Military Frontier

Military Frontier (Military Border, Military Krajina, Vojna Krajina, ????? ???????, Militärgrenze, Confiniaria militaria) was a borderland of Habsburg Austria which acted as the cordon sanitaire against the Turks from the Middle Ages (Croatian Krajina) or from the late 17th and 18th centuries (Slavonian and Banat Krajina) until the 19th century.

History

Ottoman wars

The Ottoman wars in Europe caused the border of the Kingdom of Hungary and subsequently the Habsburg Monarchy to shift towards northwest. Much of the old Croatian territory was either captured by the Ottomans or bordered the new Ottoman domain.

Related Topics:
Ottoman wars in Europe - Kingdom of Hungary - Habsburg Monarchy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1435, in an attempt to strengthen the defences towards the Ottomans and Venice, the king Sigismund founded the so-called tabor, a military encampment, each in Croatia, Slavonia and Usora (in Bosnia). In 1463, the king Matthias Corvinus founded the banovina of Jajce and Srebrenica, and in 1469 the military captaincy of Senj, modeled after the Ottoman captaincies in the Province of Bosnia. All these actions were intended to provide for better defences, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Related Topics:
1435 - Sigismund - Usora - 1463 - Matthias Corvinus - Banovina - Jajce - Srebrenica - 1469 - Senj - Province of Bosnia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After 1526, the Austrian Habsburgs took over, and Emperor Ferdinand promised the Croatian Parliament that he would give them 200 cavalrymen and 200 infantrymen, and that he would pay for another 800 cavalrymen who would be commanded by the Croatians. Soon the Habsburg Empire founded another captaincy in Biha?. In the short term, all this was also ineffective, as in 1529 the Turks swept through the area, captured Buda and besieged Vienna, wreaking havoc throughout the Croatian border areas.

Related Topics:
1526 - Austrian Habsburgs - Ferdinand - Croatian Parliament - Habsburg Empire - Biha? - 1529 - Buda - Vienna

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1553, the borderland was reformed for the first time, under the commander Ivan Lenkovi?. The frontier was split into the Croatian Krajina (Krabatische Gränitz) and the Upper Slavonian Krajina (Windische, Oberslawonische Gränitz). The border with the Ottoman Empire on the line Senj-Oto?ac-Slunj-Glina-Hrastovica-Sisak-Ivani?-Kri?evci-?ur?evac

Related Topics:
1553 - Croatian Krajina - Slavonian Krajina - Senj - Sisak - Kri?evci

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

was fortified with several smaller and larger forts. New captaincies were formed in the larger forts: Ogulin, Hrastovica, ?umberak, Koprivnica, Kri?evci and Ivani?. Smaller forts were manned by German infantry and Croatian light infantry. The larger forts were manned by German heavy cavalry and Croatian light cavalry.

Related Topics:
Ogulin - ?umberak - Koprivnica - Kri?evci - German - Croatian - Cavalry

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The new military expenditures became a considerable concern, and the Congress of Inner Austrian lands in Bruck an der Mur in 1578 defined the obligations of each land in covering the military expenses and defined the priorities in improving the defensive strategy. The nobility of Styria financed the Upper Slavonian Frontier while the others (Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Carniola, Carinthia and Salzburg) financed the Croatian Frontier.

Related Topics:
Austria - Bruck an der Mur - 1578 - Nobility - Styria - Lower Austria - Upper Austria - Carniola - Carinthia - Salzburg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the end of the 16th century the Croatian Krajina became known as the Karlovac generalat, and since the 1630s the Upper Slavonian Krajina was known as the Vara?din generalat. During the 16th and 17th century, the military administration of the Frontier was moved away from the Croatian ban and the Sabor (Parliament) and instead instated in the high command of Archduke Charles and the War Council in Graz.

Related Topics:
Croatian Krajina - Karlovac - 1630s - Slavonian Krajina - Vara?din - Ban - Sabor - Archduke Charles - Graz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite the financial support of the Inner Austrian nobility, the financing of the Military Frontier was not efficient enough. The military leadership in Graz decided to try solutions other than mercenary units. In the 1630s, the Imperial Court decided to give land and certain privileges to immigrants into the Frontier (the uskok guerillas as well as refugees from Turkish-occupied lands) at the area of ?umberak, and in return they would serve in the Imperial army. The remaining local population was also encouraged to stay by receiving the status of free peasants (rather than serfs) and other privileges. These new units were organized into ten or more voivodships per each captaincy.

Related Topics:
Uskok - ?umberak - Serf - Voivod

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 1630, the Emperor proclaimed the so-called Statuta Wallachorum or Vlach Statute, which regulated the status of so-called Vlach settlers (which included, Croats, Vlachs and Serbs) from the Ottoman Empire with regard to military command, their obligations and rights to internal self-administration. Over time, the population of the Frontier (as it was then) became mixed between the autochthonous Croats and Croatian serfs who had fled the Ottoman occupation, and the numerous minority of Serb and Vlach (which later developed into Croats and Serbs) refugees who strove to expand their rights as a major contributor in the defense of the land. By creating the new military class in the Frontier, the territory of the Frontier eventually became fully detached from the Croatian Parliament and the ban.

