This study aims to research the life stories of two Slovenian Partisan soldiers, Franc and Nace Čad, within the framework of the Slovenian Partisan movement during the Second World War while recreating the wartime conditions that guided the decisions of civilians and resistance fighters. The topic, still relevant and discussed in historiography today, has been scrutinised before. Thus, the purpose of the research is neither to study the partisan movement in general nor to provide an overview of partisan battles waged in Slovenia. Instead, it aims to present the stories of two partisan soldiers who, like thousands of others, joined the revolutionary movement and saw the partisan battle as a legitimate tool of resistance. Both were sent to different parts of Slovenia - one joined the Pohorje Battalion, while the other became a member of Cankar’s Battalion in Kočevski Rog in 1943. Their story did not end with their death, though, as joining the partisan movement had long-term repercussions for the Čad family. Thus, during the war, their mother and younger brothers had to hide from the occupying forces before finally returning to the ravaged, destroyed house they once called home after the war ended. The introductory chapter is based chiefly on surviving school reports, personal letters and other personal documents. This information proved instrumental in recreating their life before joining the partisan forces. Archive sources aided tremendously in exploring their activities in the Liberation Front, alongside information written on partisan memorials and plaques. A fundamental part of the research relies on information written in expansive and holistic overviews of Slovenian partisan brigades, including Cankarjeva brigada by Lado Ambrožič Novljan and Pohorski partizani 1943 by Mirko Fajdiga. The final chapters focus on oral history and memories of their still-living relatives, whose recollections testify to their life journey. The conclusive part of the diploma focuses on the consequences that befell their family and descendants. Based on their story, we can infer that, despite their active role in the partisan movement during the war, their involvement was not discussed openly within their family and home environment or debated as much as the government apparatus allowed. The glorification of partisans and the ignorance surrounding the partisan killings after the war were distinct features of the post-war time decades. Adopting the methodology of history from below, which studies historical events through the eyes of ordinary people, was integral to learning about their lives.
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