milosevic, an ultra nationalist Serb and a “Greater Serbia” advocate prompted Croatia to declare independence on 25 June 1991, under the leadership of Franjo Tudman. But the Serb minority in the enclave of Krajina rebelled and formed an independent entity known as the Republic of Serbian Krajina.

A devastating war broke out in the Krajina and the Serb communities of east Croatia, killing 10 000 people and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes. A series of international peace deals brought the war to a temporary halt, but fighting resumed in January 1993, when the Croatian army launched an offensive in southern Krajina to retake lost territories from the Serbs. A new offensive was launched in 1 May 1995, consolidating their hold on recaptured lands and essentially setting Croatia’s new borders. The Dayton Agreement finally brought a lasting peace to Croatia and Franjo Tudman became the republic’s first president.

Croatia’s problems didn’t end with the war, as Tudman’s regime became increasingly oppressive and corrupt. Tudman died of cancer in 1999 and a centre-left coalition led by Stipe Mesic came to power a year later. Croatia has applied for EU membership and is expected to become a member by 2012.

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