The Master thesis Rhetorical Analysis of Croatian Presidents' Inaugural Addresses analyses and evaluates the inaugural addresses of Croatian presidents Franjo Tuđman, Stjepan Mesić, Ivo Josipović, Kolinda Grabar Kitarović and the current president Zoran Milanović. The theoretical framework of the thesis that enables the analysis brings forward the general regularities of public speech, the history and development of the epideictic genre and the inaugural address as a variety of the epideictic genre. It also explains the position of the president in Croatia and defines their authorities. The rhetorical characteristics of the inaugural addresses are analysed within the theoretic framework of the epideictic genre which means that the analysis seeks to find what is commended, what is criticised, which rhetorical tactics and figures are used, while taking into consideration the argumentational components that are primarily in service of amplification and the historic and political context of the speeches. All inaugural addresses of Croatian presidents are satisfactory in quality, share messages of collectiveness and patriotism, use many amplifications in order to emphasize what is being said, while also differing on the grounds of specific political backgrounds of the presidents and the contexts of their speeches. The thesis also brings a proposal of a class period in the subject of Rhetoric dedicated to the epideictic genre and its characteristics with focus on the specific characteristics of the inaugural address.