The Rise of Fascism along the Italian Eastern Border

Authors

  • Anna Maria Vinci Oddelek za zgodovino filozofske fakultete Univerze v Trstu

Keywords:

Italia, fascism, border fascism, the Littoral Slovenes, the Italo-Slovene relations

Abstract

The author presents the reasons for the rise of fascism along the Italian eastern border, i.e. Trieste, and the expressions of this phenomenon which the Italian historiographers are reluctant to recognize and discuss at any depth. Fascism along the Italian eastern border had its roots in the devastation caused by the First World War and the events after the war when the civilian rule was replaced with a prolonged military one. Trieste became a new bulwark for the Italian expansion towards the Danube area and the Balkans. Because of this Italy considered it necessary to "improve" and "cure" the area along the border, also by populating it with "our own race". With regards to the relations between the Italians, on one hand, and the Slovenes and Croats, on the other, one can speak of some kind of "colonial racism": the Italian "superior culture" in front of the Slavic "non-culture".

Published

2004-01-01

Issue

Section

Articles