JELLACHICH, JOSEF, COUNT (1801-1859), Croatian statesman, was born on
the 16th of October 1801 at Pétervárad. He entered the Austrian army
(1819), fought against the Bosnians in 1845, was made ban of Croatia,
Slavonia and Dalmatia in 1848 on the petition of the Croatians, and was
simultaneously raised to the rank of lieutenant-general by the emperor.
As ban, Jellachich's policy was directed to preserving the Slav kingdoms
for the Habsburg monarchy by identifying himself with the nationalist
opposition to Magyar ascendancy, while at the same time discouraging the
extreme "Illyrism" advocated by Lodovik Gáj (1809-1872). Though his
separatist measures at first brought him into disfavour at the imperial
court, their true objective was soon recognized, and, with the triumph
of the more violent elements of the Hungarian revolution, he was hailed
as the most conspicuous champion of the unity of the empire, and was
able to bring about that union of the imperial army with the southern
Slavs by which the revolution in Vienna and Budapest was overthrown (see
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY: _History_). He began the war of independence in
September 1848 by crossing the Drave at the head of 40,000 Croats. After
the bloody battle of Buda he concluded a three days' truce with the
Hungarians to enable him to assist Prince Windischgrätz to reduce
Vienna, and subsequently fought against the Magyars at Schwechát. During
the winter campaign of 1848-49 he commanded, under Windischgrätz, the
Austrian right wing, capturing Magyar-Ovar and Raab, and defeating the
Magyars at Mór. After the recapture of Buda he was made
commander-in-chief of the southern army. At first he gained some
successes against Bem (q.v.), but on the 14th of July 1849 was routed by
the Hungarians at Hegyes and driven behind the Danube. He took no part
in the remainder of the war, but returned to Agram to administer
Croatia. In 1853 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army sent
against Montenegro, and in 1855 was created a count. He died on the 20th
of May 1859. His _Gedichte_ were published at Vienna in 1851.
See the anonymous _The Croatian Revolution_ of the Year 1848 (Croat.),
Agram, 1898. (R. N. B.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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