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The Diet of Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmatinski sabor, Italian: Dieta della Dalmazia) was theāāregional assembly of the Kingdom of Dalmatia within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was founded in Zadar in 1861 and "last convened in 1912," before being formally dissolved in 1918, with the "demise of the Empire."
Since the founding of the Dalmatian diet, the pro-Italian Autonomist Party held the parliamentary majority until 1870, when the (Croatian-Serbian) People's Party won the parliamentary election. Croatian then became the official language of the diet in 1883.
The premisesā»
Under the constitutional reforms promoted by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, under an imperial decree dated 20 October 1860, the Empire underwent a form of "federalization", following the majority opinion of the Board Empire. According to these determinations, many legislative and judicial powers were conferred onto every province in the kingdom through the reconstitution of the powersāor the creation of new powersāas part of the formation of a proper Diet.
In Croatia, "the imperial law," accompanied by the first convocation of the local diet, was warmly welcomed. An imperial autograph in Vienna on 5 December 1860 created: a 'courtly department' (ministry) for Croatia-Slavonia; introduced the Croatian language in the administration of these territories; and declared that the demands of rebuilding the ancient tiara-Slavonia-Croatian Dalmatian be accommodated, thereby postponing final decision, when Dalmatiaāstill lacking provincial assemblyāwas able to express its political will. An agreement was also made, whereby 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 congregationāled by Antonio Bajamontiāthat was distinguished by the bitterness of protests. The protestors appealed to Francis Joseph to convene the provincial assembly of Dalmatia before taking a decision on the constitutional arrangements of the province within the Empire.
On the basis of Split, most of the Dalmatian municipalities refused to send their representatives to Zagreb; instead, these municipalities decided to form a delegation that went to Vienna to argue the case that the annexation of Croatia should not proceed. Meanwhile, the imperial court began to fear that the granting of overly broad powers to the diets would facilitate the unleashing of domestic forces, thereby reducing the authority of the emperor.
In February 1861, several meetings of the Council of Ministers of Austria were held, in which the attendees discussed, at length, the problem of Dalmatia and a possible meeting with Croatia. Ivan MažuraniÄ, chairman of the department courtly for Croatia-Slavonia, pleaded in support of the cause, supported by Foreign Minister Bernhard von Rechberg; von Rechberg considered the need for the union to counter an alleged "Italian threat" against the Dalmatian as necessary. Rechberg further claimed that such action would strengthen the Slavic element in Dalmatia that was loyal to Austria. The positions of the Dalmatian separatists were supported by Liberal Party politicians, who managed to persuade the emperor to postpone the decision; a provincial Dalmatian assembly was subsequently set up and it would later negotiate with Croatian representatives in regard to the possibility of unification.
The creation of the Dietā»
On the recommendation of the German-speaking Liberals, Francis Joseph issued a license by 26 February 1861 that created an Imperial Parliament (composed of the House and Senate) with extensive legislative powersāthis drastically reduced the powers that were previously planned for the provincial assembly. Within this patent, 15 were approved statutes of the reconstituted provincial assembly, with its Sabor regulations. And this provided for an electoral system that only granted voting rights to those who could pay a minimal fee.
The electoral system was based on four curiae that represented various social bodies (the seat of the Diet was Zara):
- The high census (elected by ten representatives in Dalmatia)
- The cities (elected by eight representatives in Dalmatia)
- The chambers of commerce (elected by three representatives in Dalmatia)
- The rural municipalities (elected by twenty representatives in Dalmatia)
The electoral system favoured the bourgeois and aristocratic classes, as well as the urban population over people in rural areas.
The first Diet of 1861ā»
Between 24 March 1861 and 30 March 1861, the first elections for the provincial assembly of Dalmatia were heldāthe Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1861. The separatists won 29 seats out of 41.
Party | Seats |
---|---|
Autonomist Party | 29 |
People's Party | 12 |
Total | 41 |
Elected representativesā»
Autonomist Partyā»
From Zadar:
- Vittorio Bioni
- Cosimo de Begna Possedaria
- Vincenzo Duplancich
- Antonio Smirich (from 1863: Giovanni Salghetti-Drioli)
- Antonio Bajamonti
- Spiro PetroviÄ
- Natale Filippi
- Giacomo Ghiglianovich
- Francesco Borreli
From Split:
- Leonardo Dudan
- Giorgio Giovannizio
- Luigi Lapenna
- Vincenzo degli Alberti
From Å ibenik:
- Antonio Galvani
From Makarska
- Giacomo Vucovich
From Dubrovnik:
- Giovanni Radmilli
- Luigi Serragli
From KorÄula:
- Giovanni Smerchinich
From Hvar:
- Girolamo Macchiedo
- Giovanni Macchiedo
- Girolamo Vusio
From Skradin:
- Simeone Bujas
- Giovanni MarasoviÄ
From DrniÅ”:
- Melchiorre Difnico
From Trogir:
- Antonio Radman
- Antonio Fanfogna
From Sinj:
- Josip DeÅ”koviÄ
- Anton Buljan
From Imotski:
- NiccolĆ² Mirossevich
People's Partyā»
From Dubrovnik:
- Miho KlaiÄ
- Marino Giorni
From Kotor:
- Josip GjuroviÄ (from 1863 Kosta VojnoviÄ)
- Bernardo Verona (from 1863 Josip BanoviÄ-DamianoviÄ)
From Benkovac:
- Petar RaduloviÄ
From Drnis:
- Pane SabliÄ
- Krsto KuliÅ”iÄ
From Vrgorac:
From Cavtat:
- Djure PuliÄ
From Ston:
- Krsto JerkoviÄ
From Budva:
- Luka TripcoviÄ
- Stjepan Mitrov LjubiŔa
President of the Diet: Spiro PetroviÄ (Autonomist Party)
On 18 April 1861, the Diet passed a motion submitted by Baiamonti and Galvani to reject the request for a unification of Dalmatian with Croatia and Slavoniaāonly two dissenting votes were submitted.
