Fascist Italy (1942–43) Ernest Peterlin (11 January 1903 – 20 March 1946) was a Slovene military officer who rose to a senior position in the Royal Yugoslav Army prior to the Second World War.

At the time of the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, he was chief of staff of the Yugoslav 3rd Army Group's 15th 'Zetska' Infantry Division, commanded by Brigadier General Milenko Varjačić.

However, in March 1942 most royal army officers who were in the Italian-annexed parts of Slovenia, including Peterlin, were arrested and sent to Italian prisoner-of-war camps "as a precautionary measure".

This was in line with the desires of the anti-Communist forces themselves, "which were to strengthen their armed groups and obtain Italian recognition and assistance in order to carry on their fight against the Partisans – who for them, as for the Chetniks, were a much more dangerous enemy than the occupying powers".

[1]: 223  In August 1942, Roatta visited Bishop Gregorij Rožman "and urged the Slovene Catholic forces to participate actively in the struggle against the Communists".

[3]: 36 From its inception until the end of 1944, Peterlin was chief of staff of organizational headquarters of the Slovenian Home Guard and from February 1944 was also commander of its training group.