". ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁regarded ▁as ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁Sloven e ▁Home ▁Guard . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁historic ▁record ▁regarding ▁the ▁Black ▁Hand ▁is ▁sparse . ▁S ources ▁origin ating ▁in ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁period ▁often ▁bear ▁strong ▁ide ological ▁condem n atory ▁undert ones . ▁The ▁Black ▁Hand ▁is ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" S lo ven e ▁Gest ap o " ▁( and ▁possibly ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁the ▁Gest ap o ▁in ▁some ▁instances , ▁though ▁to ▁what ▁extent , ▁if ▁any , ▁is ▁uncertain ). ▁Its ▁name ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁derived ▁from ▁a ▁" Ser bian ▁military ▁tradition ". ▁ ▁The ▁organization ' s ▁activities ▁comm enced ▁in ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁with ▁its ▁first ▁acts ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁Jes en ice , ▁and ▁B led ▁region . ▁Its ▁activities ▁in ▁L jub lj ana ▁began ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁later ▁spread ▁to ▁other ▁regions ▁as ▁well . ▁Some ▁sources ▁trace ▁the ▁Black ▁Hand ' s ▁in ception ▁to ▁a ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁meeting ▁of ▁various ▁anti - Part isan ▁and ▁Naz i ▁leaders ▁that ▁alleg edly ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Tri este . ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁Hand ▁was ▁likely ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁occup ying ▁forces , ▁which ▁were ▁often ▁ex as per ated ▁by ▁the ▁an arch ic ▁and ▁un super vised ▁nature ▁of ▁Black ▁Hand ' s ▁activities ▁and ▁pur port edly ▁often ▁demanded ▁reports ▁of ▁its ▁activities