THE NATIONAL COMMUNITV

Abstract

U ovoj studiji autor raspravlja o porijeklu i formiranju hrvatske nacionalne zajednice u XIX stoljeću. »Zasebna« hrvatska nacija strukturirala se na onim općim pravnim, političkim, društvenim i civilizacijskim vrijednostima na kojima se tada unutar srednjoeuropskog prostora izgrađivalo moderno građansko društvo, suvremeno političko tijelo, parlamentarizam, pravne države i moderne nacije. U tom procesu tzv. slavenske ideje (ilirstvo, južnoslavenstvo, slovinstvo i slavenstvo) nisu imale važniji utjecaj, jer kao neodređene ideje nisu posjedovale vlastite pravne, kulturne, političke, državne i civilizacijske vrijednosti koje bi zamijenile postojeće i na kojima bi se mogla formirati određena zajednica (kulturna, politička i nacionalna) te suvremena pravna država i ujedno demokratsko građansko društvo.Faced with established mental categories acquired during the reign of communist ideology, several questions in connection with the study of Croatian history may be asked. First, if the documents undoubtedly show how Croatian politicians during the nineteenth century had a clear idea of the individuality of Croatian nation and identity of Croatian state, how is it that many Croatian historians maintained that those same politicians established foundations for »Yugoslav national consciousness« and advocated a »Yugoslav nation«? Second, how is it possible to critically study the beginning and the development of Croatian nationality and its relationship to other European nations if we do not start with different presuppositions? The author argues that many of the hitherto established presuppositions have to change in order to study the origin of Croatian nation. He shows that theses of the existence of »Yugoslavism« were never proved; neither were those of the existence of t w o national consciousness and of two national programs, Croatian and Yugoslav. Since generations of Croatian historians were educated on those premises, it is urgent that a fresh look at recent Croatian history be taken