Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.32728/h2013.04
Response to Italian colonialism in Africa at the end of the 19th century in Istria in Naša Sloga periodicals
David Orlović
orcid.org/0000-0001-8645-8845
Abstract
The article deals with the analysis of perception on Italian colonialism in Africa at the end of the 19th century among Istrian Croats using the writings of Naša Sloga, the first periodical in Croatian in Istria. Early Italian colonial conquests in Africa – from 1885, and capturing harbour Massawa in Eritrea, to 1896 and the defeat near Adowa, Ethiopia – takes place in full during the time Naša Sloga was being published (1870-1915). Naša Sloga informed its readers on Italian colonialism exclusively during the time tensions escalated, for example after Italy took over Massawa in 1885, the defeat they suffered against the Ethiopian forces at Dogali in 1887, the retaliation expedition in 1888, and finally the Italian military catastrophe at Adowa in 1896. The news was mostly precise, but very short. Naša Sloga was debating with the main adversary of Croatian national movement in Istria at the time, the Italian irredentists, and it would often heavily criticize the colonial aspirations of the Kingdom of Italy. Therefore, the news from Africa was often correlated with the situation in Istria, i.e. the Croatian resistance against Italian hegemony. This was especially evident after the battle at Adowa in 1896 when Naša Sloga published more detailed articles analyzing the events in Africa and their impact on Istria.
Keywords
Naša Sloga; colonialism; Istria; Africa; Italy; Ethiopia; Eritrea
Hrčak ID:
132865
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2013.
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