Figure 1.--This is a scene from Camp "Hesselberg" during 1943. The teachers , year 1943 with the teachers Janez Lepuschitz (in the center left) and Franc Kosutnik (in the center right). I do not understand at this time the circumstances as to why the children were in the camp. They are apparently part od the Slovenia minority thast was living in Austria. They look healthy and well cared for. Notice the slates boards are written in German and not Slovenian. Click on the image to see the rest of the group.

Solvenia bordered on Austria which as a result of the Anchluss became part of the German Reich. German troops poured across the border and occupied Slovenia within hours with virtually no resistance. Slovenia was partitioned with Axis partner Italy. Italy was awarded southwest Slovenia, including Ljubljana. The NAZIs annexed the northern part of Slovenia into the Reich. Hungary was awarded Prekmurje. This action shows that NAZI officals judged the Slovenes as racially salvageable. We are not sure to what extent NAZI officials instituted racial evaluations and assessment of the Slovenian population. NAZI officials in Austria ininiated an ethnic cleansinf campaign in the Carinthian and Styrian regions. The level of violence in Slovenia, however, never approached that in Bosnia and other areas of Yugoslavia. Many Slovenes participated in the resistance. As part of the Reich, Slovene youth in the German section were subject to conscription and thousands were forced to fight in the German military. Boys were required to join Hitler Youth units which were organized. The language of instruction in the schools became German. The Italians in their sector set out to Italicize Slovenes, but without the racial component persued in the German section. We have no information at this time on what happened in the small sector of Slovenia occupied by the Hungarians. At the end of the War, Croatians fleeing partisan actions against Utashi supporters were intercepted in Slovenia near the Austrian border. After a brief fight, large numbers of the Croatians who surrendered were executed.

Background

Solvenia bordered on Austria. Before World War I, Slovenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a multi-ethnic empire, there was considerable mixing of people. There were ethnic Austrians living in Slovenia. They dominated in positions of authority and Government jobs. There were also Slovenes living in Austria. This meant that after World War I and the formation of Yugoslavia that there was an Austrian minority in Slovenia which lost many of their former privliges. Across the frontier there was also a Slovene minority in Austria. As a result of the Anchluss. Austria became part of the German Reich (1938).

Coup

Unlike the situation in Croatia, Slovenes generally approved the coup in Belgrade that removed Prince Paul and the Government which aggreed to join the Axis.

Invasion

German troops poured across the border and occupied Slovenia within hours with virtually no resistance.

Partition

Slovenia was partitioned among the Axis partners. Most of the county was divided between the Germans and Italians. This significantly impacted the occupation regime. This changed when Italy signed an armistace with the Allies and withdrew from the Axis (september 1943). German troops occupied the Italian sector.

Italy

Italy was awarded southwest Slovenia, including Ljubljana.

Germany

NAZI Germany invaded Yugoslavia from both the Reich (Austria) as well as German forces based in its Axis allies (Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria) as part of Operation 25 (April 6). Within days Slovenia was over run. Each Axis ally was given its own occupation zone. Slovenia was split between Germany and Italy. The Germans occupied the northern area (Lower Styria) and subsequently annexed it to the Reich. German Führer Adolf Hitler order hus subordinates to "make this land German again". [Tomasevich, p. 85.] Here he was speaking both etnically and culturally. Hitler with most of Yugoslabia in his hands visited Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city (April 26). The German population staged an ethusistic reception at th city's historic castle. Very early on, the Germans began expelling ethnic Slovenes. They wre transported to Croatia, Serbia, and to concentration and labor camps jn the Reich. Many Slovene men, including much of the small Jewish population, were taken hostage and some were shot in the prisons of Maribor and Graz. Other Jews were deported to the death camps. NAZI policies toward people in annexed areas varied. In occupied Poland NAZI Gauleiters varies in how they assessed the local population for Aaraynization. We do not have details on this process in Slovenia. The NAZI goal was to Germanize the population of Lower Styria. Apparetly the process was not pursued as vigirously as Hitler had hoped and post-poned until after the War was won so as not to destabilize the economy. We are not sure to what extent NAZI officials instituted racial evaluations and assessment of the Slovenian population. As part of the Reich, Slovene youth were subject to conscription and thousands were forced to fight in the German military. Boys were required to join Hitler Youth units which were organized. We are not sure if there was an erhnic test for this. In the Reich many boys with Polish and other ethnicities (exceopt Jews and Blacks) were required to join the HJ. The language of instruction in the schools became German. The Italians in their sector set out to Italicize Slovenes, but without the racial component persued in the German section. We assume as in Poland and Czechioslovakia, etnicity affected ration allocations, but we have no details about Slovnia. Actions against Slovenes led to the development of organised resistance. Maribor was the site of a German prisoner-of-war camp (1941-45). Many British, Australian, and New Zealand troops who had been captured in Crete during 1941 were held there. Maribor was thee location of one of Yugoslavia's most important industrial cenrts, including arms production. As a result, as the Allied strategic bombing cmpaign expanded after the aquisition of air fields in siuhern Italy, Maribor was targeted. It was the primary Slovene city bombed. Some 29 bombing raids leveld half of the city. The Slovene Partisans expelled the German population at the end of the War. A few exceptions were made for the small number of Germans participatin jn the resistance. Quite a number of Croatian Ustaše members and their family who were escaping from Yugoslavia and trying to reach Germnybwere captuted by the Particans and executed. The also went after the Chetniks with equal vengence. Mass graves are still being found.

Hungary

Hungary was awarded Prekmurje. We have no information at this time on what happened in the small sector of Slovenia occupied by the Hungarians.

Austria

There as a Slovene minority in Austria, at the time of the invasuion--Ostmark. Austrian officials proceeded to conduct a brutal ethnic clensing campsaign in the Carinthian and Styrian regions. A reader reports that Slovenian children were deported, presumably from the German occupied sector. We do not at this time understand the circumstances. A HBC reader reports, "Slovenia deported children during War II. In the camp "Hesselberg" parents were allowed to organize for their children a kind of "kindergarten" and also a school (figure 1)." I think the Slovene children here are some of the Slovenes deported from Austria. A reader explains, "The Slovenian-speaking minority in Carinthia (the Austrian province, bordering on Slovenia), was expelled by the NAZIs (Austrian officiaks) (April 1942). The initial plan was to send them somewhere in the Ukraine, but the disaster at Stalingrad prevented that, so they were sent to places in Germany outside of Ostmark (Austria). The Hesselberg camp here was one of the places.

Violence

The level of violence in Slovenia, however, never approached that in Bosnia and other areas of Yugoslavia where groups like the Croatian Ustaše or German SS were active.

Resistance

Many Slovenes participated in the resistance.

Massacre

At the end of the War, Croatians fleeing partisan actions against Utashi supporters were intercepted in Slovenia near the Austrian border. After a brief fight, large numbers of the Croatians who surrendered were executed.

Germans Expelled

With the voctoriy of the Allies, Tito's Government did some ethnic cleansing of their own. The German/Austrian minority in Slovenia that lived for centuries in the Gottschee region was expelled (1945).

Sources

Rehsmann, F. Rod pod Jepo. The deportation and internment of the Slovenian children is presumably explained here, but we have not had an opportunity to examine the book.

Tomasevich, Jozo (31 January 2001). War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: Occupation and Collaboration. War and revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945 Vol. 2. (Stanford University Press: 2001)..

Created: 4:38 AM 10/15/2005
Last updated: 7:18 AM 7/15/2018