Chorwacka legenda – Eugen Kvaternik i „Powstanie Rakowickie” 1871 roku

Abstract

A Croatian Legend: Eugen Kvaternik and the Rakovica Revolt of 1871 Eugen Kvaternik (1825–1871) was a Croatian politician, a proponent of Croatian independence, and one of the most controversial figures in the history of Croatia. His dramatic life is bound up with the stormy events of 19th-century Europe’s political arena. His contacts and ties with representatives of the Polish independence movement, with French and Italian revolutionaries, as well as his relations with the intelligence services of Russia, where he also sought help, made him a figure of inter­national significance. Kvaternik was a romantic who revolted against Austria-Hungary with a view to es­tablishing an independent Croatian state. With this aim in mind he launched a nationwide uprising in fall 1871. But due to his romantic nature, the revolt on the Military Frontier soon turned into a grotesque farce and ended in complete failure within just 96 hours. Because Croats and Poles experienced similar political and historical fates, Polish-language newspapers became increasingly more interested in the course of the revolt. They paid a lot of attention to Kvaternik and his “uprising”. Despite the fact that Eugen Kvaternik died almost 150 years ago, debates on his role and influence in the history of the nation are still vivid in Croatia, not only among historians but also politicians, and journalists still express emotional opinions of him.

Keywords

• Eugen Kvaternik
• Croatia
• the Rakovica Revolt