The area that is today known as Croatia was first settled in mid-Paleolithic, and later in the Neolithic. History records and colonization of the Illyrians, Celts and Greeks in the first millennium BC. Illyrian tribes established a state that a second win for the Romans in the second and first centuries BC.

The Croats arrived in todays Croatia and Bosnia in the 7th century. Croatian founded several principalities: Sava Croatia to the north and coastal Croatia to the south and west (in the literature may also find expression Pannonian Croatia and the Dalmatian Croatia).

The first native Croatian ruler recognized by a pope was duke Branimir, whom Pope John VIII. called dux Chroatorum 879th year.
The first Croatian king, Tomislav Trpimirovic was crowned around 925th year. Tomislav, rex Chroatorum, united Sava and coastal Croatia and the state created a substantial size. Medieval Croatian kingdom reached the peak of the reign of King Petar Kresimir IV. (1058.-1074.).
After death of Croatian national dynasty Trpimirovic 1091st The Croats of Hungary King Koloman recognized as the common king and Croatian settlements in Hungary from 1102.
When the Ottoman Empire began to conquer Europe, Croatia found itself on the border with the Empire. Despite constant struggles, Croatia has lost more territory due to the advance of the Turks.

In the 16th century, the Croats have become the protectors of Christianity in Europe. Because Croats have defended their faith and country against the much stronger enemy, Pope Leo X wrote a letter to the bishop of Trogir and said, "Head of the Church will not let you fall Croatia, strong and powerful wall of Christianity." Croatia has become "Antemurale christianitatis.
The Ottoman Empire expanded further to the 16 century included most of Slavonia, western Bosnia and Lika.
In the second half of the 16th century, large areas of Slavonia and the Croatian border with the Ottoman Empire were transformed into the Military Frontier.
In the 18th century Ottoman Empire was expelled from the Hungarian and Croatian, while Austria brought the empire under central control.

When the Venetian Republic fell 1797th year, its possessions in eastern Adriatic became subject of dispute between France and Austria. Habsburgs eventually secured power (1815th), and the parts of the Croatian lands under the name of the imperial provinces of Dalmatia and Istria became part of the empire. The latter two provinces were later division of the Habsburg monarchy in Austria and Hungary under the Austrian part of the ignition part, although they were east of Austria, while the other Croatian lands called imperial provinces of Croatia and Slavonia was ceded to Hungary, part of the monarchy.
Croatian national revival began in the 19th century against the Germanization, Hungarization and Italianization Croatian and Croats. Ilirizam included many influential people in Croatia (the Croatian and non-Croat origin!) 1830-ies, and further, which led to the reform of the Croatian language and the great development of culture.

After the revolution 1848th and the formation of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, Croatia lost its autonomy, although the ban Josip Jelačić helped to suppress the Hungarian uprising. Croatia's autonomy restored 1868th the Croatian-Hungary deal, which is obtained in spite of autonomy in some areas, a contract to the detriment of Croats, however, becomes interesting that in the Austro-Hungary, only Austria, Hungary and Croatia-Slavonia had its own army while the other territories of the Empire it had.

Shortly before the end of the 1st World War II (1918.), the Croatian Parliament broke ties with Austria-Hungary, which has lost the war and destroyed. National Council of State, administered panslavenstva ideas that were developed fifty years ago, joined Serbia and Montenegro, which was created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Decision on unification with the Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Montenegro, the Croatian Parliament never confirmed.
In 1929th King Aleksandar proclaimed a dictatorship and imposed a new constitution which, among other things renamed the country the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. King Alexander was assassinated in 1934.

Croatia became part of federal Yugoslavia 1945th year. The state is controlled by Tito's Communist Party.
After Tito's death (1980.) Emerged as the political, ethnic and economic problems, and the federal government is dissolving. Growing Serbian chauvinism has caused negative reactions and resistance in Croatia.
The first free elections held in 1990. year, and won the patriotic party Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) led by Franjo Tudjman, who became the first president of the Croatian. HDZ has worked on Croatian independence which had opposed the Serbian minority instrumentalized by the Greater circles in Belgrade, centered around the Association of Writers and the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences. This has gradually led to open hostilities between the two nations.

In Summer 1990th Serb population rebelled in areas where the Croatian had a majority and establish what would later become t.zv. Republic of Serbian Krajina. With the Serbs began the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). The conflict reached a climax in the so-called. "timber revolution", when rebel Serbs blocked the roads that connected the north and south of Croatia and the start of armed incidents.

JNA forces tried to forcibly keep occupied Croatia and thus provoked a war that would later become known as the Homeland War. Many Croatian cities of Vukovar and Dubrovnik in particular, found themselves under fire from Serbian forces.
Hundreds of thousands of Croats and others fled or were expelled from the occupied areas is the border areas with Serbia and Bosnia. At many places JNA made ethnic cleaning.
The Croatian Parliament cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia 8th October 1991.
Military conflicts in Croatia again to reinforce the 1995th year. In the spring the Flash operation freed western Slavonia. In early August, Croatia launched Operation Storm and rapidly released most of the occupied areas, while the Serbian population (about 350,000) mass fled to Serbia. Several months later the war was ended by the Dayton agreement.

The remaining part of Croatian, which is the eastern part of Slavonia, which is released in operations Flash and Storm, returned in 1998. The peaceful integration in the political-legal system of Croatian and then continued economic recovery and reconstruction of war-destroyed areas.