AHC: Slovene Culture Dies Out in the Late Middle Ages/Early Modern Period?

From the Ninth to the early Nineteenth Century, what is now Slovenia was essentially permanently under the rule of various German nobles of the HRE. Many other formerly Slavic areas, such as Brandenburg, under similar circumstances, became fully Germanized in that period. What would it take for Slovenia to be totally assimilated to the wider German sphere, rather than remaining a Slavic backwater?
 

Deleted member 67076

A Mongol invasion that depopulates the region, only to be later settled by Germans?
 
The sheer diversity of Slovene dialects is one data point among many suggesting that the Slovenes have been in their current homeland, and have been relatively undisturbed in their homeland, for quite some time. If there had been more disruptions, how could so many dialects often nearly mutually unintelligible could have formed? With the notable example of Gottschee/Kocevje, a stable German-language pocket in the south, the Slovene territories were stable. Germanization coming from the north was a bigger factor right up to the 20th century, but by the point that it became noteworthy a Slovene identity with an accompanying national identity with political consequences had already formed.

Probably the easiest POD is an early POD, something that sees the Slovene territories get disrupted. Perhaps the Slovenes are recalcitrant pagans, or perhaps there is some long-running and devastating war.
 
The Slovenes also lived in the Carinthian Valley, so clearly they could lose land. I think the easiest fruit to reach is east Slovenia, it's relative flat with easy Austro-Bavarian access to the region from Styria. So let's say some Magyar raids depopulate the region and German are settled there. The next major target is the valley plain around Ljubljana it's harder, but the question are whether it's harder than Carinthia. I think we need a relative early colonisation before the Slovenians are too integrated into Austria, so lets say that before the East Frankish conquest they fight hard back, which result in the area being depopulated, Bavarian settlers end up a significant minority of Carniola. If those two areas fall, it's most likely that any remnant Slovenian population would simply be seen as Croats speaking a weird dialect, as the wast majority of Slovenes lived in Carniola and southern Styria.

What would it mean, well I doubt it make any big difference (outside butterflies) before the early modern period. We may Germans make up a significant minority in Croatia, in fact I could see a lot of Germans settling in the Croatian military frontier, a benefit to this may be that there's no room to the Serbian refugee/settlers, of course they likely end up another place. On the other hand the Croat trades a Serbian minority for a German/Austrian one, while they border Austria, which include a German speaking Slovenia. It may not be the best trade. So Croatia turn into a poorer and sunnier version of Bohemia. Of course the stronger Catholic identity among the Croats, may result in them seeing themselves as Slavic speaking Germans like the Sorbs and Masurians. Instead the Dalmatians and Catholics in Bosnia may create a separate identity from the Croats further north. They will likely adopt the name Bosnians after the medieval Catholic kingdom with the same name. Are this likely maybe not, but it's a interesting idea, simply because it give us a Austria which includes Slovenia and rump Croatia (lacking Dalmatia and likely Slavonia).
 
What? It was Slavic and a backwater; those aren't related. You don't need to get indignant.

Apologies, it came across as implying that Slavic areas were inherently backwaters, as you referred to "totally assimilating to the German sphere". Especially considering it would probably be a relative backwater regardless, given its peripheral geographical position on the edge of the German world.

It should also probably be said that Slovenia was/is the richest former Yugoslav republic per capita, and in PPP per capita in 2015, Slovenia was just behind the Czech Republic, and ahead of the following Slavic countries:

Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine. Basically all of them except the Czech Republic, and that leads Slovenia by not a great deal, whilst most of the poorer countries are left in the dust.

Sure, Slovenia is small, but it isn't really a backwater.
 
Apologies, it came across as implying that Slavic areas were inherently backwaters, as you referred to "totally assimilating to the German sphere". Especially considering it would probably be a relative backwater regardless, given its peripheral geographical position on the edge of the German world.

It should also probably be said that Slovenia was/is the richest former Yugoslav republic per capita, and in PPP per capita in 2015, Slovenia was just behind the Czech Republic, and ahead of the following Slavic countries:

Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine. Basically all of them except the Czech Republic, and that leads Slovenia by not a great deal, whilst most of the poorer countries are left in the dust.

Sure, Slovenia is small, but it isn't really a backwater.
Well that´s a different period, in the Austrian period Slovenia was backwater. Better than places in Russia or Ottoman Empire but relatively worse in the Western Empires.

http://www.zonu.com/fullsize-en/2011-06-29-13985/Literacy-rate-in-Austria-Hungary-1880.html
 
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