Governorate of Dalmatia

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Governorate of Dalmatia
Governatorato di Dalmazia (Italian)
1941–1943
Motto: FERT
(Motto for the House of Savoy)
Anthem: Marcia Reale d'Ordinanza[a]
("Royal March of Ordinance")
Detailed map of the three Italian provinces of the Governorate of Dalmatia: province of Zara, province of Spalato and province of Cattaro
Detailed map of the three Italian provinces of the Governorate of Dalmatia: province of Zara, province of Spalato and province of Cattaro
StatusProvince of Italy
CapitalZara
Common languages
Religion
Roman Catholic
Governor 
• 1941
Athos Bartolucci
• 1941–1943
Giuseppe Bastianini
• 1943
Francesco Giunta
Historical eraWorld War II
17 April 1941
10 September 1943
Population
• 1941
380,100
CurrencyItalian lira
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Province of Zara
Independent State of Croatia
Italian Social Republic
  1. ^ Unofficial anthem was Giovinezza ("Youth").[1]
Part of a series on the
History of Dalmatia
Antiquity
Middle Ages
Early modern period
19th century
20th century
Croatian War of Independence

The Governorate of Dalmatia (Italian: Governatorato di Dalmazia) was a territory divided into three provinces of Italy during the Italian Kingdom and Italian Empire epoch. It was created later as an entity in April 1941 at the start of World War II in Yugoslavia, by uniting the existing Province of Zara with occupied Yugoslav territory annexed by Italy after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers and the signing of the Rome Treaties.[2]

Background[edit]

Further information: Italian irredentism in Dalmatia

Dalmatia was a strategic region during World War I that both Italy and Serbia intended to seize from Austria-Hungary. Italy joined the Triple Entente Allies in 1915 upon agreeing to the London Pact that guaranteed Italy the right to annex a large portion of Dalmatia in exchange for Italy's participation on the Allied side. From 5 to 6 November 1918, Italian forces were reported to have reached Lissa, Lagosta, Sebenico, and other localities on the Dalmatian coast.[3] At the end of hostilities in November 1918, the Italian military had seized control of the entire portion of Dalmatia that had been guaranteed to Italy by the London Pact and by 17 November, it had seized Fiume as well.[4] In 1918, Admiral Enrico Millo declared himself the Italian governor of Dalmatia.[4] The famous Italian nationalist Gabriele d'Annunzio supported the seizure of Dalmatia and proceeded to Zadar in an Italian warship in December 1918.[5]

However, in spite of the guarantees of the London Pact to Italy of a large portion of Dalmatia and Italian military occupation of claimed territories of Dalmatia (for the presence of Dalmatian Italians), both the peace settlement negotiations of 1919 to 1920 and the Fourteen Points of Woodrow Wilson, who advocated self-determination, took precedence, with Italy being permitted to annex only Zadar from Dalmatia, with the rest of Dalmatia being part of Yugoslavia. Enraged Italian nationalists considered the decision to be a betrayal of the promises of the London Pact. The question, however, remained unsolved on the Paris Peace Conference so Italy and Yugoslavia were left to reach the agreement bilaterally leading to the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo.[6]

Under the terms of Rapallo Treaty, Italy gained Province of Zara and Lastovo but formally gave up further claims of Dalmatian lands and even signed Treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia in 1937. According to Jozo Tomašević, however, Italy continued undermining territorial integrity of Yugoslavia by supporting Ustaše Movement and Macedonian political emigres.[6] Following occupation of Yugoslavia and formation of German-Italian puppet state Independent State of Croatia in 1941, Italy exerted stark pressure on Ustaše leader Ante Pavelić installed as leader of this puppet state, which led to signing of Treaties of Rome in May 1941.[7] Under the term of these Treaties, Italy gained 5380 square kilometers of Croatian territory with around 380 000 inhabitants. This territory included major Dalmatian cities of Šibenik, Split, most of Dalmatian islands, large chunk of Croatian littoral and part of Gorski kotar.[7]

Characteristics[edit]

The Governorate of Dalmatia was made up of parts of coastal Yugoslavia that were occupied and annexed by Italy from April 1941 to September 1943, together with the prewar Italian Province of Zara on the Dalmatian coast, including the island of Lagosta (Lastovo) and the island of Saseno, now Albania, and totalling about 200 square kilometres, which Italy had possessed since 1919. The town of Zara (Zadar), which had included most of the Italian population of Dalmatia since the beginning of the 20th century and was largely Italian-speaking,[8] was designated as its capital.

The creation of the Governorate of Dalmatia fulfilled the demands of Italian irredentism, but not all of Dalmatia was annexed by Italy, as the Italian-German quasi-protectorate known as the Independent State of Croatia took parts of it. Nevertheless, the Italian army maintained de facto control over the whole of Dalmatia.

The Kingdom of Italy divided the Governorate in three Italian provinces: Zara (Zadar), Spalato (Split) and Cattaro (Kotor). Officially, however, no Italian region was ever created with the name "Dalmatia". While the Governorate was not called a region of Italy, the northern Dalmatian islands of Veglia (Krk) and Arbe (Rab) were administratively united to the Italian province of Fiume (now Rijeka) and became areas of Italy.

In September 1941, Italy's fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, ordered the military occupation of the entire Dalmatian coast, including the city of Dubrovnik ("Ragusa"), and islands such as Vis (Lissa) and Pag (Pago) which had been given to the puppet Independent State of Croatia of Ante Pavelić: Mussolini tried to annex those areas to the Governorship of Dalmatia, but was temporarily stopped by the strong opposition of Pavelić, who retained nominal control of them.[9]

Fascist Italy even occupied Marindol and other villages that had previously belonged to the Banovina of Croatia, Milić-Selo, Paunović-Selo, Žunić-Selo, Vukobrati, Vidnjevići and Vrhovci. In 1942 these villages were annexed to Cernomegli (now Črnomelj, in Slovenia), which was then part of the Italian Province of Lubiana, even though their population was not Slovene but Serbian.

