Croatia in Personal Union with Hungary

Following the disappearance of the Croatian ruling dynasty in 1091 Ladislaus I of Hungary brother of Jelena Lijepa, the last Croatian queen, will become king of Croatia. Croatian nobility of Littoral opposed this crowning which has led to 10 years of war and the recognition of the Hungarian ruler Coloman as the common king for Croatia and Hungary in a treaty of 1102. Kingdom of Croatia during personal union has never lost right to elect kings different from Hungarian had the ruling dynasty become extinct, and in 1293 and 1403 Croatia has chosen different kings, but both in cases the Kingdom of Hungary has declared war and personal union was again established.

During next 4 centuries of personal union Kingdom of Croatia will be ruled by bans appointed by Hungarian king. Other consequences of the change to the Hungarian king included the introduction of feudalism and the rise of the native noble families such as Frankopan and Šubić. From period of personal union there is oldest surviving document of Croatian parliament which is then called Congregatio Regni tocius Sclavonie generalis from 1273. The later kings sought to restore some of their previously lost influence by giving certain privileges to the towns.

The first period of personal union between Croatia and Hungary ended in 1526 with the Battle of Mohács and the defeat of Hungarian forces by the Ottomans. After the death of King Louis II, Croatian nobles at Cetingrad assembly decided to chose Habsburgs for new kings of Croatia under the condition that they give enough soldiers and money for the protection of Croatia against the invading Ottomans.