SENJSKI USKOCI U "POVIJESTI SVAKODNEVNICE"
THE USCOCS OF SENJ IN THE HISTORY OF EVERYDAY OCCURENCE

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this research was the "Grassroot history" of the Uscocs of Senj insofar as they could be reconstructed from the archivic founds and contemporary sources of historians. Such witnesses allowed the author to grasp the "Down-to-Earth" sorrows of the soldiers in the garrison of Senj (the everyday problems are the main occupation of the "Grassroot-history" method), e.g. their problems with salaries and provisions as well as the motives of their controversial attacks against the Turkish territories and Turkish merchant ships. Comparing the results of their archival researches with the contemporary witnesses on the Uscocs of Senj and critically weighing their opinions, the author concluded that the reports of Venetian historians on Uscocs were far less negative than the common opinion today believes they were. Furthermore, the author stated that the Uscocs' warfare and their plunderings were widely congruent with the wars all over Europe, which were conducted not only by the high and mighties of their time, particularly by the Ottoman empire. The battles were carried among various minicipalities, regional potentates and other war-lords as well as confession leaders. Nobody succeeded in using the Uscocs of Senj for the ideologically motivated wars. In this sense the author intended to deny that were the Uscocs to proclaim themselves the "antemurale christianitatis", i.e. the "protection shield for Christianity against the Islam" and to conduct their war against the Turks as religious war. Particular attention was dedicated to the history of the Uscoc women in Senj. Also at this level the author had to critically weigh the various and controversial statements on their allegedly high virtues. At this point the author must accept that researches have their limits because of the lack of archival sources. The author wishes to make clear that in relation to the past ressentiments are quite inappropriate. It is essential to accept that a past reality might not agree with the products of our phantasies and wishes. The Uscocs of Senj are testimonies of a Europe in which the sense for justice and rights were awakening. Reflections on the lack of security and peace lead to endeavours to develop dovemment of right and administration structures in order to realize the sense of right.

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