Slovene and Croatian Fight for Istria

Kratek oris narodnostnih in političnih razmer v Istri v 2. polovici 19. stoletja

Abstract

The article depicts the national and political situation of Slovenes and Croatians in Istria in the second half of the 19th century. Threatened by the mounting Italian attempts at denationalization, Slovenes and Croatians joined their ranks for the common cause. Due to the peculiar election system that ensured the Italian minority the majority in the Provincial Assembly Slovene and Croatian representatives found it very difficult to assert their rights. Another obstacle was the high percentage of illiteracy, which was the result of a severe shortage of national schools and of economic dependence upon the Italians. Nevertheless, toward the end of the 19th century, both Slovenes and Croatians started to voice more resolutely their demands for political and national rights; this, of course, was met with opposition from the Italian side.