Southern Slavs, the ancestors of the Slovenes, began occupying Slovenia in the 6th century A.D. Since then, Slovenia has been ruled by a long succession of outsiders: Bavarians, the Frankish Empire, the Roman Empire, Hapsburg, and Austria. Throughout much of that time, the country faced pressure to Germanize but that pressure only made nationalistic feelings and the grasp on their Slavic roots stronger.

After World War I, Slovenia turned to their southern neighbors and joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later named Yugoslavia. In 1991 Slovenia declared its independence. A 10-day, almost bloodless battle ensued and ended in October 1991 when the last Yugoslav soldier left. For the first time in the nation’s history, Slovenia was ruled by Slovenes. Since then, the country has been growing stronger and joined the European Union in 2004.

Source: Slovenia CultureGram 2009