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Why did the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes promote a joint Serb-Croatian-Slovene language?

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Following the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, the government sought to consolidate the newly unified state by emphasizing national unity. To further this political objective, official policy aimed to downplay linguistic differences between the various groups.

As part of this effort, the kingdom championed a joint "Serb-Croatian-Slovene" language. This initiative was intended to serve as a unifying cultural and political tool, despite the fact that Slovene is linguistically distinct from the South Slavic languages spoken in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. By promoting a singular, shared language, the state hoped to foster a cohesive national identity among the diverse populations brought together after World War I.1