Since 9 present-day Slovenia is part of the Roman Empire and it becomes in 379 part of the East Roman Empire. After the collapse of Roman rule in this area the region is controlled by Germanic tribes and is at the end annexed to the Frankish Realm. After the split of the Frankish Empire it becomes part of the a href=germany.htm target=_top>German Empire and follows since 1270 the history of Austria in and outside the Empire.

After the collapse of the Habsburgian rule, Slovenia joins Serbia and Croatia into the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, renamed in 1918 into Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The new kingdom is a parliamentary democratic state. It is dominated by ethnic parties, with the exception of the liberal Demokratska Stranka (Democratic Party, DS) and the left-wing parties. The Serbian prime minister Nikola Pasić of the Narodna Radikalna Stranka (People's Radical Party, NRS) becomes the first prime minister of the new kingdom. He is succeeded later in 1918 by Stojan Protić (NRS), in 1919 by Ljubomir Davidović of the Demokratska Stranka (Democratic Party, DS), in 1920 again by Protić and later in 1920 by Milenko Vesnić. Nikola Pasić becomes prime minister in 1921 again. He rules until 1924, when Davidović takes over. Later that year Pasić takes over again. The NRS rule is continued since 1926 by Nikola Uzunović and Velimir Vukicević.

After the assassination of the Croatian peasants' leader Nikola Radić, a coalition takes over government under Anton Korošec of the Slovenska Ljudska Stranka (Slovenian People's Party, SLS) as prime minister. Later in 1928 King Alexander establishes a royal dictatorship, based on the Serbs and he renames the country Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. He establishes the only allowed party, the Jugoslovenska Radikalno-Seljačka Demokratija (Jugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy, JRSD). The JSRD delivers the prime ministers: Petar Živković (1929-1932), Vojislav Marinković (DS, 1932), Milan Srškić (1932-1934) and in 1934 Nikola Uzunović. By that time the JRSD is renamed Jugoslovenska Nacionalna Stranka (Yugoslav National Party, JNS). In 1934 king Alexander is assassinated. Bogoljub Jevtić becomes prime minister. With the support of the royal court a list headed by him wins the elections. Milan Stojadinović forms in 1935 the Jugoslovenska Radikalna Zajednica (Yugoslav Radical Union Party, JRZ) and he becomes prime minister until 1939. He is succeeded by Dragisa Cvetković (1939-1941) and in 1941 by Dusan T. Simović.

During World War II it is annexed to Italy and later Germany between 1941 and 1945. In 1943 Yugoslavia is reconstituted as Democratic Federative Yugoslavia and the war against the occupies continues. After the liberation Yugoslavia becomes a communist dictatorship in 1945 named Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito and his Jugoslovenska Radikalna Zajednica (Yugoslav Radical Union Party, KPJ). Tito is prime minister from 1945 until 1953. That year he becomes president. The communists reorganize Yugoslavia in 1963 into a federation of republics as the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. The communist party remains under the name Savez Komunista Jugoslavije (League of Yugoslav Communists, SKJ) the only allowed party. When Tito dies in 1980 he is succeeded by a collective presidency.

In 1989 riding a wave of nationalist sentiment, Serbian president Slobodan Milosević reimposes direct rule over the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, prompting Albanians in Kosovo to agitate for separation from Serbia. The Slovenian parliament declares Slovenia's right to secede from Yugoslavia. In 1991 Slovenia becomes independent as the Republic of Slovenia. A nearly bloodless 10-day war with Yugoslavia follows. Yugoslav forces withdraw after Slovenia demonstrates stiff resistance to Belgrade. Slovenia is a stable parliamentary democratic republic. Milan Kučan becomes president. Between 1990 and 1992 Lojze Peterle of the Slovenski Kršćanski Demokrati (Slovene Christian Democrats, SKD) is the first prime minister. The centre left Liberalno-Demokratska Stranka (Liberal Democratic Party, LDS) wins the 1992 elections and Janez Drnovšek becomes prime minister. The LDS is renamed Liberalna Demokracija Slovenije (Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, LDS) in 1994 and leads coalitions until 2000. In 2000 a conservative coalition led by Andrej Bajuk of the Slovenska Ljudska Stranka (Slovenian People's Party, SLS) can form a government. The LDS wins that year the elections and Drnovšek is reinstated as prime minister. Drnovšek wins the 2002 presidential elections and Anton Rop succeeds him as prime minister and LDS leader. Slovenia joins the European Union in 2004.