The struggle for communal representation in the decade before World War I flared up to the greatest extent in the Maribor region, in the Drava and Pesnica river valleys, where a significant number of the previously Slovene communes had fallen into German hands. By way of coordinated actions of both Slovene political parties, which cooperated harmoniously in issues of national defence, success was achieved in returning many a communal board into Slovene hands. Of course, the struggle for communal representation was very difficult. It was usually necessary to implemenet a series of electoral machinations to achieve an electoral victory. Both the German and the Slovene parties made use of them.