Related Topics:
1630 - Croats - Vlachs - Serbs - Ban

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the Great Turkish war and Treaty of Karlowitz

The 17th century was a relatively peaceful period, during which only smaller raids were made from the Province of Bosnia. After the Battle of Vienna was repelled in 1683, the Great Turkish war ended with most of the Croatian crownland liberated. Despite this, the Frontier system was retained, and expanded onto lower Slavonia, Srem, Ba?ka, and Banat. The Empire valued the ability to centrally control the area and draft cheap and numerous army units.

Related Topics:
17th century - Province of Bosnia - Battle of Vienna - 1683 - Great Turkish war - Crownland - Slavonia - Srem - Ba?ka - Banat

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the Treaty of Karlowitz of 1699, a unit called the Sere?an troop was formed, and it had both military and police duties. The members were not paid, but were released of all taxes. As an irregular unit, they wore a folk uniform rather than an army one. Over the following century, each regiment had one section of the sere?ani, led by a oberba?a or haramba?a (sergeant), several unterba?a (corporal) and viceba?a (lance corporal). They organized the border patrols towards Bosnia, particularly on difficult terrain, and stopped incursions of bandits. They had to have extensive knowledge of the territory, good marksmanship and to be constantly under arms. They also maintained public law and order in the area of their regiment. There were also cavalry sere?an units that served as escort to the high officers of Frontier regiments, carried urgent orders and carried out special patrol duties.

Related Topics:
Treaty of Karlowitz - 1699

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In mid-18th century, the Frontier was once again reorganized and modelled after the Imperial army and its regular regiments. In 1737, the Vlach Statute was formally abolished. All previous captaincies and voivodships were discarded, and the area was instead subdivided into general-commands, regiments and companies:

Related Topics:
18th century - 1737

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Vara?din general command
• Kri?evci regiment
• ?ur?evac regiment
• Karlovac general command
• Lika regiment
• Oto?ac regiment
• Ogulin regiment
• Slunj regiment
• Slavonia general command
• Gradi?ka regiment
• Brod regiment
• Petrovaradin regiment
• Banat general command
• Serbian section
• German section
• Romanian section

After 1767, every twelfth inhabitant of the Military Frontier was a soldier, while in the rest of the Habsburg Monarchy only every 62nd inhabitant was one. The Frontier soldiers became professional military, ready to move to all European battlefields. Due to further immigration of refugees from the Ottoman domain, and the expansion of the territory to places previously occupied by the Ottomans, the population of the Frontier became even more mixed. There were still many autochthonous Croats in Slavonia and parts of present day Vojvodina (in Srem/Srijem and Ba?ka), as well as autochthonous Serbs in Srem/Srijem, Ba?ka and Banat. However, at this time they became outnumbered by the Croatian, Serbian and Vlach refugees/immigrants. Germans and Magyars also came to the Frontier, mostly as administrative personnel, and there was a number of other settlers and military persons from other parts of the Habsburg Empire such as the Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians/Rusyns and others. According to 1790 data, the population of the Military Frontier was composed of: Serbs (42.4%), Croats (35.5%), Romanians (9.7%), Hungarians (7.5%), Germans (4.8%), etc.

Related Topics:
1767 - Croats - Serbs - Germans - Magyars - Czechs - Slovaks - Ukrainians - Rusyns

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1787, the civil administration was separated from the military, but this was reversed in 1800. By the Basic Law of the Frontier from 1850, the administration of Military Frontier was split and the land started to look like a state. The Main Command was headquartered in Zagreb, but still directly subordinate to the Ministry of War in Vienna.

Related Topics:
1787 - 1800 - 1850 - Zagreb

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Croatian Parliament made numerous pleas to demilitarize the Frontier after the Turkish wars subsided. Finally, the demilitarization began in 1869 and officially ended on August 8, 1873 under Franz Joseph. The decree in which the Croatian and Slavonian Frontiers were incorporated into Croatian-Slavonian crownland was proclaimed on July 15, 1881. This meant restoration of Croatian authority over all lands that were part of Croatia and Slavonia prior to the Ottoman invasion.

Related Topics:
1869 - August 8 - 1873 - Franz Joseph - Croatian - Slavonian - July 15 - 1881

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was also a slight eastward territorial expansion of Croatia-Slavonia because all of the new Srem/Srijem county, up to Zemun, was also included into Croatia-Slavonia, though its south-eastern parts did not belong to Croatia or Slavonia in the past.

Related Topics:
Srem/Srijem - Zemun

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1871, the Banatian Frontier was also abolished and incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary.

Related Topics:
Banatian - Kingdom of Hungary

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~