Lower Styria (Slovene: Štajerska; German: Untersteiermark) or
Slovenian Styria (Slovene: Štajerska) is a traditional region in
northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the
former Duchy of Styria. The Duchy of Styria, which existed as a
distinct political-administrative entity from the 12th century
to 1918, used to be divided into three traditional regions: the
northern two-thirds of the former duchy, known historically as
Upper and Central Styria, have been German-speaking and today
form the Austrian State of Styria (German: Steiermark). The
southernmost third of the former duchy, known as Lower Styria,
was predominantly Slovene speaking and is today part of
Slovenia, where it is simply referred to as "Styria" (Slovene:
Štajerska). In 1918, after the disintegration of the Austrian-
Hungarian Empire following World War I, the Duchy of Styria was
divided between the newly established states of German Austria
and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Rudolf Maister, a
Slovene major of the former