Sketches of the Serbs in Cavtat until 1945

Abstract

At the end of 19th and in the first half of 20th century Catholic Serbs consisted the majority in Cavtat, also known as ?little Belgrade? for that reason. They permanently confronted Croatian nationalists who aspired to make Cavtat a Croatian city. People from Cavtat closely cooperated with national societies from Dubrovnik. National Women?s Cooperative from Dubrovnik opened in 1920 a branch in Cavtat with ?Pcelica? institution. Serbian Sisters? Circle (Kolo srpskih sestara) opened a vocational school in Cavtat at its own expense. The school was governed by Women?s Charitable Organisation from Cavtat, and financed by the Circle. King Aleksandar and Queen Marija received an enthusiastic welcome when they visited Cavtat in 1925. Catholic Serbs considered the Sokol Movement (Sokolsko drustvo) a binding thread of Yugoslav society. The Sokol Movement in Cavtat was the most active and the largest society in Cavtat until the April War in 1941. Cavatat municipality was separated from Konavle in 1937. The Yugoslav Radical Union (JRZ) led by Niko Vragolov won the elections. According to the Cvetkovic-Macek Agreement from August 26th, 1939 Cavtat was separated from Banovina of Zeta and allotted to Banovina of Croatia. The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) in Banovina of Croatia used its leading position to expand persecutions and deprivations of Catholic Serbs, the Yugoslavs and the Sokols. Local newspapers, especially magazines Dubrovnik and Sokolski glasnik, reported about these persecutions. In Banovina of Croatia municipality of Cavtat was appended in 1940 to the municipality of Konavle with the seat in Gruda. Everything that happened in and around Dubrovnik in Banovina of Croatia was an introduction to what was happening later in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). The Ustashi persecutions did not cause Catholic Serbs to break down. During the Second World War Dubrovnik and Cavtat were important strongholds of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland. After the War Cavtat became part of Croatia.