Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia

As a consequence of the World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to dissolve even before the war officially ended. In the period between 5–8 October 1918 a pro-Yugoslav National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs took control over the regional administration in Zagreb. On 29 October the National Council declared the formation of a Yugoslav state, following a rejection of a plan of greater autonomy within Austria-Hungary.

The Entente powers did not recognise the newly found state before it merged with the Kingdom of Serbia three days later, in an effort to create a stable and recognised country of all South Slavs, as well as discouraging Italy from conquering Slav-settled territory not allocated as war reparations to Italy in the Treaty of London.[7]

No formal border was yet recognised between the newly created entities, with both sides claiming that they were in control of the area along the ethnically mixed communuties.[8] The National Government in Ljubljana did not pay particular attention to the border issue, as it was planning on gaining much territory through negotiations at the peace conference.

The National Council for Styria (Slovene: Narodni svet za Štajersko) gave permission to Rudolf Maister, a veteran of the World War and a former officer of Austria-Hungary to take control of the military branch in Maribor. He also gained the rank of a General, and was given authority over all military forces located in Styria under the control of the Kingdom of SHS.[9] On 31 October, Rudolf Maister announced his disagreement[10] with the municipal declaration of Maribor in front of an audience of Lieutenant Colonel Anton Holik and his officers at the Melj military barracks of the 26th infantry regiment. On 9 November Maister announced full mobilization of Lower Styria, which both the German-Austrian government and the authorities in Ljubljana disagreed with. The mobilization decree was successful as the armed forces grew to about 4,000 fighters, and establishing a new infantry regiment in Maribor by 21 November.[11]

First Lieutenant Franjo Malgaj and his unit entered Carinthia on 6 November. Captain Alfred Lavrič's unit was designated to be in charge of capturing Carinthia, and began taking control of the territory on 13 November, when his units entered the Jaun Valley (German: Jauntal, Slovene: Podjuna) and Ferlach (Slovene: Borovlje). The Loibl Pass (German: Loiblpass, Slovene: prelaz Ljubelj) was captured the following day.[12]

Maister's fighters in Carinthia in 1919. The Slovene national flag is seen in the background

On 23 November Maister's fighters began to seize control of guard posts throughout the Maribor region by disarming the local guardsmen under the control of the Maribor municipality. Captain Rudolf Knez entered Sittersdorf (Žitara vas) and settled his units there. From 27 November onward, the Slovene fighters, under the direct command of Maister, took control of Spielfeld (Špilje), Bad Radkersburg (Radgona), Mureck (Cmurek), Leutschach (Lučane), Marenberg (Radlje ob Dravi), and Muta (Hohenmauthen), while the units from Celje (Cilli) under the command of Franjo Malgaj took control of the Meža Valley (Mießtal), Bleiburg (Pliberk), where Serb volunteers returning from the Eastern front of World War I also joined Malgaj's unit. All the areas captured were agreed upon by General Rudolf Passy of Carinthia and General Maister on 27 November. The agreement included permission to take control of all Slovene-majority settlements, but remained unsupported and criticized by Styrian, Carinthian, and German-Austrian authorities, as well as the National council in Ljubljana. Units from Ljubljana took control of Dravograd (Unterdrauburg), Lavamünd (Labot) and Sankt Paul (Šentpavel).[11] The capture of Völkermarkt (Velikovec) on 30 November sparked much criticism, as it was allegedly not included in the demarcation line plans.[12]

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Result of a clash between Austrian Carinthian units and Maister's fighters on the northern side of the Karawanks Tunnel

First armed clashes already occurred under command of Malgaj during the attack on Bleiburg, but it was not until the battle in Lučane when violent confrontations became apparent. Following minor fights between the two militias, a larger battle occurred on 4 February near Radgona.[13] Plans were set by Maister to attack and capture Klagenfurt (Celovec) but were abandoned following negotiations. On 13 February a peace treaty was signed by both parties.

On Sunday, 27 January 1919, Maister's forces clashed with German protesters, resulting in several civilian deaths.[14]

In late November and early December, the military units of the Maribor Infantry Regiment occupied large areas along the Slovenian national border, including Leutschahc (Lučane). The Styrian regional government complained about the occupation and on January 14th attacked the Lučane. This was the first major clash between the two sides.

On 14 January at 4am Austrian Forces under the command of captain Pichler attacked Lučane. The town was guarded by Slovenian forces under the command of General Maister. The Austrian side had much better equipment and more men than the Slovenian one. Austrian side had 180 soldiers meanwhile the Slovenian one 92. Slovenian forces still managed to repulse the attack and kept the control of the town. There wasn't a big amount of casualties on both sides and the captain Pichler was later arrested.

In February, 1919 the town of Radgona was defended by 6th corps of the Maister's fighters under the command of a Slovene commander Benedikt Zeilhofer. On 4 February at 2am the town was attacked by an overwhelming force from Austria and some Hungarian volunteers under the command of Johan Mickl. The Slovenian side had 210 soldiers and the Austrian around 2000.[15]

The Austro-Hungarian army divided its 2000 soldiers into five columns. Each column had a special attack group, which numbered at least 50 soldiers and several machine guns. These alone, almost 300 volunteer shock troops volunteers, already exceeded the total strength of the Slovenian defenders. Under the cover of darkness, all the enemy columns noiselessly approached the defenders, according to the plan, and waited for the signal for a joint coordinated attack in several places at the same time. The combat group, assigned for the attack on the cavalry barracks, where the majority of the defenders were, was personally commanded by Lieutenant Mickl.

The attack began at half past 6am, on 4 February 1919. In the first onslaught by the Germans, counting on surprise, the exposed Slovenian guards cowered before the enormous superiority of the enemies, who suddenly appeared out of the darkness. Mickle's soldiers captured the western part of Radgona, west of Long Street. The attackers succeeded in attacking the Slovene advance guards at the station, in the city garden and on the bridges over the Mura River. The attack on the station command, the Kodolič bridge and the cavalry barracks, in which most of the Slovenian defenders were stationed, failed.

The attackers immediately encountered two Slovenian commanders - the commander of the 6th company, Benedikt Zeilhofer, and staff sergeant Ferd Ošlak, the patrol commander. Lieutenant Zeilhofer was inspecting all the guards in the suburbs and at the station for the second time that night before the attack began, and at the time of the attack he was next to the guard post in the cavalry barracks, next to the machine gun nest. When the light flares lit up the dark, snowy night, despite the temperature being -20 degrees celsius, it immediately became hot.

Immediately upon the attack, a soldier machinist was hit and Lieutenant Zeilhofer jumped and grabbed the machine gun and started shooting at the attackers. Thus, he prevented the first planned attack of the enemy troops to jump in and throw hand grenades at the barracks. While changing position, it also hit The Lt. Slovenian defenders immediately pulled him to safety and bandaged his wound in the abdomen and right side. Then he was placed on a haystack from where he commanded until the end of the battle and led the fight to the final victory of the Slovene forces. The battle costed high casualties on both sides.