ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1956-05-23

tTO3UEa , pOSIHOn WlCnln the haDSDurg Monarchy
General circumstances affecting Croatia
Political, economic and social causes of emigration
n uring the time of the Croatian emigration, towards
IL the end of the 10Th Century and the beginning of the
goth Century, Croatia formed a part of the Habsburg
Monarchy. To be exact one should say Croatian territories,
for the country had been divided into several provinces
within the frame of the Monarchy.
The Habsburg Monarchy, after having gone through
the years of the Revolution and the bloody Civil War,
1~848-1849, and after having suffered heavy defeats in the
wars with France and Italy at Solferino, 1859, and with
Prussia at Koenigraetz, 1866, although victorious against
Italy at Custozza and Wis, 1866, did not succeed in giving
her Danubian Empire the new form which the political sit
uation demanded. Austria, the true Habsburg family state,
kept her territory of various nations only by means of
her dynasty, diplomacy and army together. Those nations
had nothing at all in common Thus the Habsburg Mon
archy failed in her historical mission to transform her
family inheritance into a modern Commonwealth of Ma
lions, and to create either the Danubian United States of
Europe or another bigger Switzerland. This would have
been the only way to respect the legitimate individuality
of each nation concerned.
The Habsburg chose otherwise. Under the great
strain of the international situation, and forced by in
creasing difficulties inside the Empire, an A~ustro-Hunga-
rian agreement in the form of a compromise was. signed
in 1867. This agreement divided the Monarchy into two
halves, Austria under German masters and Hungary with
the power in the hands of the Magyar aristocracy. Off
SioAy JIG SASCllS, IOItS, SlOVeucS duu lLdlIdUS were put
into German harness, while the Magyars dominated the
Serbs, Slovaks, Ukrainians and Rumanians. AS for the
Croats, they were subject to both masters. Dalmatia and
lstria, both Croatian provinces, came under Austrian rule,
The Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia occupied
a special position among the st. Stephen Crown Lands
H1ungary). This position was to be clarified by a special
Hungaro-Croatian compromise. But in the meantime all
power over Croatia was given to the Magyars and to their
aristocratic friends in the country itself. The compromise,
ratified under special circumstances In 1868, formed the
first step towards a powerful Hungary, one Magyar King
dom stretching from the Karpats to the Adriatic Sea.
To prevent possible Croatian resistance the Magyar
Government had to recognize the autonomy of the King
dom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia concerning it's
administration, justice, public instruction and cults. In
reality Dalmatia was left out, as well as the eastern and
southern parts of Croatia and slavonia which for centuries
had been organized as Croatian and Slavonian Military
Frontiers and were directly subservient to the military
authorities in Vienna. The head of the Croatian Govern
ment, called Ban, was responsible to the Croatian Parlia-
ment. All the important affairs of the State, however,
remained directly in the hands of the Magyar Government.
Its financial system, coinage, weights, measures, COM
mercial treaties, banking, exchange, patents, copyrights,
maritime commerce, mining, customs, trades, post and
telegraphs, railways, harbors and shipping were controlled
by Budapest. Thus the Croats had been deprived of every
thing that leads to a free economic development and in
Dependence The Croatian Ban was nominated by the
King to whom he was proposed by the Hungarian Premier.
Therefore the Ban was usually much more an executive
of Hungary than the head of the Croatian Government.
Med jumurje, a part of Croatia, had simply been annexed
by Hungary. The question of the city and harbor of Rijeka
Fiume), the only Croatian seaport with railway connec-
tons, was left in suspense, pending future Croato-Funga-
rian negotiations. AS these negotiations never took place,
the Magyars imposed on Ri jeka their complete mastership.s
The local administration of Dalmatia and Istria had
been monopohzed by an Italian minority, but the Germans
in Vienna constituted their supreme political authority.
Croatia's case was analogous with her supreme authority
in Budapest and her local administration executed by Gro
atians serving the Magyar cause. When the Berlin Con-
gress, 1878, authorized Austria Hungary to occupy Bosnia
and Herzegovina, this country became a Austro-Hunga-
rian condominion.
Political power i'll Austria Hungary at that time in
cluded economic control. The economic policy of a state
is determined by the one who heads it's finances. He
issues the permits for new constructions in industry, for
building railways, ships and harbors, and prescribes the
tariff policy for the railways. In short, he is master of the
national wealth. The kind of economic policy pursued by
Austria Hungary on the Croatian territories is illustrated
in the case of Dalmatia. This narrow strip of land on the
Adriatic coast, about 200 miles long, with numerous ma
tural harbors and an old maritime tradition, had never
been connected by rail with Croatia and Bosnia, it's OBJ
vious hinterland. The reason: 1t belonged to the Habsburg
since 1918, the year of Napoleon's defeat; and Croatia's
railways, state property of Hungary, were constructed and
operated in the interest of Budapest only, showing open