Hrvatsko-slovenski politički pokret i Prva istarska pokrajinska izložba (1910.)
Croatian-Slovenian Political Movement and the First Istrian Provincial Exibition (1910)

Summary/Abstract: This paper describes the circumstances that shaped the attitude of Istrian Croats and Slovenes towards the First Istrian Provincial Exhibition in Capodistria (1910). The exhibition was conceived in Italian circles and it was prepared during the attempts to formulate a political compromise. The indicator of success would have been precisely the participation of Istrian Croats and Slovenes in the Capodistrian exhibition. Their gradually reached decision not to take part in the manifestation is placed in a historical context, based on published and handwritten archival sources. The gradual escalation of hostilities between the Croatian-Slovenian and Italian political leaders made the politics of compromise impossible and influenced the Croatian-Slovenian final decision. Bishop Mahnič’s decision to allow the cooperation of his clergy with the exhibition organizers caused a brief controversy in Croatian and Slovenian newspapers, already caught up in ideological, liberals vs. conservatives divides. The maintenance of organizational unity, which was the undeniable quality of the Croatian-Slovenian political movement in Istria, was crucial for the overcoming of the disagreements. The dispute concerning the exhibition’s financing led to an intense conflict between Istrian Provincial Parliament members. The roots of the collision were to be found in an increased mutual distrust and in a strong determination of both sides on achieving their own goals: Croats and Slovenes strived for their national emancipation and the democratization of the electoral system; Italians were determined on holding onto their privileged position. The increased national antagonisms during the years before WWI made a normal development of the political life in the Margraviate of Istria impossible.

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