Activity of the Union of Slovene soldiers in Slovenian territories during the interwar period

Posledica prve svetovne vojne (1914–1918), prvega globalnega spopada, je bilo ogromno število mrtvih, invalidnih in pogrešanih vojakov. Preživeli so potrebovali zadoščenje, ki so ga delno dobili tudi s komemoracijo padlih v vojni. Vsaj delno zadoščenje so preživelim prinašale tako komemoracije padlih v vojni kot tudi delovanje v okviru stanovskih zvez preživelih vojne. Magistrsko delo obravnava delovanje Zveze slovenskih vojakov (kasneje Zveze bojevnikov), slovenske veteranske organizacije iz obdobja med obema svetovnima vojnama. Zveza se je od svojega nastanka leta 1925 zavzemala za mir in »nepolitičnost«, prijateljstvo med člani (tako dobrovoljci kot avstroogrskimi vojaki), pieteto (skrb za vojne grobove, postavljanje spomenikov in spominskih plošč padlim) in spremembo invalidskega zakona ter skrbela za slovenske vojne invalide. Leta 1931 je Zveza začela izdajati društveni časnik Bojevnik (1931–1936). Leta 1934 se je slovenska Zveza bojevnikov za kratek čas povezala z jugoslovanskimi stanovskimi društvi v Združenje borcev Kraljevine Jugoslavije, imenovano tudi Boj, ki pa so ga oblasti prepovedale že leta 1935. Po letu 1936 je Zveza bojevnikov ponovno delovala samostojno. Njihov najvidnejši projekt je bila zagotovo načrtovana prenova prostora pred brezjansko baziliko, kamor bi bil postavljen tudi grob neznanega slovenskega vojaka. Projekt je ostal neuresničen in je zaradi začetka druge svetovne vojne aprila 1941 »utonil« v pozabo. Enako usodo je doživela Zveza bojevnikov, ki je bila po okupaciji slovenskega ozemlja prepovedana skupaj z drugimi društvi.The consequences of the First World War (1914–1918), as the first global conflict, included an unprecedented amount of dead, wounded and missing soldiers. The survivors required satisfaction, partly gained through the commemoration of the fallen soldiers and the actualisation in the course of activities of various rank associations and organisations of the survivors of the war. The thesis deals with the activities of the Union of Slovene Soldiers (later known as the Union of Fighters), a Slovene veteran organisation in the inter-war period. The Association\u27s goals were, from its inception in 1925, the promotion of peace and »political neutrality«, friendship amongst members (between volunteers and also the Austro-Hungarian soldiers), veneration of the dead (taking care of war cemeteries, erection of monuments and commemorative plaques to the falen), the reform of the disabled veteran legislature and ultimately, the care of the disabled veterans. In 1931, the association began publishing a society newspaper Bojevnik (1931–1936). In 1934, the Slovene Association of Fighters united with other rank associations and organisations into Association of Fighters of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, also known as »BOJ«, which was short-lived and banned by the authorities in 1935. After 1936, the Association resumed its activities as an independent organisation. Their most well-known project was the plan to renovate the area in front of the basilica in Brezje, along with the erection of the Tomb of the Slovene Unknown Soldier at the same site. The project remained unrealised and was lost to memory after the begining of the Second World War in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in April 1941. The Union of Fighters shared the same fate after being banned along with all other associations and organisations during the Axis occupation