Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Univ. of Oxford, 2009.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- 1 The Catholic Church Between the Nation and State in July and August 1914 -- 2 Italy “ante portas” -- 3 From Holy to Bloody War -- 4 Guardians of the True Faith -- 5 “Austria Nova” or “The Compass of Austria is Pointed Southwards” -- 6 “Lift Up Your Heads, for Your Redemption is Near!”: The Dawn of Yugoslavia -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index.

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Pavlina Bobič examines the Catholic Church’s interpretation of the nature of the First World War, which furnished the great European conflagration with a moral dimension and bestowed upon it ideological legitimation. This volume scrutinizes contexts in which religious concepts were employed by the Slovenian clergy to advance the Habsburg dynastic authority as well as to deepen the patriotic sense of Slovenians. It shows the interaction of experiences at the front and at home, and explains the crucial reasons for the Church’s political (re)orientation during the war. Drawing extensively on contemporary documents, letters and diaries of soldiers, civilians and prominent figures, this account provides fresh insight into the people’s understanding of the conflict, which triggered tensions that were central to the dissolution of the Habsburg empire.