The History of Lika, Croatia

This is history of Lika from ancient times up to and including the Homeland War (The Yugoslav Civil War) of 1991. The history covers the history of Lika part of Croatia and the Former Yugoslavia, an area almost equally divided by two ethnicities, Croat and Serb and its tragic consequences.  The work describes the cultural, internal and international developments that molded the relations between the peoples.

Lika and Croatia developed into a borderland between Central Europe and the Ottoman Empire. At one time all men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to carry their weapons at all times to thwart the constant threat from the Turks. The people developed a unique culture revolving around the two churches and their military duty. Lika for generations was an important source of manpower for the Austrian Empire and part of the Military Border (Militarische Grenze in German or Vojna Krajina in Croatian). It provided many senior officers and some of the best regiments in the Austrian service for generations up to and including the First World War. 

Topics Include:

• The Eastern European Military Frontier

• Ottoman and Habsburg conflicts

• Regional identity and survival