Diet of Dalmatia - The Premises

The Premises

Under the constitutional reforms promoted by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria under an imperial decree dated 20 October 1860, the Empire was in some way "federalization", following the majority opinion of the Board Empire: according to these determinations many legislative and judicial powers were conferred to every province of the kingdom by reconstituting them - or newly-created - as a proper diet.

In Croatia, the imperial law, accompanied by the first convocation of the local diet, was warmly welcomed, and since its first meeting with union representatives allege to Dalmatia: an old question raised periodically in the face of the imperial authorities.

An imperial autograph on 5 December in Vienna created a 'courtly department (ministry) for Croatia-Slavonia, introduced the Croatian language in the administration of these territories and declared that accommodate the demands of rebuilding the ancient tiara-Slavonia-Croatian Dalmatian, postponing a final decision, however, when Dalmatia, still lacking provincial assembly, was able to express their political will. They also agreed that a political representation of Dalmatia was sent to Zagreb to discuss the issue at a conference chaired by the Ban of Croatia, the highest political authority in the territory of Croatia-Slavonia.

The imperial autograph produced various representations in Dalmatian cities: it was particularly the city of Split congregation - led by Antonio Bajamonti - to be distinguished by the bitterness of the protests, sending an appeal to Francis Joseph to convene the provincial assembly of Dalmatia before taking no decision on the constitutional arrangements of the province within the Empire. In the report attached to the appeal, Bajamonti wrote a few sentences later become famous: "The Dalmatian should be even Slavic, will never Croatian election."

Most of the Dalmatian municipalities on the basis of Split, refused to send their representatives in Zagreb, deciding instead to form a delegation that went to Vienna to plead the claims no annexation to Croatia.

Meanwhile, the imperial court began to fear that the granting of overly broad powers to the diets would facilitate the unleashing of domestic centrifugal forces, reducing the authority of the emperor.

In February 1861 were held several meetings of the Council of Ministers of Austria, during which they discussed at length the problem of Dalmatia and his possible meeting with Croatia: Ivan Mažuranić, chairman of the department courtly for Croatia-Slavonia, pleaded passionately cause, supported by Foreign Minister Bernhard von Rechberg, who considered the union needed to counter an alleged "Italian threat" against the Dalmatian was necessary - told Rechberg - strengthening the Slavic element in Dalmatia, loyal to Austria, Confronting secessionist dreams of a very influential Italian minority. The positions of the Dalmatian separatists were supported by liberal politicians instead of German, who managed to persuade the emperor to postpone the decision, setting up a provincial assembly Dalmatian that would later negotiate with Croatian representatives on the possibility of unification.