Approximately 100 years after the national consciousness idea of a United Slovenia was formed in the Spring of Nations in 1848, Slovenes as a nation achieved the status of a federal republic on the Soviet model under the communist regime of Yugoslavia in which, of course, Slovenia was not a sovereign state. Ten years ago Slovenes finally reached a point where there was sufficient political power and plebiscitary determination to gain the status of an independent state. Naturally, numerous external circumstances contributed, especially the raising of the Iron Curtain, followed by the disintegration of the former Yugoslav communist party regime, in which Slovenes saw a historic opportunity to establish their own state. Despite the opposition and doubts expressed in global political evaluations at the time, Slovenes remained firm in their decision. Today we are living out our decision as a nation together with all the political discords and troubles that make up a democracy, and in which we are attempting to form a society along European lines.