Forming new political Identity : Slovene writers and Yugoslav idea at the Beginning of the 20th Century
Abstract
One of the main influential ideas between Slovene and South Slavic intellectuals before the 1. World War, during that and after was the idea of the reunion of three states in Yugoslavia.
The idea was widespread in the region of the Balkans, especially among Croats. The followers of the new illyrism in Slovenia interpreted the idea as a gradual unification of Slovene culture and language with the Croat one in order to create a common Yugoslav nation and culture.
In that period it was a common conviction among Slovene intellectuals. On the contrary the main Slovene modernist Ivan Cankar (1876 - 1918) in his public lectures and interviews was railing against such a notion and he clearly proclaimed that that would be the end of Slovene language, culture and also the end of the Slovene writer.
As a critic and great thinker with visionary concepts he had foreseen a danger of reunification of three different cultures and languages in one, which had become very real in the new Yugoslavia. His act was crucial, he influenced the Slovene public stage with the consciousness of the importance of Slovene culture and language.
In that field he reacted as a critic of the naïve behaviour of some Slovene intellectuals of that time who were very eager to abandon the Slovene cultural identity and language for the sake of temporary political goals or ideas.