Free State of Fiume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg){kind=small}
Coordinates: 45°21′11″N 14°26′34″E / 45.3531°N 14.4429°E
The Free State of Fiume was an independent free state which existed between 1920 and 1924. Its territory comprised 28 km2 (11 sq mi) with the city of Rijeka (in Italian Fiume) and rural areas to its north with a corridor connecting it to the rest of Italy.
Contents |
[edit] History
Rijeka gained autonomy for the first time in 1719 when it was proclaimed a free port in a decree issued by Charles VI of Austria. In 1779 during the reign of the Empress Maria Theresa the city gained the status of corpus separatum. From then until 1924 Rijeka existed more or less as an autonomous entity with elements of statehood.
The city briefly lost its autonomy in 1848 after being occupied by the Croatian ban (viceroy) Josip Jelačić, but regained it in 1868 when it joined the Kingdom of Hungary, again as a corpus separatum.
In the 19th century the city was populated by Croats, Italians, Hungarians and other nationalities. National affiliation changed from census to census, as at that time, nationality was mostly defined by the language a person spoke. The special status the city had, being placed between different states, created a local identity among the majority of the population. The official languages in use were Italian, Hungarian and German, business correspondence was carried out in Italian, whilst most of the families spoke a local dialect (a blend of Venetian with few words in Croatian Chakavian dialect)[1]. Outside the city in the countryside Croatian was spoken.
[edit] Politics
After World War I and the demise of Austria-Hungary the question of the status of Rijeka became a major international problem. At the height of the dispute between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and the Kingdom of Italy, the Powers advocated the establishment of an independent buffer state. President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. became the arbiter in the Yugoslav-Italian dispute over the city [2]. He suggested that Rijeka be set up as an independent state and as the potential home for the League of Nations organisation [3].
The dispute led to lawlessness and the city changed hands between a South-Slav National Committee and an Italian National Council, leading finally to the landing of British and French troops who took over the city. This confusing situation was exploited by the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio who entered the city with his anarcho-fascist movement on 12 September 1919 and began a 15-month period of occupation. A year later after failure of negotiations with the Italian government D'Annunzio proclaimed the Italian Regency of Carnaro.
On 12 November 1920, the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the Treaty of Rapallo by which both parties agreed to acknowledge "the complete freedom and independence of the State of Fiume and oblige to respect it for eternity"[citation needed]. With this act the "Free State of Fiume" was created, which, it turned out, would exist as an independent state for about one year de facto, and four years de jure. The newly created state was immediately recognized by the United States, France and the United Kingdom. D'Annunzio refused to acknowledge the Agreement and was expelled from the city by the regular forces of the Italian Army, in the "Bloody Christmas" from the 24th to the 30th of December 1920 [4].
In April 1921 the electorate approved the plan for a Free State and for a consortium to run the port [5] and the first parliamentary elections were held which were contested by the autonomists and the pro-Italian National Bloc. The Autonomist Party, which was supported by votes from the majority of the Croats, gained 6558 votes, while the National Bloc, composed of Fascist, Liberal and Democratic parties, got 3443 votes. The leader of the Autonomy Party, Riccardo Zanella, became the President.
However, control over the Free State was in an almost constant state of flux. Following the departure of D'Annunzio's troops in December 1920, the local authorities assumed control and appointed a provisional government. A pact between them and the local Italian commander handed control to the military on January 18, 1921, but this lasted just three days before there was a nationalist rebellion, which appointed an extraordinary government which itself fell two days later. In June 1921 an Italian Royal Commissioner was appointed, whose control lasted two weeks, whereupon a group of D'Annunzio loyalists seized part of the town, until they were in turn pushed out in September. In October, Riccardo Zanella, an autonomist president was appointed and his rule lasted until 3 March 1922 when fascists carried out a coup d'état and the legal government escaped to Kraljevica. On 6 March the Italian government was asked to restore order and Italian troops entered the city on 17 March who returned control to the minority of the constituent assembly, loyal to the Italian annexationists. This lasted for 18 months until Italian military forces resumed control [6].
After the proclamation of the Rapallo Treaty, the Communist Party of Fiume (Partito Comunista di Fiume - Sezione della III.a Internazionale) was instituted on November 1921. The Communist Party of Fiume was the smallest Communist Party in the world. It was founded following the principles of the Third International, according to which each sovereign state had to have its own Communist Party organization.[7].
In January 1924 the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the Treaty of Rome (January 27, 1924), agreeing to the annexation of Fiume by Italy and the absorption of Sušak by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; this took effect on 16 March. The government-in-exile of the Free State considered this act invalid and non-binding under international law and continued its activities.[8]
[edit] Aftermath
With the surrender of Italy in the World War II, the Rijeka issue became topical again and in 1944 a group of citizens issued the "Liburnia Memorandum" in which it was recommended that a confederate state be formed from the three cantons of Rijeka, Sušak and Ilirska Bistrica. The islands of Krk (Veglia), Cres (Cherso) and Lošinj (Lussino) would enter the common condominium as well.[9] President Zanella of the government-in-exile still sought the re-establishment of the Free State.[10]
The Yugoslav authorities, who liberated the city from German occupation on 3 May 1945, objected to these plans. The leaders of the autonomists - Nevio Skull, Mario Blasich and Sergio Sincich - were killed[11][12][13]. With the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, Rijeka and Istria officially became part of Croatia within Yugoslavia.
[edit] See also
- Governors and Heads of State of Fiume
- Postage stamps and postal history of Fiume
- Communist Party of Fiume
- Charter of Carnaro
- TIGR
- Free Territory of Trieste
- Istrian exodus
[edit] References
- ^ See Il nuovo Samani. Dizionario del dialetto fiumano, Società di Studi Fiumani, Roma 2007
- ^ Peacemaking, 1919 by Harold G. Nicolson
- ^ Ljubinka Toševa-Karpowicz, D'Annunzio u Rijeci : mitovi, politika i uloga masonerije, Rijeka, Izdavački centar Sušak, Biblioteka Dokumenti ; sv. 23, 2007. The Author, however, does not quote any source for this claim.
- ^ International Law Reports by H. Lauterpacht, C. J. Greenwood, p. 430
- ^ Routledge Companion to Central and Eastern Europe Since 1919 by Adrian Webb
- ^ International Law Reports by H. Lauterpacht, C. J. Greenwood, p. 430-31
- ^ Mihael Sobolevski, Luciano Giuricin, Il Partito Comunista di Fiume, (1921-1924): Documenti-Građa, Centro di ricerche storiche Rovigno, Fiume: Centar za historiju radničkog pokreta i NOR-a Istre, 1982, p. 20-21.
- ^ Massagrande, Danilo L., Italia e Fiume 1921-1924: dal 'Natale di sangue' all'annessione, Milano, Cisalpino - Goliardica Istituto Editoriale, 1982.
- ^ Plovanić, Mladen: Liburnisti i autonomaši 1943-1944, Dometi god. XIII. br. 3-4-5, pp. 51-54 and nr. 6, pp. 68-96, Rijeka 1980.
- ^ Ballarini, Amleto. L’antidannunzio a Fiume - Riccardo Zanella, Trieste: Edizioni Italo Svevo, 1995.
- ^ [1] E.Primeri, La questione di Fiume dal 1943 al 1945, Rigocamerano 2001
- ^ [2] M.Dassovich, 1945-1947, anni difficili (...), Del Bianco 2005
- ^ [3] G.Rumici, Infoibati (1943-1945): i nomi, i luoghi, i testimoni, i documenti, Mursia 2002
[edit] External links
 |
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
