The Annexation of Me？imurje to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes From the unsuccessful attempt on 13 November to the successful occupation of Me？imurje on 24 December 1918

Sa？etak After the establishment of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, the Me？imurje region, then part of the Hungarian Zalad County, desired to become part of the newly-created state. After the capitulation of Austria-Hungary, there were riots in Me？imurje, better known as the Me？imurje Revolution or the Public Actions (narodni istupi). The Hungarian authorities responded by introducing martial law, resulting in over a hundred death sentences being carried out. News on these deplorable events first reached neighbouring Vara？din and the local national council, which thus became a centre of information from where news was forwarded to the central National Council in Zagreb. In the evening of 13 November 1918, a military operation aimed to occupy Me？imurje was launched from Vara？din, but it failed due to a lack of preparation. This paper analyses the reasons why the mentioned action failed. The Belgrade Ceasefire was signed on the same day, and Me？imurje remained within the borders of Hungary. Intense preparations for the organisation of a new military operation followed. The central National Council in Zagreb turned to the Serbian army for help, but was turned down. On 24 December 1918, a second attempt to occupy the area was initiated. Lieutenant Colonel Slavko Kvaternik was appointed to lead the Croatian forces, while their field commander was Lieutenant Colonel Dragutin Perko. In only a few hours, the army of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes occupied Me？imurje without facing any resistance. In this way, the area bordered by the Mura and Drava Rivers was annexed to the other Croatian lands, i.e. the newly-established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes