»V zaželjeni deželi«: slovenska izkušnja s Kraljevino SHS/Jugoslavijo 1918-1941

The first experience with the new historical situation that Slovenians were in after they had left Austria was related to the establishment of the State of Slovenians, Croatians and Serbians (hereinafter the State of SHS), founded by the Habsburg Yugoslavs on 29 October 1918. The State of SHS, with the exception of the Prekmurje, Medjimurje, Bačka, Baranja and Banat regions, encompassed all of the Yugoslav territory of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and existed until 1 December 1918, when it merged with the Kingdom of Serbia to form the Kingdom of Serbians, Croatians and Slovenians (hereinafter the Kingdom of SHS). In the State of SHS, for the first time in the 20th century, Slovenians clearly expressed their statehood capabilities, since they had successfully organised themselves as a national community that freely decided about all aspects of its national, political, national legal, cultural, social and economic development.