Croatia Key Dates

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Key Dates:
9 AD    New Roman province of Illyricum includes present-day Dalmatia.
10 AD    New Roman province of Pannonia includes present-day Slavonia.
400-600 AD    Illyricum raided by semi-nomadic invaders – including Goths and Avars.
7th C.    Croats start to settle in the Lower Danube valley.
925    Croatia becomes an independent kingdom.
1091    Croatia conquered by Hungary.
1102    Dynastic union with Hungary formed.
c. 1450    Weakened Hungary unable to prevent Ottoman occupation of neighbouring Bosnia & Hercegovina. Dalmatia falls under Venetian control.
1526    Battle of Mohacs sees the Ottoman Empire defeat Hungary and capture Slavonia.
1527    Remaining part of Croatia chooses to accept Hapsburg rule to deter further Ottoman advances.
1699    Treaty of Karlowitz restores northern part of Slavonia to Croatia.
1797-1815    Dalmatia and Dubrovnik pass to Hapsburg control.
1809-1813    Parts of Croatia occupied by Napoleonic France.
1848-49    Croatian forces help Austria put down Hungarian revolution.
1849    Croatia-Slavonia formed as separate Austrian Crown-land.
1868    Croatia-Slavonia becomes autonomous crown-land under Hungary.
October 1918    Austro-Hungarian Empire near collapse following major defeats in World War I.
29 October 1918    Proclamation of the State Of Slovenes, Croats And Serbs.
1 December 1918    Croatia is incorporated into the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
3 October 1929    Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is renamed Yugoslavia.
1934    King Alexander assassinated by Croatian separatists.
1938    Regional elections won by a Croatian separatist party.
1939    Agreement reached on Croatian autonomy.
6 April 1941    Yugoslavia is invaded and occupied by the military forces of Germany and its allies.
April 1941    Independent State of Croatia established with fascist puppet government.
late 1943    Allies begin support of Partisans led by Marshal Tito. (The only resistance group with supporters in all regions of Yugoslavia)
May 1945    Independent State of Croatia effectively ceases to exist.
29 November 1945    Tito becomes Prime Minister after one-party elections.
31 January 1946    New constitution establishes ‘Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia’ with Croatia as one of it’s constituent republics. Monarchy abolished and Soviet-style government established.
4 May 1980    Marshal Tito dies. He is succeeded by a collective presidency.
April 1990    First multi-party elections held – nationalist party wins.
25 June 1991    Croatia declares independence from Yugoslavia.
January 1992    Ceasefire declared in independence war.
20 March 1994    Ceasefire agreed with Serb rebels controlling self-declared Republic of Krajina.
August 1995    Start of Operation Storm – Croatian military offensive to recapture Krajina.
January 1998    Croatia resumes control over Eastern Slavonia.
2000    Right-wing nationalists defeated in parliamentary elections.
February 2003    Croatia formally applies to join European Union.
October 2005    EU agrees to start accession talks.

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