Diet of 1864ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
Autonomist Party | 32 |
People's Party | 9 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1864:
Girolamo Alesani (1864ā1866), Antonio Bajamonti, Cosimo de Begna Possedaria, Vittorio Bioni, Orsatto Bonda, Giuseppe Descovich (1866ā1867), Melchiorre Difnico, Pietro Doimi, Stefano Doimi, Giovanni Fanfogna, Natale Filippi (1866ā1867), Antonio Galvani, Giacomo Ghiglianovich (1866ā1867), Nicola Lallich, Francesco Lanza, Luigi Lapenna (1864ā1866), Giovanni Battista Macchiedo (or Machiedo), Pietro Doimo Maupas, Luigi Mery, Simeone Michieli Vitturi, Andrea Nicolich, Spiridione Petrovich, Giuseppe Piperata, Valerio Ponte, Giovanni Radmilli, Simeone Rossignoli, Luigi Serragli, Antonio Stermich, Giacomo Vucovich, Vincenzo Vuletich, Ivan Zaffron and Francesco Zanchi.
President of Diet: Spiro PetroviÄ (Autonomist Party)
Diet of 1867ā»
Partito | Seats |
---|---|
Autonomist Party | 26 |
People's Party | 15 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1867:
Girolamo Alesani (1869ā1870), Antonio Bajamonti, Cosimo de Begna Possedaria, Vittorio Bioni, Agostino Cindro, Giuseppe Descovich (1867ā1868), Stefano Doimi (1867ā1869), Giovanni Fanfogna, Gaetano Frari, Luigi Frari, Giacomo Ghiglianovich, Giorgio Giovannizio, Stefano Knezevich (Croatian People's Party), Luigi Lapenna, Enrico Matcovich, Pietro Doimo Maupas, Andrea Nicolich, Spiridione Petrovich, Giuseppe Piperata, Antonio Radman, Antonio Rolli, Simeone de Rossignoli, Giovanni Salghetti-Drioli, Luigi Serragli, Giacomo Vucovich, Vincenzo Vuletich and Giovanni Zaffron.
President of Diet: Spiro PetroviÄ (Autonomist Party)
Diet of 1870ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
People's Party | 25 |
Autonomist Party | 16 |
Total | 41 |
President of the Diet: Stjepan Mitrov LjubiŔa (People's Party)
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1870:
Vincenzo Alesani, Antonio Bajamonti, Cosimo de Begna Possedaria (1870ā1873), Natale Filippi (1870ā1873), Gaetano Frari, Matteo Gligo, Stefano Knezevich, Andrea Krussevich (1872ā1873 e 1875-1876), Francesco Lanza (1870ā1874), Luigi Lapenna (1872ā1873), Pietro Doimo Maupas, Luigi Mery, Francesco Milcovich (1874ā1876), Giuseppe Mladineo (1871ā1874), Luigi Nutrizio (1875ā1876), Giuseppe Piperata (1871ā1873), Valerio Ponte (1870-1870), Giuseppe Radman (1874ā1876), Simeone Rossignoli (1874ā1876), NiccolĆ² Trigari (1874ā1876) and Vincenzo Vuletich (1871ā1876).
For the first time, the People's Party won the Dalmatian election; however, the Croat majority did not recognise the validity of the election of many representatives from the Autonomist Party and this resulted in a series of resignations and replacements, in addition to a tense political environment. The Diets held power over the schools within the Empire and, due to the political situation of the time, closed all of the Italian schools in Dalmatia, with the exception of those in Zadar. It was during this period that Miho Klaic, the head of the People's Party (from Dubrovnik), delivered a speech to the Diet in which he spoke of the increase in the population of Dalmatian Italians in Dalmatia.
Diet of 1876ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
People's Party | 30 |
Autonomist Party | 11 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1876:
Pietro Abelich, Antonio Bajamonti, Cosimo de Begna Possedaria (1878ā1880), Giovanni Botteri, Gustavo Ivanich, Stefano Knezevich, Pietro Doimo Maupas, Cesare Pellegrini Danieli, Giovanni Smerchinich and NiccolĆ² Trigari.