The governorship was held until January 1943 by Giuseppe Bastianini, when he was recalled to Italy to join the cabinet, his place as governor being taken by Francesco Giunta.[10]

The Governorate of Dalmatia was cancelled administratively by Badoglio on August 19, 1943: it was substituted by direct rule of the 3 "Prefetti" governing the provinces of Zara, Spalato and Cattaro.

After the Kingdom of Italy changed sides to the Allies in 1943, German forces took over the area. The territory was not given to the fascist Italian Social Republic, which was a puppet state of Germany, but was instead completely dissolved and added to the puppet Independent State of Croatia.

However, Zara (and the surrounding territory that was the original Provincia italiana di Zara until 1941) remained Italian (even if under nominal control and protection of the German Army) until 1945. The city was exposed to bombings between November 1943 and October 1944: the Allies documented 30 bombing raids, while contemporary Italian accounts claim 54; fatalities recorded range from nearly 1,000, up to as many as 4,000 of the city's 20,000 inhabitants and 60% of the city's buildings were fully destroyed.

On October 30, 1944, the last Italian authority in Dalmatia – the Zara prefect Vincenzo Serrentino – left the destroyed city with the remaining Dalmatian Italians . Nearly 89% of the Zara buildings & installations were destroyed and so the city was called the "Dresden of Italy"[11]

Territory[edit]

The Governorate of Dalmatia consisted of three provinces: province of Zara, province of Spalato and Province of Cattaro. The administrative capital was Zara.

After the autumn of 1941 the Dalmatian islands of Pag (Pago), Brač (Brazza) and Hvar (Lesina), part of the Independent State of Croatia, were occupied by the Italian army, along with an area of Croatia which was away from the coast of Sinj towards the center of Bosnia, near Sarajevo and Banja Luka. However these were not formally annexed to the Governorate.[12]

Demographics[edit]

Province Area (km²) Population[13]
Zara 3,179 211,900
Spalato 1,075 128,400
Cattaro 547 39,800
Total 4,801 380,100

The Dalmatian Governatorate contained 390,000 inhabitants, of which 270,000 (69.2%) Croats, 90,000 (23.0%) Serbs and 30,000 (7.6%) Italians.[14]

Italian policies in annexed territories[edit]

Italian flag over the Rab concentration camp.

After establishing its authority over Dalmatia in 1941, fascist Italy implemented italianization policies in annexed areas, similar to those already applied in annexed parts of Istria, Slovenian Ilttoral and other South Slavic areas gained in the aftermanth of World War 1. Italian became official language, while all Croatian cultural and national associations were shut down.[15] School teachers not speaking Italian were laid off their jobs, and new Italian school teachers were brought in from Italy. According to Tomasevich, Croatian population which made 83% of total population in Dalmatia fiercly resisted these policies, leading Italian governor Bastianini to state that Dalmatians either need to accept their italianization of move away.[15] As Yugoslav Partisans activity in these areas intensified, Italians responded by brutal retaliatory attacks against villages they suspected of giving shelter to partisans. They also shot hostages and confiscated supply coupons.[15] All men older than 15 or all rural population was transfered to concentration camps.[15] Italians also aimed to intensify their collaboration with local Chetnik forces as Chetniks fought against both Ustaše and Yugoslav partisans.[15]

Governors of Dalmatia[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Italy (1922-1943)". nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  2. ^ "Governatorato di Dalmazia" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  3. ^ Giuseppe Praga, Franco Luxardo. History of Dalmatia. Giardini, 1993. p. 281.
  4. ^ a b Paul O'Brien. Mussolini in the First World War: the Journalist, the Soldier, the Fascist. Oxford, England, UK; New York, New York, US: Berg, 2005. p. 17.
  5. ^ A. Rossi. The Rise of Italian Fascism: 1918-1922. New York, New York, US: Routledge, 2010. p. 47.
  6. ^ a b Tomasevich, Jozo. "Italian Rule in the annexed part of Dalmatia". War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: Occupation and Collaboration. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-7924-1.
  7. ^ a b Tomasevich 234 - 235
  8. ^ Vrandečić, Josip (2001-10-07). "Razvoj talijanskog nacionalizma u Dalmaciji" (PDF). Dijalog povjesničara - istoričara 6 (in Croatian). Zagreb: Political Science Research Centre Ltd. (PSRC) for Scientific Research Work. pp. 204–205. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
  9. ^ Giorgio Bocca, Storia d'Italia nella guerra fascista 1940-1943. Mondadori editore. Milano, 2006
  10. ^ Jozo Tomasevich, War and revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: occupation and collaboration, Stanford University Press, 2001, pp. 136–137
  11. ^ History of Zara bombing [1](https://web.archive.org/web/20150116202426/http://xoomer.virgilio.it/histria/citta/zara/sestiere.htm)
  12. ^ Davide Rodogno. Fascism's European empire. Cambridge University Press, 2006 pp. 419–20.
  13. ^ cfr.: Davide Rodogno Il nuovo ordine mediterraneo, ed. Bollati Boringhieri, Turin, 2003.
  14. ^ Becherelli, Alberto (1 January 2012). Italia e stato indipendente croato, 1941-1943. Edizioni Nuova Cultura. p. 90. ISBN 978-88-6134-780-9. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d e Tomasevich, 130-135

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