Zadar had come under the rule of Sigmund of Luxembourg after the death of Louis I of Hungary and Croatia in 1382, and eventually comes into the possession of Ladislaus of Naples, who, witnessing his loss of influence in Dalmatia, on July 31, 1409, sells Zadar and his dynasty's rights to Dalmatia to Venice for one hundred thousand ducats.

This is part of his attempts to gain allies in the upcoming war against the Republic of Florence, caused by his expansion in central Italy and his alliance with Paolo Guinigi, lord of Lucca, a traditional enemy of the Florentines.

Venice has therefore obtained control over Zadar without a fight, but is confronted by the resistance and tensions of important Zadar families.

These attempts are met with persecution and confiscation.

Venice installs nobility to govern the area, for example, Count Filippo Stipanov in Zadar.

Zadar remains the administrative seat of Dalmatia, but this time under the rule of Venice, which will soon expand over all of Dalmatia from Istria to Albania, barring …

Venice secures control of the Dalmatian islands and coast after defeating the Turkish fleet at Gallipoli in June 1416; the republic also acquires new outposts in the Greek mainland and Euboea.

The Venetians keep Dalmatia as their poorest, most backward province: they reduce Dalmatian local autonomy, cut the forests, and stifle industry.

Venice also restricts education (to the extent that Zadar, the administrative center of Dalmatia, will lack even a printing press until 1796).

Despite centuries of struggle for dominance of the region and exploitation by Venice, Dalmatia will produce several first-rate artists and intellectuals, including the sculptor Radovan, Juraj Dalmatinac, an architect and sculptor, writer Ivan Gundulic, and scientist Rudjer Boskovic.

Venice, which has repulsed Ottoman attacks on Dalmatia for several decades after the Battle of Mohács in 1526, helps to push the Turks from the coastal area after 1693, ...

Dalmatia is returned to Austrian control when Napoleon is defeated in 1814 by a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number of German States.

… the Ustase’s members attempt to incite a peasant rebellion in northern Dalmatia in 1932.

The Italian Second Army (comprising fifteen divisions) meanwhile advances from Istria into Dalmatia on April 11.

The University of Zagreb opens a branch in Zadar in 1955.