As of 1878, there were only three majority Slavic states in the world: the Russian Empire, Principality of
Serbia and Principality of Montenegro. Bulgaria was effectively independent but was de jure vassal to
the Ottoman Empire until official independence was declared in 1908. The Slavic peoples who were, for
the most part, denied a voice in the affairs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were calling for national
self-determination. During World War I, representatives of the Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes set up organizations in the Allied countries to gain sympathy and recognition.[30] In 1918, after
World War I ended, the Slavs established such independent states as Czechoslovakia, the Second Polish
Republic, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
One of Hitler's ambitions at the start of World War II was to exterminate, expel, or enslave most or
all East and West Slavs from their native lands, so as to make living space for German settlers. This plan
of genocide[31] was to be carried into effect gradually over 25 to 30 years. The first half of the 20th
century in Russia and the Soviet Union was marked by a succession of wars, famines and other disasters,
each accompanied by large-scale population losses.[32] Stephen J. Lee estimates that, by the end of
World War II in 1945, the Russian population was about 90 million fewer than it could have been
otherwise.[33]
Former Soviet states in Central Asia such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have very large minority Slavic
populations with most being Russians.[34] Kazakhstan has the largest Slavic minority population.[35]