The Habsburg-Ottoman Border and the Lower Neretva Region, 1852–1885

State borders crossed the lower Neretva River (defined as the stretch of the river between Počitelj and the Adriatic). cutting through the surrounding hills, with a border post and market at Unka close to Metković. Reputed to be one of the most malaria-stricken regions in Europe, it was easy to see the territory on either side from raised ground and to cross the border through smaller unguarded passes or by boat. The populations on either side continued to communicate and trade, sharing language, beliefs, and customs: regular caravans left the coast for Mostar carrying salt. Turmoil opened up the lower Neretva region as the reorganisation of the Eyalet of Herzegovina after 1851 led to prolonged instability in the region which regularly drove people towards the coast. In 1852, the Habsburg authorities in Dalmatia deported six deserters and one common criminal at Unka back to Ottoman territory. 23 years later as instability continued, Gabela and the villages around Hutovo blato were at the epicentre of a rebellion that almost emptied the wider region, and some 2000 refugees fled to Metković living as a precarious minority just a few miles from their settlements. Many homes on the Ottoman side of the border were then destroyed by fire or demolished. By 1878 the Habsburg regime had capitalised on Ottoman weakness at the Treaty of Berlin, launching its military occupation after a series of important tactical manoeuvres in the lower Neretva region which drew insurgents away from the advance on Mostar. By 1882, when other parts of Herzegovina were in rebellion, the Neretva region was rapidly pacified. In this article, I assess the impact of the crisis years c. 1852-1885 on both sides of the old border.