The Gusić family, also known as Gušić, was one of the twelve noble tribes of the Kingdom of Croatia, mentioned in the Pacta conventa. They originated from the hinterland of Biograd in the medieval Luka and Sidraga županijas, where they are recorded at least since the 11th century. Their main regions of influence were Krbava and Gacka, where they often served as župans and knezes at least since the early 13th century. In the 14th century branched Posedarski who seated in Posedarje, and Kurjakovići who as magnates managed to gather much wealth and have high official positions at the Hungarian royal court as well two of their members became Ban of Croatia. As experienced warriors, they actively participated in the Croatian–Ottoman and late Ottoman–Venetian Wars. Direct descendants of the tribe with the surname Gusić, and possibly Gušić, live even today in Croatia and Slovenia.

The Kingdom of Croatia entered a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary in 1102, after a period of rule of kings from the Trpimirović and Svetoslavić dynasties and a succession crisis following the death of king Demetrius Zvonimir. With the coronation of King Coloman of Hungary as "King of Croatia and Dalmatia" in 1102 in Biograd, the realm passed to the Árpád dynasty until 1301, when the (male) line of the dynasty died out. Then, kings from the Capetian House of Anjou, who were also cognatic descendants of the Árpád kings, ruled the kingdoms. Later centuries were characterized by conflicts with the Mongols, who sacked Zagreb in 1242, competition with Venice for control over Dalmatian coastal cities, and internal warfare among Croatian nobility. Various individuals emerged during the period, such as Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who was representing the most powerful Croatian dynasty at the time, the Šubić noble family. These powerful individuals were on occasion able to de facto secure great deal of independence for their fiefdoms. The Ottoman incursion into Europe in the 16th century significantly reduced Croatian territories and left the country weak and divided. After the death of Louis II in 1526 during the Battle of Mohács and a brief period of dynastic dispute, both crowns passed to the Austrian House of Habsburg, and the realms became part of the Habsburg monarchy.