Slovenians

Slovenians or Slovenes (Slovenian Slovenci, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenka) are a South Slavic people primarily associated with Slovenia and the Slovenian language.

Slovenians during and after the 2nd World War

Slovenians participated in the so-called National Liberation Fight ("NOB") while Yugoslavia was occupied by Axis powers during the Second World War (1941-1945).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The commander of the High command of the Slovenian partisan's army Franc Rozman Stane
• The Pohorje battalion
• The Battle of Osankarica
• The National heroes

There were Slovenians also in the German army.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1945, Yugoslavia liberated itself and shortly thereafter became a nominally federal Communist state, with Slovenia a socialist republic.

Related Topics:
Communist state - Socialist republic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Most of Carinthia remained part of Austria and estimated 13,000 Slovenians in the Austrian state of Carinthia were recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955. The Slovenians in the Austrian state of Styria (estimated 2,000) are not recognized as a minority and do not enjoy special rights, although the State Treaty of July 27, 1955 states otherwise.

Related Topics:
Carinthia - Austria - Austrian state of Carinthia - Austrian State Treaty - 1955 - Styria - July 27

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many of the rights required by the 1955 State Treaty are still to be fully implemented. There is also an undercurrent of thinking amongst parts of the population that the Slovenian involvement in the partisan war against the Nazi occupation force was a bad thing, and indeed "Tito partisan" is a not an infrequent insult hurled against members of the minority. Many Carinthians are (quite irrationally) afraid of Slovenian territorial claims, pointing to the fact that Yugoslav troups entered the state after each of the two World Wars. The current governor, Jörg Haider, regularly plays the Slovenian card when his popularity starts to dwindle, and indeed relies on the strong anti-Slovenian attitudes in many parts of the province for his power base. Another interesting phenomenon is for some German speakers to refuse to accept the minority as Slovenians at all, referring to them as so-called Windische, an ethnicity distinct from Slovenians (a claim which linguists reject on the basis that the dialect spoken is by all standards a variant of the Slovenian language).

Related Topics:
State - Governor - Jörg Haider

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yugoslavia acquired some territory from Italy after WWII but some 100,000 Slovenians remained behind the Italian border, notably around Trieste and Gorizia.

Related Topics:
Trieste - Gorizia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1991, Slovenia became an independent nation state after a brief ten day war.

Related Topics:
1991 - Nation state

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~