| Slovene-Croatian Peasant Revolt | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) A non-contemporary representation of the execution of Matija Gubec at the square in front ofSt. Mark's Church inZagreb, byOton Iveković (1912) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Slovene and Croatian peasants | Carniolan, Croatian, and Styrian nobility Uskoks | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ambroz "Matija" Gubec  Ilija Gregorić Andrija Pasanec Ivan Pasanec † Nikola Kupinić | Juraj Drašković Gašpar Alapić Josip "Jošt" Thurn Ferenc Tahy Vid Hallek | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 8,000–12,000[1] peasants | 5,000[1] soldiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3,000–5,000[2] killed | |||||||
TheSlovene-Croatian Peasant Revolt (Slovene:slovensko-hrvaško kmečki upor,Croatian:seljačka buna),Gubec's Rebellion (Croatian:Gupčeva buna) orGubec's peasant uprising of 1573 was a largepeasant revolt on territory forming modern-day northwesternCroatia and southeasternSlovenia. The revolt, sparked by cruel treatment ofserfs by BaronFerenc Tahy and led byMatija Gubec, ended after 12 days with the defeat of the rebels and bloody retribution by the nobility.
In the late 16th century, the threat ofOttoman incursions strained the economy of the southern flanks of theHoly Roman Empire, and feudal lords continually increased their demands on the peasantry. InCroatian Zagorje, this was compounded by cruel treatment of peasants by BaronFerenc Tahy and his disputes with neighbouring barons over land, dating back to 1564, which escalated into armed conflicts.[3] When multiple complaints to the emperor went unheard, the peasants conspired to rebel with their peers in the neighbouring provinces ofStyria andCarniola and with the lower classes of townspeople.
The rebellion broke out simultaneously in large parts of Carniola, Styria, and Croatia on 28 January 1573. The rebels' political program was to replace thenobility withpeasant officials answerable directly to theemperor, and to abolish all feudal holdings and obligations to theRoman Catholic Church. A peasant government was formed with Matija Gubec, Ivan Pasanec, and Ivan Mogaić as members.[4] Far-reaching plans were drawn up, including abolition of provincial borders, opening of highways for trade, and self-rule by the peasants.
The captain of the rebels,Ilija Gregorić, planned an extensive military operation to secure victory for the revolt. Each peasant household provided one man for his army, which met with some initial success; their revolutionary goals alarmed the nobility, however, which raised armies in response. The rebels used a network of informers who relayed the information on movements of the opposing units; in turn, spies among the peasants themselves passed the information on the spread of the rebellion to the nobility.[5]
On 5 February,[6] Uskok captain and baron Jobst Joseph von Thurn (Croatian:Josip Turn) led an army of 500 Uskoks fromKostanjevica and some German soldiers[7] thatdefeated a rebel detachment of Nikola Kupinič at Krško (in Lower Styria),[6] which was the first larger rebel defeat.[7] This rapidly weakened the rebellion in Carniola and Styria.[6]
The next day, another rebel force was defeated nearSamobor. On 9 February, the decisiveBattle of Stubičko polje was fought. Gubec and his 10,000 men resisted fiercely, but after a bloody four-hour battle the baronial army defeated and captured Gubec. The revolt failed.
Retribution was brutal: in addition to the 3,000 peasants who died in the battle, many captives were hanged or maimed. Matija Gubec was publicly tortured and executed on 15 February. Officers Petar Ljubojević, Vuk Suković, and Dane Bolčeta (who were Orthodox), and Juraj Martijanović and Tomo Tortić (Catholics) were all sentenced to life in prison and lost all their property.[8] Mogaić was killed in the final battle, and Pasanec was most probably killed in one of the skirmishes in early February. Gregorić managed to escape, but was captured within weeks, brought toVienna for interrogation, and executed in Zagreb in 1574.[9]
The revolt and torture of Gubec acquired legendary status in Croatia and Slovenia. It has inspired many writers and artists, including the writersMiroslav Krleža andAugust Šenoa (The Goldsmith's Treasure), the poetAnton Aškerc and the sculptorsAntun Augustinčić andStojan Batič. Croatian film directorVatroslav Mimica produced the film about uprising, entitledAnno Domini 1573, in 1975, as well as television series in four parts.Gubec-beg, the first Croatianrock opera (1975), was also inspired by the events.[10] The painterKrsto Hegedušić made in 1969 the stage curtain for theCroatian National Theatre in Zagreb, titledA.D. 1573.[11]
A museum nearOršić Castle in Gornja Stubica and one inKrško (Slovenia) are dedicated to the revolt.
A reenactment of the Battle of Stubičko polje, held every year since 2008, has since become one of the most popularhistorical reenactments in Croatia.[12]
