The paper explores the attitude of Slovene writers toward WWI. The author tries to answer the
question whether this war represented a “giant valve leaking the stench and the rottedness of
the century,” (as some people, and also some of the writers, cited at the onset of war), or maybe
something which brings “the greatest servitude ever known to the world.”
Slovene intellectuals did not declare to be against the war as a matter of course. There was a
small group whose opinion on this matter was decided and firm, but, on the other hand, there
were also those who were influenced by the rather special circumstances, by the unresolved
ideological disputes, etc. Their opinions also periodically wavered, which is hardly surprising
since the period of war was the time of sudden political changes and uncertainty, all of
which understandably influenced Slovene writers as well.