Integration Process and Croatian Nation Formation as a New Type of Community in Transitional Time – from the 19th to 20th Century

Sa？etak This paper discusses issues related to basic determinants of the Croatian nation formation in transitional period – from the 19th to 20th Century taking into consideration all relevant processes connected to the integration and formation of the Croatian national community as a new type. Croatian national identity is thereby questioned in this paper and defined as a socio-historical phenomenon with deeper meaning inside various degrees of formation process. Croatian national integration process was simultaneous to the process of modernization and urbanization which led to the development of civic society. In parallel to general societal dimensions and subsequent reduction of its polarization, adjustments occurred which equalized socially segmented Croatian space on civic grounds. Therefore, Croatian nation is an effect of the modernization processes in modern times which subsumes into its national identity system elements of primordial, ethnic and class identities