Slovene

The Slovenes are South Slavs of the Alpine-Adriatic region, descended from settlers who moved into the eastern Alps in the sixth century. They joined Samo's union from 623 to 658; Carantania kept Slavic rule in Carinthia until its princes accepted Bavarian protection in 745 and Frankish lordship and Christianity later in the eighth century.

In 1337 the foremost lords were the Lords of Sanneck, later Counts of Celje. They ruled Carniola under Habsburg overlordship until their line died out in 1456 and the Habsburgs inherited their lands.

The Reformation brought Slovene books: Primož Trubar printed texts in the 1550s and Jurij Dalmatin published a Slovene Bible, though the Counter-Reformation reimposed Catholicism. Under the French Illyrian Provinces of 1809 to 1813 Ljubljana became a capital that nurtured the Slovene national revival.