(66.47 KB, 400x320)
(18 KB, 450x253)
(2.18 MB, 2560x1773)
(464.18 KB, 1757x1307)
It's the March 15 national holiday again.
Maybe on the apropos of that Croatian incident with the Tu-141, we could take a look to a topic related to Croatia. Maybe also on the note how individuals' decisions could influence (or not...) the fates of nations, and the malleability of legality/legitimacy, loyalty, and the tool of "divide et impera" in diplomacy.
Croatia belonged to the Hungarian Holy Crown since the end of the 11th century. Saint Ladislaus claimed the throne (he was the brother of the deceased Croatian king's wife, and some of the nobility invited him), then his son Kálmán solidified the rule of the Hungarian kings. There are two views about the status of Croatia, if she was a conquered province or joined via a treaty between the Croat aristocracy and the Hungarian king; so if she was subjected to Hungary or she was a partner country. Nevertheless she surely was a junior partner, and the rule was frequently (if not constantly) was left in the care of the bán, who was one of the five chief dignitaries of the Hungarian Kingdom (in the beginning, it was the first one among them in fact).