Josip Šokčević

Baron Josip Šokčević (in some sources also "Josif Šokčević") (March 7 1811 – November 16 1896), was an Croatian viceroy ("in Croatian" ban), lieutenant marshal and governor of the Serbian Voivodship and Tamiš Banat.

Life

He was born in the town of Vinkovci in Slavonia (a historical land and nowadays a geographical region in Croatia). After schooling in his birth-town he went to a military academy in 1823 and graduates with honours in 1830. His career was going very steeply, starting from the rank of ensign, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in the summer of 1848. He commanded the 37^th infantry regiment of Lavov, that consisted mainly of Hungarians. With the regiment he besieged and conquered Venice and it was the down-fall of Italian revolution against the Austrian Empire.

With 38 years of age he received the rank of major-general, while in his 46^th year he became a lieutenant marshal. Then he was transferred from the Slavonian military border to the Supreme military command in Graz. When the Croatian "ban" and baron Josip Jelačić was taken ill, Josip Šokčević was appointed the deputy of the "ban" by the Emperor Franz Joseph I and sent to Zagreb. Latter he became the military commander of the Banatian headquarters in Temeschwar. In the year 1860 he was exalted into the class of the Austrian baron, and was appointed as the governor of the Serbian Voivodship and Tamiš Banat.

In summer of 1860 the Emperor appointed him as the Croatian "ban" on the references of the Bishop of Bosnia and Syrmia, his grace, Josip Juraj Strossmayer ("in English Joseph George Strossmayer"). These were the years of great changes in Habsburg politics. The Emperor gave up with the practices of minister Bach and promised to some nations under Austrian rule freedom and prosperity. On the basis of empirial "October diploma", Šokčević called up the Conference of the Bandom that issued new electoral law for Croatia and gave sugesstions on the reorganization of Habsburg Monarchy. Croatian demands were the same as the "peoples demands" of 1848 being demands of united Croatia and federative Monarchy. In the spirit of democratization, in the entire Monarchy and in Croatia, old political parties were restored. This was shortly lived, because the Emperor changed his policy in 1861 when he issued "Februarial patent", he diminished the power of all of the parliament's in the land's of the Empire. During his mandate, ban Šokčević proposed the railroad between Vukovar, Zagreb and Rijeka. In 1864 there was organized and manifestation of the first annual Dalmatian, Slavonian and Croatian business exhibition, that latter became a regular occasion.

In the year 1866 Austria lost its war with Prussia, and were pulled out of the German unification. Entire Monarchy was in the state of crisis. Austrians and Hungarians made a political deal, better known as Austro-Hungarian compromise, this forced Croatia to reach a compromise with the Kingdom of Hungary of its own. "Ban" Šokčević thought that he was deceived by the Austrian's and thus resign his position on the 27^th of June 1867. He was retired from military command duties and from the public and political life of Croatia. He moved to Graz and later Vienna, where he died in near-obscurity.

Trivia

* The first Dalmatian, Slavonian and Croatian business exhibition was held on the grounds that latter became the Theatre square in which is now the centre of Croatian National Theatre.
* At the year 2002 his earthly remains were transferred to his birth-town of Vinkovci and buried in the tomb chapel of the Saint Magdalene that were built at the request of his mother Elisabeth.