Internment of Italian citizens from Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia in 1915

Abstract

After the First World War broke out, Austria-Hungary found itself in an unenviable position
that bordering enemy states were mother countries to various nationalities within its border.
Principal examples were Serbs, Italians and Romanians. Habsburg military and civilian authorities treated these people in the similar manner as they have „enemy aliens“ – citizens of enemy countries which did not leave Austria-Hungary before war erupted. If deemed „politically
suspect“, they were interned in concentration camps, especially males of military age. However,
a particular situation occurred in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia after the Kingdom of
Italy entered the war in May of 1915. Several hundred Italian citizens (males of military age),
were immediately shipped to internment camps as people whose loyalties were suspect. What
was unusual was that they were long-time residents, having settled in continental Croatia and
Slavonia after emigrating from mountainous regions of northeastern Italy in the 1880s due to
poverty. However, the majority did not have Hungarian citizenship, which resulted in them
being treated as „enemy aliens“ even though they had jobs and families in Croatia and Slavonia.
This applied even to their children born there. This paper explores this small segment of the
greater human tragedy that was the First World War through analysis of the police records of
the Land government in Zagreb, compiled upon Italians` questioning in internment camps.