Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival After World War II

by John Corsellis

In 1945 Slovenia, 6,000 civilians and 12,000 members of the anti-Communist Home Guard, the "domobranci", fearing punishment for their wartime resistance to their Partisan enemies, fled to southern Austria. But there, the British 8th Army loaded them into trucks, purportedly to take them to Italy, only to deliver them straight back to Tito's Partisans. The Partisans tortured and then executed them. The remaining civilians were spared due to the brave revolt of the British Red Cross and Quaker aid workers. John Corsellis witnessed and took part in these protests and in this book reconstructs the survivors' stories. These are vivid tales of wartime cruelty, of the revival of battered communities in refugee camps, and of emigration to Argentina, the U.S., Canada and Britain. In this unique volume, the authors call on more than half a century of research and an unsurpassed knowledge of the Slovene migrant communities around the world to tell their stories.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an informative, intense, in-depth explanation of what happened in Slovenia in 1945, both during and after World War II. At that time, the Slovenians who did not want to remain in a soon-to-be communist Slovenia/Yugoslavia left the country as refugees, living in camps just across the border in Austria. At the end of the war, the British repatriated thousands, who were executed by their enemies, the Partisans, who had fought to establish Yugoslavia. This was a civil war which tore communities apart, and the inhumanity was appalling. This history has still not been reconciled in Slovenia, to this day, with the mass graves only recently unearthed, and little by way of official acknowledgement or apology.

This gave me a much better understanding of the history and experiences my own Slovenian family lived through and is still dealing with today. It also causes me to reflect on the experience of Syrian refugees today, and how lucky those Slovenians were who were welcomed into other countries from the camps, the only way they were able to survive.

--"The Partisan combativity prompted Britain to switch support in the middle of the war from the Royalist Chetnik guerrillas to Tito. The British believed that the Chetnik leader Dragoljub Mihailovic was using British arms to fight the Partisans and doing little against the Germans or Italians. The Partisans were similarly directing their fight against their domestic opponents. But they fought the enemy occupiers as well. This latter point was crucial for the British, who wanted to weaken and tie down German forces in Yugoslavia. The Communists thereby positioned themselves to come out on the right side at the end.
The episodes described above illustrate the price paid by the civilian population caught in between. The death toll in Yugoslavia contrasts with the far fewer civilian casualties in most of the rest of occupied Europe. The Partisans deliberately involved the civilian population in the fighting because they did not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants in their ideological war." (p. 34)

--"What is striking about the Catholics at this time, in Slovenia and elsewhere, is the extent to which anti-Communism was a top priority. Popes Pius XI and XII set the policy out in missives, and the Slovene Church and its congregations put it into practice as an obedient flock At the time the Communist threat was real and life-threatening, and the Catholics can claim credit for opposing it consistently... The Western Allies thought so too. The Catholics who collaborated assumed the British and Americans shared their preoccupation with the Communist threat and thought they would help them defeat the Communists at the end of the war. They themselves put resistance to Communism at the top of their priorities, but they failed to notice that the Allies had a different agenda. For the Allies, the most important thing was to defeat the Nazis and their brutal philosophy of racial dominance and extermination, and they were ready to cooperate with Stalin to achieve that. On the one hand were Catholics valuing discipline, religious ideals and anti-Communism, and on the other were the Western Allies fighting for a liberal way of life free from Nazi tyranny. They were not on the same wavelength." (p. 148)

[Andrew Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that I ran across this book while cat sitting for a friend in Bled. while it comes from a certain historical point of view, the author is aware of this and tries to be as even handed as possible, regarding the aftermath of World War Two in Slovenia. It traces the development of the Slovene Domobranci (Home Defenders) from the occupation of a portion of the country by Italy, through to when the Nazis forced them to actively fight the Partisans after Italy fell. It also details the experiences of the many Domobranci and their families, who were forced to flee to camps in Austria to avoid persecution and the mass death pits that awaited them following the victory of the partisans in Yugoslavia. Some chilling accounts from Domobranci who escaped the death pits are also included. This book really helped to explain what is still something of a controversial, taboo topic in Slovenia. The Alternative History novel about Slovenia that I was planning to write at the time would not have turned out the same without my having read the first part of this book. I am sorry to say that I did not have time to read the second part, which apparently is about the refugees' struggles in finding asylum abroad.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collective experience of the Slovenian people during and following World War II is complex. Missing in the prevailing narrative, which was primarily written by the victors of Yugoslavia's civil war, is much of the nuance that defines this collective experience and speaks to its complexity. This has been further complicated by regional and global realpolitik realities. This book provides significant detail and context regarding the nuanced moral and everyday reality of Slovenia's WWII experience. Although not entirely neutral (one of the authors was heavily involved in aiding Slovenian refugees and was understandably affected by what he witnessed and experienced), it makes a good and transparent effort to tell an important piece of Slovenia's 20th century story and the need to include it in the existing narrative of the Slovene nation. A moving and insightful read.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a helpful, informative story which helped me to connect with my Slovenian heritage and the lives of my grandparents who fled Slovenia in the face of looming communism. The mass graves described in the books contain the bodies of my ancestors. This is the story of a people displaced, mistreated, lied to, stolen from, betrayed, and killed. It’s also a story of an indomitable people who overcome, preserve, thrive in the harshest circumstances (writing poetry in displaced persons camps!), and move ahead despite many obstacles. Very eloquently written at times, whereas at others it has the feeling of reading a term paper. This was a great read to connect with my own history and the complex social and political past of a small nation.

B+

[Cam Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting story. Opened my eyes to the reality of life after a war for the individuals hoping for their country to be restored to what it once was. It was also very powerful hearing accounts of refugees who really had no place to go, as they were persecuted back home and unwelcome abroad. How we do/should treat these people as a global community is not a black and white answer, and there is no simple solution, but we must see the needs of the PERSON before the ethnicity, religion, culture, etc. associated with them.

[Rastival · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Slovene that was not completely educated in this area of our history, it's an interesting read. Living in carinthia and hearing the stories from my great grandparents who lived here at the time it's mindblowing the extent of things went on in areas you walk\drive nowadays every day. And you could still feel the anxiety when grand and great-grandparents talk about these things and even that only in rumors.

[Pepca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival After World War II I read this book a few years ago. This is not the kind of book I can say whether I like it or not, hence three stars. To me, the subject of this book was nothing new, as the events it examines have, sadly, still a strong impact on life in Slovenia. Fortunately, the author, not being Slovenian, is capable of detaching himself from a position of judgement. Instead, he rather states the facts and leaves the past to the past. The strongest attribute of this book is it being written objectively. Though the author personally witnessed some of the events, he is capable to present the events in an emotionally invested, yet objective way. It is an exceptional book about the darkest era of a nation, and therefore it is a very emotional read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only gotten through the second chapter and I've already found myself close to tears more than once. Oh my Lord, the pain and suffering of Slovenes during those years must have been so very hard to survive. Somehow I think this book may answer a lot of questions for me about what it was like for my grandparents before they decided to leave Europe for the USA......

Done. A read life-changing book for me.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no concept of the killings that continued at the end of the second world war. Slovenia and the creation of Yugoslavia is one such example of being on the wrong side.