The Uskoks: The Adriatic's Answer to the Ottomans

As the Ottomans continued to advance through modern day Bosnia and Herzogovina and Croatia, bands of Croats (and Serbs) formed together, calling themselves Uskoci (meaning: the one's who ambushed), and harried the Ottoman fleet in the Adriatic. With the blessings of the Austrians, the Uskoks established a stronghold at Senj, Croatia, and were paid an annual subsidy from the Austrians. But one empire's benefit is another's proverbial thorn; the Venetians, who traded regularly with the Ottoman's, complained to the Austrians about the Uskoks and the acts of privateering (legalized pirating). The Uskoks also managed to raid Venetian islands( Krk, Rab and Pag). The Venetians responded by besieging a Triest and Rijeka.

The exploits of the Uskoci almost provoked war between Venice and Austria on two seperate occassions (1602 and 1707). The harrying of the Ottomans and Venetians led the Austrians to try and appease the Uskoci, by sending an ambassador to them to curtail their activities. The ambassador, a Mr. Rabatta, was murdered, and the Uskoks contiued their raids on merchant vessels. It wasn't until many years later that the Uskoks were disbanded, and the pirates and their families moved inland to the Military Frontier in Croatia, between the Austrian Empire, and the Ottoman Turks.

What we see here is European politics at it's finest. The Austrians, trying to curtail the influence of the Venetians, allowed and subsidized Uskok raids against merchant vessels. The Venetians, ever the businessmen, were trying to profit from trade with the Ottomans, by allowing Turkish merchant vessels to sail the Adriatic. The Venetians sacraficed allegiance to Europe for monetary gain. The Austrians sacraficed Croats and Serbs for the defense of the Empire. And the Uskoks themselves were thinking in their best interests: waging unconventional war against the Turks(who had overrun most of their homeland), and profitting thus.