Dubrovnik and Dalmacija travel guide

1808: Napoleon Annexes
Republic of Ragusa
In 1806, French troops saved
Dubrovnik from a month-long
siege by Russian and Montenegrin
forces. Two years later, Napoleon
claimed Ragusa for France.
Napoleon Bonaparte
1945: Tito Comes to Power
The Croatian-born marshal
came to power in the aftermath
of World War II, and set about
establishing a socialist republic
where ethnic differences between
Serbs, Croats, Macedonians,
Slovenes, Montenegrins and
Bosnians were suppressed in
favour of allegiance to the
“mother country”. Until his death
in 1980, Tito skilfully played the
West off against the Soviet Bloc,
and built one of the biggest
armed forces in Europe.
1991: Croatia Declares its
Independence
A landslide referendum saw
Croatia declare independence
from Yugoslavia. Irregular Serbian
units, backed up by the Yugoslav
military, attacked the fledgling
republic and besieged Dubrovnik.
Hostilities had ceased by the end
of 1995, and all captured Croatian
territory was returned by 1998.
Top 10 Historical
Figures
Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian (245–316) chose
to build his retirement palace
on the Adriatic coast, founding
Split in the process (see p25).
King Tomislav
Many Croats still consider
Croatia’s first king a hero.
Grgur of Nin
This 10th-century bishop
campaigned for the use of
the Croatian language (rather
than Latin) in church services.
Napoleon Bonaparte
An unlikely champion of
Slavic expression, Napoleon
(1769–1821) promoted Slavic
languages in schools in the
Illyrian Provinces.
Ban Josip Jelai
Croatian army officer and
nationalist Jelai (1801–59)
stood up to the mighty
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Juraj Strossmayer
Bishop Strossmayer (1815–
1905) called for a pan-Slavic
state, helping to clear the way
for the formation of Yugoslavia.
Ante Paveli
Leader of the fascist Ustaše
movement, Paveli (1889–1959)
became head of the short-lived
Independent State of Croatia
during World War II.
Marshal Tito
Tito (1892–1980) fought
the Axis forces before leading
Yugoslavia after World War II.
Franjo Tuman
Tuman (1922–99) became
first president of the newly
independent Croatia in 1991.
Stepjan Mesi
A former Tuman ally, the
current Croatian president
(b. 1934) has reinvented himself
as the respectable face
of modern Croatian politics.
Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast
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