The impact of two volcano eruptions on the Croatian lands at the beginning of the 19th century

This paper aims to show that volcanic activity was the prime factor that initiated a sequence of natural disasters in Croatia during the early 19th century. The Napoleonic wars were still roaring when two volcano eruptions affected Europe. The first one occurred in 1808/09 and was followed by the eruption of the Tambora volcano in 1815. These eruptions produced a negative effect on weather conditions from 1809 to 1818. The daily minimal temperatures in the northern hemisphere, from late spring to early autumn, were abnormally low in this period. As a consequence, the Croatian lands were struck by crop failures, and famine became widespread because of inadequate measures against food shortage. However, the most detrimental outcome was a catastrophic epidemic plague which lasted from 1814 to 1818