Okraj Gornja Radgona : 1945-1950 : doktorska disertacija

slovenian

doktorska dela

2016

Univerza v Mariboru, Filozofska fakulteta

In 1947, the Gornja Radgona District covered an area of 338,26 km2, and had a population of 29.274. Situated along the Mura river and the Austrian border, it had a special geopolitical importance throughout the discussed period (1945-1950).The district was predominantly agricultural (public, private and cooperative ownership), and the industry was underdeveloped since there were no adequate natural conditions for its greater development. The border location of the district represented a constant problem for the new communist regime because of illegal crossing of the state border. The British occupying forces in the neighbouring Austria and the British military intelligence service (FSS) were seen as enemies who want to destroy the emerging system in Yugoslavia. The regime prevented, in all possible ways, the people to have contacts with the neighbouring Radkersburg/Radgona district and its Slovene-German bilingual hinterland of five villages (the so-called Radgona Corner). Establishing a new political system after the Second World War was the main purpose of the one-party system with the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) as the sole and leading political party. In order to protect the new socio-political system, the CPY had repressive forces: the National Security Agency (UDV), the People's Militia (NM), the People's Defence Corps of Yugoslavia (KNOJ), prosecutor's offices, courts and prisons. At the beginning of 1946, it carried out forceful eviction of the German population in the Apače region and colonized the area with settlers from other parts of Slovenia. For the CPY, the Catholic Church, large farmers and illegal groups were opponents to the new regime. The UDV in particular, with its wide network of over 400 collaborators (informants, agents, close connections), who operated openly and covertly in the district as well as in the Radgona Corner, had the task of detecting and surrendering to the court the real and alleged opponents of the new regime. The thesis represents a professional challenge for historians to explore this period also in other political districts of the then Slovenia, and among ethnic Slovenians in the neighbouring countries.

08.08.2023