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Slovenia: Independence
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Prior to independence Slovenia was the most prosperous of the six Yugoslav republics. However, the wars that took place in the region during the early and mid-1990s seriously affected Slovenia’s economy. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was $6,052 in 1992, a sharp decline from the pre-independence figure of $8,658 in 1990. Trade with other countries and tourism were ... limited by the war, and the large population of war refugees was a further drain on the economy. In recent years, economic leaders have made efforts to turn the economy around, implementing market and bank reforms and promoting privatization. The presence of a non-Communist government since 1990, along with the country’s sound infrastructure and skilled workforce, helped reverse the downward trend.
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From 1946 until 1991 Slovenia was one of the republics of Yugoslavia. After Yugoslavia turned away from Communism in 1990, Slovenia held free elections, and in December it voted for independence. On June 25, 1991, Slovenia and neighboring Croatia both declared their independence.
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In 745, Carantania was incorporated into the Carolingian Empire, while Karantanians and other Slavs living in present Slovenia converted to Christianity. Carantania retained its internal independence until 828 when the local princes were deposed following the anti-Frankish rebellion of Ljudevit Posavski and replaced with a German (mostly Bavarian) ascendancy. Under the Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia Carantania, now ruled by a mixed Bavarian-Slav nobility, shortly emerged as a regional power, but was destroyed by the Hungarian invasions in the late 9th century. The Slovene lands were turned into a military borderland of the Carolingian Empire (the Marches of Carinthia, of Carniola and of Friuli). Carantania was established again as an autonomous administrative unit in 976, but it never developed into an unified realm; it soon broke down into what became the duchies of Carinthia, Styria, Carniola and Friuli, into which the Slovenian Lands remained divided up to 1918. The Carantanian identity remained alive into the 12th century when it was slowly replaced by regional identities.
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After successful resistance to the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) following the 10-day war of independence in 1991, Slovenia faced the challenge of establishing independent armed forces. The Slovene Armed Forces underwent a major reorganization from 2003 to 2005, with the goal of changing from a conscription-based territorial defense force to a professional, deployable, and combat capable military with NATO. Conscription ended earlier than expected, in October 2003, and compulsory reserve service will end by 2010. As of September 2007, Slovenia's professional force included 7,143 soldiers and 9,063 reservists. The current force structure consists of one fully professional motorized infantry brigade and two cadre/reserve force mechanized brigades. The professional brigade represents Slovenia's deployable reaction force.
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![[Plain flag of Slovenia]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/s/l/o/slovenia/i/031.gif)
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia proclaimed independence from Yugoslavia and the flag was hoisted officially and for the first time on the Republic Square in front of the Slovenian parliament in Ljubljana. At the same time the flag of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, bearing the red star, was lowered. Since there was not enough new flags, a lot of plain (without the coat of arms) Slovene tricolour flags were hoisted together with the new flag. The flag was officially adopted on 20 0ctober 1994 by the Law on the national symbols.
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Following the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during WWI, Slovenia became a part of the new ‘Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes' in 1918, later Yugoslavia. After WWII, Tito created Socialist Yugoslavia. Following his death in 1980, the economic and political situation deteriorated and led to a series of regional conflicts in the early 1990s. Slovenia was the first republic to break away, achieving independence relatively peacefully in 1991.
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