Projects / Programmes
Fundamental issues of democracy in Slovenia prior to the Second World War and their Central European context
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.01.00 |
Humanities |
Historiography |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H271 |
Humanities |
Political history |
| H250 |
Humanities |
Contemporary history (since 1914) |
Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Slovenia, democracy, conceptual political pluralism, conceptual political monism, Catholicism, liberalism, communism, opposition, government, political parties, political system, elections, Central Europe, Czechoslovakia
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
22284 |
PhD Jure Gašparič |
Historiography |
Head |
2007 - 2008 |
334 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The proposed research will analyse the fundamental issues of democracy and democratic processes in Slovenia prior to the Second World War. The chronological framework of the research will be bounded on the one hand by the imposition of King Aleksander’s dictatorship in 1929, and on the other by the start of the Second World War in Slovenia in 1941, with special attention being devoted to events in the second half of the thirties. In this period, which has thus far been subject to relatively meagre attention from historians, there was a radical change in the political image of Slovenia and Yugoslavia. The research will thus analyse the position and fate of the then main political camps – liberal, Catholic and Marxist – their political outlook, their attitude to democracy and especially their potential establishment of the concept of democracy in the Slovenian political arena. Here special attention will be focused on the Slovenian People’s Party, since this was the strongest political group in Slovenia in the 1920s, and knowledge to date indicates that it also retained its influence later. In the first phase of the research, the researcher will tie the issues of democracy in Slovenia to the conditions in the Yugoslav state framework, to the array of political forces and the role of Slovenian political players within them. The second phase will involve an analysis of conditions in the Drava Banovina [Drava administrative region], with particular attention focused on the situation on the ground, and on the expression and implementation of the democratic process through elections. On the basis of a scientific investigation of the elections, the research will analyse the fact of the political existence of what were termed the old (banned) parties and the functioning of the institution of democratic political choice. The research issue identified in Slovenia must necessarily be placed in the then relevant Central European context. A comparative analysis will therefore examine closely the political situation in Czechoslovakia, where special attention will be focused on the structure of its political space and particularly on the role of the national question during the political and social crisis at the end of the thirties. Carrying out the research will enable an understanding of the significance and weight of democratic discourse prior to the Second World War and its role in the genesis of the political polarisation of the Slovenian population into the “left” and “right”.
Significance for science
The research primarily analyses the political situation in Slovenia and in the wider state context. On one hand it focuses on the strongest political party – SLS (Slovenian People's Party), while on the other hand it explores the realisation of the parliamentary democracy idea in the political practice, especially in the decade preceding World War II. Its results represent a contribution to the understanding of the structure and genesis of the Slovenian political space, and they also try to explain the Slovenian position in the first Yugoslavia. Thus this research has looked at the so called grey spot of history, since the political history of the 1930s is one of exceedingly deficient topics. Namely, until now Slovenian political historiography of the interwar period has mostly focused on the 1920s, exploring them comprehensively and analytically in many aspects.
The research provided some concrete answers, but what seems even more important is that it expanded the substantive and interpretative context, which is, in the opinion of the researcher, vital in order to understand that period. In the future the basic research should pay more attention to the exploration of the institution of the parliament, political culture and parliamentary practices of that period.
The project holder would also like to underline that it is Slovenian historiography which is primarily responsible for the exploration of the history of Slovenian space, and it should carry out this work continuously and systematically. However, at the same time it should ensure that foreign researchers be included into comparative studies of "Slovenian" topics, thus also ensuring that the foreign professional public is familiarised with this research. In the opinion of the project holder, the latter is, naturally, only possible by placing the Slovenian issues into a wider context, where the history of the Slovenian space does not appear as an isolated phenomenon, but as a very illustrative example instead. And this was the very ambition of the research carried out.
Significance for the country
The research contributes to a more balanced and ideologically unbiased understanding of the past with new realisations and new emphases. Its results could represent additional encouragement for the positive communication about the decisive national priorities in the future, consequently contributing to the establishment of a dynamic, open and adaptable society, capable of accepting modern developmental challenges with a notion of its own democratic traditions before World War II. Potential users will be able to transfer certain findings into pedagogical processes.
The project holder also claims that a high quality realisation of every research project expands the conceptual framework of the Slovenian historiography, consequently bringing it even closer to the modern European research trends. This definitely promotes the Slovenian state and its clear scientific policy.
However, the project holder dares to admit that the entire relevance of the project to the society cannot be predicted at this moment. By all means, the researcher disseminated its results among the audience to the best of his abilities. However, society itself – at least, in the opinion of the project holder – will have to responsibly deal with the application of the results and the realisations about democratic traditions and past political practices.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
