Susedgrad

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The Croatian-Slovene Peasant Revolt of 1573 marked a pivotal moment in history as it became the first large-scale peasant uprising to take place within the territory now comprising modern-day Croatia and Slovenia. Sparked by the brutal treatment of serfs at the hands of Baron Ferenc Tahy, who resided in Susedgrad Fortress, the revolt ultimately ended after 12 days with a crushing defeat for the rebels and a bloody reprisal from the nobility. By the late 16th century, the threat of Ottoman incursions had significantly strained the economy of the southern regions within the Holy Roman Empire, prompting feudal lords to continually increase their demands on the peasantry. In Croatian Zagorje, this situation was further exacerbated by Baron Ferenc Tahy's cruel treatment of peasants and his longstanding disputes with neighboring barons over land, which dated back to 1564 and had escalated into armed conflicts. The Battle of Stubica was fiercely contested, with Gubec and his forces of 10,000 men putting up a desperate resistance before being defeated by the baronial army after a four-hour battle that claimed the lives of 3,000 peasants. Gubec himself suffered a public torture and execution on February 15th.