President: ÄorÄe VojnoviÄ (People's Partyārenamed "Serb Party" after 1879)
Diet of 1883ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
Croatian People's Party | 26 |
Serbian Party | 8 |
Autonomist Party | 7 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1883:
Antonio Bajamonti (1888), Gustavo Ivanich (1883ā1885), Michele Kapovich (1883-1889), Pietro Doimo Maupas, Giuseppe Messa, Giuseppe Pezzi, Antonio Radman (1885ā1886), Luigi Serragli (1883ā1885), Leopoldo Stermich and NiccolĆ² Trigari.
President: ÄorÄe VojnoviÄ (Serb Party) Vice president: Michele Kapovich (Autonomist Party)
The Dalmatian Slavs were divided for the first time in a Diet election and the People's Party became the People's Party known also as the People's Croatian Party (Narodna hrvatska stranka), while Serbs formed the Serbian Party (Srpska stranka).
Diet of 1889ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
Croatian People's Party | 26 |
Serbian Party | 9 |
Autonomist Party | 6 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1889:
Antonio Bajamonti (end to 1891), Lorenzo Benevenia, Pietro Doimo Maupas (end to 1891), Baldassarre Podich, Ercolano Salvi (dal 1891), Antonio Smirich, NiccolĆ² Trigari and NiccolĆ² de' Vidovich.
President: ÄorÄe VojnoviÄ (Serbian Party)
Diet of 1895ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
People's Party | 23 |
Serbian Party | 9 |
Autonomist Party | 6 |
Party of Rights | 3 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1895:
Roberto Ghiglianovich, Giovanni Lubin, Ercolano Salvi, Stefano Smerchinich, NiccolĆ² Trigari and Luigi Ziliotto.
President: Miho KlaiÄ (People's Partyāuntil 1896) and Gajo Bulat (People's Partyāfrom 1896 to 1901)
Diet of 1901ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
People's Party | 18 |
Party of Rights | 9 |
Serbian Party | 6 |
Autonomist Party | 6 |
Pure Party of Rights | 2 |
Total | 41 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1901:
Roberto Ghiglianovich, Natale Krekich, Luigi Pini (dal 1903), Ercolano Salvi, Stefano Smerchinich, NiccolĆ² Trigari (ens to 1902) and Luigi Ziliotto.
President: Vicko IvÄeviÄ (People's Partyāfrom 1905 the Croatian Party formed as a fusion of the Croatian People's Party and the majority of the Dalmatian Party of Rights)
Diet of 1908ā»
Party | Seats |
---|---|
Croatian Party | 22 |
Party of Rights | 8 |
Serbian Party | 7 |
Autonomist Party | 6 |
Total | 43 |
Elected from the Autonomist Party in the Dalmatian parliamentary election of 1908:
Roberto Ghiglianovich, Natale Krekich, Luigi Pini (1910ā1918), Ercolano Salvi, Stefano Smerchinich and Luigi Ziliotto.
President: Vicko IvÄeviÄ (Croatian Party)
Presidents of the Dietā»
The speakers of the Diet were titled provincial captains (Italian: capitano provinciale/pl. capitani provinciali, German: Landeshauptmann/pl. Landeshauptleute). The first, second and third Diet presidents were Serbian, while latter three were Croatian.
- Å piro PetroviÄ (1861ā1870) - Autonomist Party
- Stjepan Mitrov LjubiÅ”a (1870ā1876) - People's Party
- ÄorÄe VojnoviÄ (1877ā1895) - People's Party (from 1879 the Serbian People's Party/the Serbian Party formed by the Serbs from the People's Party)
- Miho Klaic (1896) - Croatian People's Party formed by the Croatians from the People's Party in 1883, formally in 1889
- Gajo Bulat (1896ā1900) - Croatian People's Party
- Vicko IvÄeviÄ (1900ā1918) - Croatian People's Party (from 1905 the Croatian Party)
Sourcesā»
- R.de' Vidovich, Albo d'Oro delle Famiglie Nobili Patrizie e Illustri nel Regno di Dalmazia, Fondazione Scientifico Culturale Rustia Traine, Trieste 2004
- L.Monzali, Italiani di Dalmazia. Dal Risorgimento alla Grande Guerra, Le Lettere, Firenze 2004
- L.Monzali, Italiani di Dalmazia. 1914-1924, Le Lettere, Firenze 2007
- F.Semi-V.Tacconi (cur.), Istria e Dalmazia. Uomini e tempi. Dalmazia, Del Bianco, Udine 1992
- A.Tamaro, La Dalmazia e il Risorgimento Nazionale, Stabilimento Cromo-Lito-Tipografico Evaristo Armani, Roma 1918
- L.Vulicevic, Partiti e lotte in Dalmazia, Stabilimento Tipografico e Calcografico del "Tergesteo", Trieste 1875