| Serbian Vojvodina Српска Војводина (Serbian) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-proclaimed autonomous region of theAustrian Empire | |||||||||
| 1848–1849 | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Motto | "Only Unity Saves the Serbs" | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| May 13–15, 1848 | |||||||||
• Formation of Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar | November 1849 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | |||||||||
TheSerbian Vojvodina (Serbian:Српска Војводина,romanized: Srpska Vojvodina) was a short-lived self-proclaimed autonomous province within theAustrian Empire during theRevolutions of 1848, which existed until 1849 when it was transformed into the new (official) Austrian province namedVoivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat. It was created and led by political leaders ofSerbs in regions ofSyrmia,Banat,Bačka andBaranja. The Serbian Vojvodina gave its name to the presentVojvodina autonomous region in Serbia.[1]
InGerman, it was known asSerbische Woiwodina. InSerbian is also known asSrpsko Vojvodstvo (Serbian Cyrillic:Српско Војводство, German:Serbische Woiwodschaft; "Serbian Voivodeship"),Srpska Vojvodovina (Serbian Cyrillic:Српска Војводовина; "Serbian Vojvodovina"), andVojvodovina Srbija (Serbian Cyrillic:Војводовина Србија; "Vojvodovina of Serbia").
During the1848 Revolution, the Hungarians demanded independence from the Austrian Empire. However, they did not recognize the national rights of other nationalities which lived in the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary at that time. Therefore, the Serbs of Vojvodina took action to separate from the Kingdom of Hungary (which was at that time part of Habsburg Austria).
Anassembly was convened inSremski Karlovci lasting from May 13 to 15, 1848, whereSerb representatives demanded the addition of Vojvodina to Serbia and the restoration of theSerbian Patriarchate of Peć. Serbs declared the constitution of theSerbian Vojvodina (Serbian Duchy) which included the regions ofSrem (Syrmia),Bačka (Batschka),Banat, andBaranja (Branau).[2] They also formed a political alliance with theKingdom of Croatia "based on freedom and perfect equality". They also recognized theRomanian nationality. Themetropolitan of Sremski Karlovci,Josif Rajačić, was elected forpatriarch, whileStevan Šupljikac for the firstduke (voivod).[2] A National committee was formed as the new government ofSerbian Vojvodina. Instead of the old feudal regime, a new regime was formed based on the national boards with the HeadSerbian National Board presiding.[3]
By 1840 data, Serbs formed relative majority of 49.1% in Vojvodina (compared to absolute majority of 51.1% in 1828). Besides Serbs, these areas were also populated by some other ethnic groups such as Hungarians, Germans, Romanians and Croats. The new Hungarian government responded to the Serb political actions by using force. On June 12, 1848, a war between Serbs and Hungarians began. Austria took the side of the Kingdom of Hungary at first, while Serbs were aided by volunteers from thePrincipality of Serbia. A consequence of this war was the growth of conservative factions on both sides.[4]
In early 1849, when the Austrian army lost battle to the Hungarianhussars, the feudal and clerical circles of Vojvodina formed an alliance with Austria. Serb troops from Vojvodina then joined the Habsburg army and helped in crushing the revolution in Hungary. With the help ofImperial Russia, the forces of reaction smothered the revolution in the summer of 1849, defeating Hungarian national movement in the Habsburg monarchy.[4]
The Imperial Patent of 4th March (1849), known as theMarch Constitution, imposed constitutional reorganization of the Austrian Empire, and provided (in article 72) a formal base for the creation of a special administrative unit under the name:Vojvodina Serbia (German:Woiwodschaft Serbien), also allowing the possibility for consequent association of that province with other crown lands.[5][6]
After the defeat of the Hungarian revolution, by a decision of the Austrianemperor, in November 1849, an Austrian crownland known asVoivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar was formed as the successor of Serbian Vojvodina.[6] However, Serbs were not fully satisfied with the new voivodeship, which was more ethnically mixed and included ethnic Romanian eastern parts of Banat, but excluded some areas with Serb majority.
The first capital of Serbian Vojvodina was inSremski Karlovci. It was later moved toZemun,Veliki Bečkerek (today known as Zrenjanin), andTemišvar (Timișoara).
The coat of arms of the Serbian Vojvodina was essentially the Austrian Habsburg imperial arms, with the coat of arms of theSerbs (Serbian cross, with fourCyrillic letters "S", on the chest of a black eagle). The bearer of the Serbian arms was the Austrian black eagle, instead of the Serbian white one, in order to show the fidelity of the newly established Voivodship to the Imperial Court in Vienna. The coat of arms was simply added to the Serbian national tricolour. Thus the flag differed from the flag of thePrincipality of Serbia, which had a different arms in the middle of its state flag.[7]
