Iván Skerlecz
Encyclopedia
Iván Skerlecz de Lomnicza (often rendered Ivan Škrlec Lomnički in Croatian
) (July 20, 1873 - January 12, 1951) was the last Hungarian to be ban
(viceroy) of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
.
Skerlecz was born in Oroszló
, Baranya County, Hungary
in 1873. After Hungarian dictatorship during 1912 under the titular ban Slavko Cuvaj
, the Hungarian prime minister István Tisza
appointed Skerlecz head of the Austro-Hungarian crown land in 1913. During this period, Austria-Hungary was at war as part of World War I
.
While Croatia-Slavonia was not the site of any battles, Croatian troops, fighting under the Croatian Home Guard took part in the fighting, much of it in neighbouring Serbia
. Skerlecz managed to reconvene the Croatian Sabor (parliament) in Zagreb
by 1915. The Croats made further demands for local authority, as well as unification of Croatia-Slavonia with Dalmatia
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
. Stefan Sarkotić
, Austria-Hungary's commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina also sought unification of their provinces. However, Austria-Hungary's outdated political system made any shifts between areas under Hungarian or Austrian spheres of influence difficult. Skerlecz could only support the Croatians in acting autonomously. As the war progressed more Croats found the formation of a South Slav state a potentially beneficial possibility.
He resigned from his post on June 29, 1917 after Tisza was ousted from power, leaving the country in no better state than when he had arrived. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed the following year. Skerlecz returned to Hungary where he died in Budapest
in 1951.
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
) (July 20, 1873 - January 12, 1951) was the last Hungarian to be ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
(viceroy) of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia or Croatia Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was part of the Hungarian Kingdom within the dual Austro-Hungarian state, being within the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen or Transleithania...
.
Skerlecz was born in Oroszló
Oroszló
Oroszló is a village in Baranya county, Hungary.-Reference:...
, Baranya County, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1873. After Hungarian dictatorship during 1912 under the titular ban Slavko Cuvaj
Slavko Cuvaj
Baron Slavko Cuvaj de Ivanska was a Croatian politician who used to be the ban of Croatia-Slavonia and royal commissioner for Austria-Hungary....
, the Hungarian prime minister István Tisza
István Tisza
Count István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged was a Hungarian politician, prime minister, and member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences....
appointed Skerlecz head of the Austro-Hungarian crown land in 1913. During this period, Austria-Hungary was at war as part of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
While Croatia-Slavonia was not the site of any battles, Croatian troops, fighting under the Croatian Home Guard took part in the fighting, much of it in neighbouring Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
. Skerlecz managed to reconvene the Croatian Sabor (parliament) in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
by 1915. The Croats made further demands for local authority, as well as unification of Croatia-Slavonia with Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. Stefan Sarkotić
Stefan Sarkotic
Stjepan Freiherr Sarkotić von Lovćen was an Austro-Hungarian Army general of Croatian ethnicity who served as Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina during World War I.-Early life and education:Stjepan Sarkotić was born in Sinac near Otočac on 4 October 1858 as one of four siblings...
, Austria-Hungary's commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina also sought unification of their provinces. However, Austria-Hungary's outdated political system made any shifts between areas under Hungarian or Austrian spheres of influence difficult. Skerlecz could only support the Croatians in acting autonomously. As the war progressed more Croats found the formation of a South Slav state a potentially beneficial possibility.
He resigned from his post on June 29, 1917 after Tisza was ousted from power, leaving the country in no better state than when he had arrived. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed the following year. Skerlecz returned to Hungary where he died in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1951.