Liberal Patriotism and Communist Intransigence in 1941

Authors

  • Jerca Vodušek Starič

Abstract

The paper presents the hitherto unknown underground anti-Nazi activity of the Slovene Liberals during the first period of the Second World War (1939-1941). In liaison with the British intelligence service, the Liberals carried out operations against the German Third Reich by sabotaging their transports, organizing escape channels from Germany and collecting intelligence on the movements of the German army along the Slovene borders. The second part of the paper deals with the political stance of the Liberals in 1941, which defended the legitimacy of the existing government and the continuity of the Yugoslav state, as well as the conflict of such views with those upheld by the Slovene Liberation Front (LF). The LF, in turn, endeavoured to split the Liberal camp into factions and incorporate them in its own ranks under unequal conditions. As a result, their ways parted in 1941, for which the Liberals blamed the intransigence of the Communist Party of Slovenia.

Published

2001-01-01

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