Original scientific paper
Milica Kacin-Wohinz
Abstract
In the Julian March fascism became the arbiter of the political situation more quickly than in other Italian provinces. Its rapid influence was made possible due to the postwar economic and political crisis, the weakness of the conservative forces which clung to the past, the incapability of the otherwise strong revolutionary forces to get affirmation at the right moment as well as the support of the capitalist circles and local authorities to the preventive counter-revolution. Of paramount importance for the development of fascism was the undemocratic concept of the Italian state in terms of the strategic borders in the east which stimulated antidemocratic tendencies in the entire Italian bourgeois class, favouring nationalism and fascism. The presence of the non-Italian population on the borders of the state represented, in the eyes of this class, a potential danger for the Italian national interests. In addition to its role as the protector of the social order, local fascism also felt called upon to carry on the special "mission" of the protector of the "endangered" national interests, terrorizing the Slovene and Croatian national organisms. The local authorities and, through them, the central government alowed these activities, and even regarded them as a medium for settling national controversies. In the summer of 1922 the activities of the fascist organisation went beyond the usual settling of accounts with the opponents of the capitalist social system and imaginary opponents of the Italian national interests, and directly interfered in the competencies of the legal authorities. Acting violently, the fascist party demanded the dissolution of the extraordinary provincial committee at Gorizia, representing a kind of autonomy of the province and in which Slovenes had parity of representation. The external reason for this intervention was the attitude of the provincial committee towards the fascist "retributive expedition" against the Slovene population in the Kobarid area, the condemnation of fascist terrorism and the support offered to the victims of the violence.
The fascist "revolution" of October 28, 1922 in the Julian March therefore did not signify a turning-point. It was just a formal confirmation of the already existing situation. The occupation of positions of authority was performed peacefully, with the knowledge and consent of the civil and military authorities and without any public uprising. The leadership of the Slovene and Croatian bourgeois political organisation expressed the same loyalty to the legal fascist authorities as they had shown to the previous democratic governments. They expected the new, strong government to reestablish order and peace and to suppress violence. Through the parliament and personal interventions they tried to gain the right to preserve the national character of the Slovene and Croatian population as harmless for the Italian state. However, the assurances of the government and in particular of Mussolini about the "equal rights and equal duties" and about leaving the assimilation process to time were substituted a few weeks later by acts directed towards a forcible denationalization of the minority.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
216333
URI
Publication date:
15.4.1975.
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