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The Slovene military kicked Yugoslav (read Serbian) butt in 1991 when the latter tried to reimpose rule by Belgrade. The Slovene Republic soon became the most prosperous and proudly independent of all the former `republics’ of the former Franken-slavia state.

I heard the same communist nostalgia cr@p in Uzbekistan when deployed there 2003-04. From the young people with no adult memories of the USSR. “It’s all about money now” carped one young Uzbek woman to me as she proclaimed her admiration for Stalin!

This piece is worthless. Slovenes are for liberty!

(full disclosure- my grandfather was Slovenian. Must be in my blood.)

Actually the Yugoslav military leadership was more Slovenian and Croatian and they didn't know what to do when the Slovenian TO (territorial defense) attacked the border guards. Also, the Yugoslav army barracks were cut off of electricity and water and the Slovenes even used their civilians to barricade them. When a helicopter tried to bring in bread for the hungry soldiers the Slovenes shot it down and gloated over the deaths of the wreckage (including strewn loaves of bread) and the dead pilots (who were ethnic Slovenes).

The Slovenes used threats againts the family members of the Yugoslav soldiers and also had many in the Yugoslav army leadership who defected with the army plans.

Basically there wasn't much fighting or interest in fighting to keep Slovenia.

Additionally Britain had sent the Slovenes with millions of military communication equipment shortly before the war broke out and there was smuggling of other weapons and help from other countries.

The Slovenes actually had it the best in Yugoslav because they had the leadership positions and even moved a lot of the choice industry from Serbia to Slovenia.

Now they are "independent" under EU dictates rather than ruling the roost in Yugoslavia and they are unhappy about that.