Banovina of Croatia

The Banovina of Croatia or Banate of Croatia (Serbo-Croatian: Banovina Hrvatska, Бановина Хрватска) was an administrative subdivision of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It existed from 1939 to 1941.

This area was made by joining several smaller regions called banovinas. These included Sava and Littoral, with some parts from Drina, Zeta, Vrbas, and Danube banovinas.

The main city, or capital, of this region was Zagreb. It covered most of what is now Croatia and also included parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

During its short time, the only leader, known as a Ban, was Ivan Šubašić.

Background

The Vidovdan Constitution of 1921 set up 33 areas in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. This system was created by Nikola Pašić and Svetozar Pribićević to give more power to ethnic Serbs. The constitution was made when Croatian leaders were not in parliament.

When talks to fix problems between Serbs and Croats failed, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia took control in 1929. He renamed the country the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and created new areas called banovinas. In 1939, a new agreement called the Cvetković-Maček Agreement merged two areas into one called the Banovina of Croatia.

History

The Banate of Croatia was created in 1939. It was formed by joining two areas named the Sava and Littoral Banovinas, and adding parts of four other regions. Zagreb was its capital. It covered most of what is now Croatia, plus some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Under this agreement, the central government still controlled important areas like defense and foreign policy. However, Croatia had its own elected group and a leader to handle local matters. Unfortunately, this caused disagreements. Some people wanted full independence for Croatia, others wanted more democracy.

In 1941, World War II began, and Yugoslavia was occupied by Axis powers. The Banate of Croatia was divided. Some areas were taken by Italy and others became part of a new state called the Independent State of Croatia.

Population

In 1939, the Banovina of Croatia had 4,299,430 people. Most were Roman Catholic. One-fifth were Orthodox, and 4 percent were Muslim. The area had 116 districts. Ninety-five districts had mostly Catholic people, and five had a smaller majority. The census showed different ethnic groups. Ethnic Croats and Slovenes were mostly Catholic.

Sports

The Croatian Football Federation managed football in the Banovina. It organized a league and a national team. The Banovina of Croatia, led by Jozo Jakopić, played four international matches: two at home and two away against Switzerland and Hungary. The Croatian Rowing Championships happened on June 29, 1940.

The Croatia men's national ice hockey team played its first friendly game against Slovakia on February 9, 1941, in Bratislava.

The Croatian Boxing Federation was reestablished on October 5, 1939, to oversee boxing in the Banovina of Croatia.