Slovenian National Defense Corps
| Slovenian National Defense Corps | |
|---|---|
|
The sign of the Slovenian National Defense Corps | |
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country | Italy |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Size | about 3,500 at its height |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Anton Kokalj |
The Slovenian National Defense Corps (Slovene: Slovensko narodno varnostni zbor; German: Slowenisches Nationales Schutzkorps) was an anti-Slovene Partisans military organization that was active in the territory of the Operation Zone of the Adriatic Littoral in the German-occupied portion of Italy. Although led by Anton Kokalj, it was directly subordinated to German Nazi commander Odilo Globocnik.[1] The organization was ideologically and organizationally linked to the Slovene Home Guard that was active in Province of Ljubljana.
Background
The organization had problems recruiting from the Slovene minority in Italy (1920–1947) that has had experienced Fascist Italianization already for almost two decades. So most of its officers instead came from Province of Ljubljana. At their peak, the organization had only about 2000 members.[2]
Activity
They provided Germans with lists of locations of Liberation Front of the Slovene Nation hideouts and suspicious individuals (described as "propagandist", "husband is a Communist").[2]
At the time Boris Pahor, now an internationally best known Slovene writer from Trieste and concentration camp survivor, has been handed over and sent to the camps in Germany, another 600 persons were also handed over to the Germans by them.
References
- ↑ Kranjc, Joseph G. (2013). To Walk with the Devil, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 1442613300
- 1 2 Kranjc, Joseph G. (2013). To Walk with the Devil, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 1442613300