The Adriatic's Own Republic: Poljica's Peasant Democracy

Before the Venetian Republic and the Habsburgs carved up the eastern Adriatic, a small community in the Dalmatian hinterland governed itself for centuries. This episode follows the Republic of Poljica, a peasant-led polity that survived between the Ottoman Empire, Venice, and the Habsburgs from the 12th century until 1807. We explore its unique constitution, the Grand Duke elected by free men, the role of the assembly known as the Zbor, and how this tiny republic maintained its identity through warfare, diplomacy, and shifting borders. We also touch on the Poljica Statute of 1440, one of the earliest written constitutions in the region, and its echoes in later Croatian democratic traditions. Join Lucas and Luna as they uncover a forgotten chapter of self-rule in the heart of Dalmatia.

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