THE SLAV PEOPLES NIEDERLE. 609 



magyarization, the cause of both being the preponderance in numbers 

 and power of the Germans on one side and of the Magyars on the 

 other, over the Slovenians. 



To-day the Slovenian territory is limited to Carniola, the northern 

 part of Istria, Gorizia, and parts of Styria and Carinthia, with small 

 regions in northeastern Italy and in western Hungary. 



The total number of Slovenians is now only about 1,500,000, of 

 whom about 100,000 live in the United States. 



CROATIANS AND SERBIANS. 



Croatians and Serbians arose, with the Slovenians and the Bul- 

 garians, from the southern main Slav stem or division. They formed 

 at the beginning a linguistic unit, which did not become separated 

 into two parts or two nationalities until during historic times. Both 

 of these units, although aware of their close relation, to-day defend 

 a nationalistic individuality. 



The conditions leading to the separation of the two branches were, 

 as elsewhere, territorial, tribal, and dialectic differences. The orig- 

 inal body at first consisted of a series of tribes belonging to one 

 linguistic group, but dialectically slightly differentiated, which ex- 

 panded from their more northern cradle, near the Carpathians, 

 toward the Donau and beyond that to the Drava, Sava, and farther 

 on to the Balkans. It was only in the latter region, with the Balkan 

 Mountains presenting boundaries difficult to traverse and hence im- 

 peding communication, that some of the subdivisions became sepa- 

 rated and further differentiated, leading eventually to the present 

 grouping into two nationalities. 



In the northwest and west the original segregation of the tribes 

 gradually gave rise to the Croatians, while the more eastern group 

 became the Servians. The Croatians led an independent political 

 existence from probably as early as the seventh century until 1102, 

 when the Croatian Kingdom became attached to Hungary, with 

 which, in 1526, it became a part of Austria-Hungary. The Servians 

 were organized as a separate political body somewhat later, between 

 the 10th and 11th centuries, and retained their independence until 

 after the battle with the Turks on Kosovo Pole, in 1389, after which 

 their territory was made a part of the Ottoman Empire. 



The Turkish subjection of the Servians resulted in the emigration 

 of masses of the Servians and also of the Croatians northward into 

 southern Hungary and into other parts of the southern portion of the 

 Austrian States. 



At the present day the Croatians are settled entirely within 

 boundaries of the Austrian Empire. They occupy parts of the 

 coast land and Istria, portions of Dalmatia and Bosnia, and entire 

 97578°— SM 1910 39 



