Nova Istra

280 PRILOZI O ZAVIČAJU Darko DUKOVSKI počevši od zemljopisne bliskosti do ideja o narodnoj istovjetnosti. Političko se zajedništvo održalo i u razdoblju između dva rata. Prvi se put oz- biljnije razgraničenje razmatra u razdoblju antifašističkoga ustanka 1943. na razini NOP-a Hrvatske i Slovenije, posebice nakon sjedinjenja dijelova Istre sa svojimma- ticama. Naposljetku, u okvirima socijalističke Jugoslavije administrativna je granica uređena, ali ostale su mnoge nejasnoće koje su postale bitne tek nakon razdruživa- nja. Premda u narednom razdoblju, do konca 20. Stoljeća, problem granica u Istri nije riješen na razini vlada dviju suverenih i samostalnih država, međunacionalni odnosi Hrvata i Slovenaca na razini društava ostali su zadovoljavajući. Summary For the Croatian-Slovene relations in the geographical area of Istria, the period en- compassing the end of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century was very important as the two nations – both in their own, yet partly similar manner – dealt with the problem of how to first solve their national questions and then develop a modern society. During this period, their relations were influenced by the complex political circumstances resulting from the division of the Monarchy into the Austrian and Hungarian parts. What they had in common in such a situation was their interest to define their relations with Austro-Germans, Hungarians and Italians, owing to which it was of vital importance to the Croats to maintain close and stable relations with Slovenes. Thus it seems completely logical to ponder on the historical closeness of the two nations, reflected in a wide array of options ran- ging from geographical proximity to national identity. This political cooperation survived well up to WWII. It was during the anti- Fascist resistance in 1943 that the border issue was seriously addressed for the first time: the national liberation movements of Croatia and Slovenia adopted acts on the unification of local combat units in the Slovene and Croatian parts of Istria with their respective umbrella organizations. The administrative border was finally determined by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, yet a number of things remained unclear the relevance of which was revealed only after the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Even if the period up to the end of the 20th century saw no solution to the Istrian border issue at the level of the two independent nation-states, the Croatian and Slovene nations have maintained satisfactory relations at the level of society.