SPECIAL POSITION OF SRIJEM IN GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT ON THE EVE OF AND DURING WORLD WAR ONE

It is affirmed in historiography that Srijem area had special military-strategic and social significance. Precisely in this part of Triune Kingdom, more intensive disputes between Austria-Hungary and Kingdom of Serbia had become evident. Serbian Government succeeded in multiple manners, in this period, in influencing on political, social and security conditions of Srijem. Regarding their objectives, between Monarchy and Croatia, there is an equivalent sign, therefore Serbs and Serbians regarded the war as a beginning of final battle with both subjects. The objective was destruction of Monarchy and expansion to Croatia. Exposed to such aggressive acts, Austria-Hungary started to analyze the mode of protecting itself. In this, having in mind complexity of relations within the Monarchy, defectiveness was evident. Francis Ferdinand, an heir to the throne and main headquarters of the army, in difference to other relevant persons and institutions in Monarchy, considered it as a serious problem and contemplated possible answer to face Serbian activities. They started planning offensive actions from Croatian territory, within which Srijem held special significance for the reason that only offensive actions should be conducted in border area. Differences in interests were unique, henceforth events during first months of war were intensive. About these events, works of present historiography and publicists are incomplete and even when being written about the subject, political, military, demographic and geographic context had been ignored. Evaluations were one-sided, usual for stance of Yugoslav historiography toward topics regarding Croatia at the beginning of World War One. As every war in history by itself is mutual, historian in evaluation of the same is supposed to take all relevant factors in consideration, which is fundamental purpose of this work