Why go
The name Drava Banovina belongs to the Yugoslav kingdom’s administrative history, while TIGR belongs to resistance against Fascist rule in the west. Understanding the difference helps when reading the histories of places such as Ljubljana, Postojna, Vipava and Idrija, whose experiences between the wars were not the same.
The full story
A centralist constitution adopted in 1921 frustrated Slovene demands for greater autonomy within the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Slovene cultural life continued, and Slovene politicians participated in the kingdom’s governments. In 1929, the state became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the constitution was abolished and civil liberties were suspended. The administrative name Drava Banovina replaced Slovenia. Meanwhile, western Slovene communities under Italian rule faced forced Italianization. Places affected included Idrija, Ajdovščina, Vipava, Postojna and Pivka. The burning of the Slovene National Hall in Trieste in 1920 became a stark expression of Fascist violence. Suppression of Slovene organizations helped prompt the formation of the anti-Fascist organization TIGR in 1927. Inside Yugoslavia, economic crisis and political polarization strengthened radical movements, while different opposition groups began building links that would matter during the next war.