Stjepan Jovanović



Stjepan Jovanović, Freiherr (Baron) von Jovanovich, (January 5, 1828 - December 8, 1885) was a military commander of the Austrian Empire from Croatia.

Jovanović was born in the village of Pazarište near Otočac in Lika (then Austrian Empire, today Croatia),. He joined the Austrian army in year 1845 and during 1845-1845 fought under general Radetzky in Italy, in 1850 was transferred to the General staff and later served as an adjutant of general Gabriel von Rodich in southern Dalmatia.

Between 1861 - 1865 Jovanovich served as Austrian consul general in Sarajevo. Because of his knowledge of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro and Krivošije he was called back into the army in 1865, as a colonel. In 1866, during Austro-Prussian War he fought in Italy under archduke Albert. During the 1869 insurrection in Boka Kotorska, Jovanovich commanded a Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops) brigade in Kotor (Cattaro) that tried to suppress the uprising, but failed.

In 1875 Jovanovich was given nobility title Freiherr and in 1876 named a Feldmarschallleutnant.

In 1877 he commanded the 18th division in Split (Spalato), year later is was commanding the occupation of Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary.

Later, he served as military commander in Herzegovina, governor of Dalmatia and military commander of Zadar. He died in Zadar.