crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje

Crimes committed by totalitarian regimes
For the region under Italy the twenties and thirties years were a period of economic crisis, which
did not relent until the policy of autarky began. To the problems of the European economy between the
wars was also added the negative effects of the renovation and separation of Danubian-Balkan region,
which were vital for the economy of Trieste. The substitution of Italian intervention did not succeed in
stemming the unpleasant economic tide. Although the economic tide showed weak ties with hinterland,
it was saved by deeper causes. Neither Italy nor the border economy could destroy it. Now the absurdity
of imperialistic theories of Italian nationalism in Trieste and Venezia Giulia as the Italian base for the
breakthrough toward Central-Eastern Europe and to the Balkan was attested. Capacity to develop was
also stopped and standards of living were often reduced, particularly among the lower social classes,
who were mainly Slovenes.
Fascism in Venezia Giulia attempted to destroy Slovene and Croatian identity. The politics of
denationalization decimated the Slovene population in Trieste and Gorica, scattered many intellectuals
and the middle class, and forced peasants into the proletariat. But the peasants stayed united in this
field. The most stable effects fascist policies attained were when it implanted the equalisation of Italy
with Fascism in Slovene minds and drove them up to reject almost everything which looked Italian,
with rare exceptions (some people supported Fascism). Hostile relations towards Italy took over also
the Slovenes in Yugoslavia, although in the thirties the ideology of fascist corporatism attracted some
among the Catholic political classes.
2.2. Fascist occupation of part of the Slovene region 1941–43
The Italian military attack on Yugoslavia meant the summit of many years’ fascist imperialistic
politics towards the Balkan countries and the Danube basin area. This was a violation of the Brian-
Kellog Pact (27 August 1928), to which Italy was a signatory. In contravention of the provision on
the international humanitarian law of war, which does not permit the annexation of territory by armed
force, Italy expanded to the region of Ljubljana (Provincia di Lubiana). National and cultural autonomy
was ensured approximately to 350,000 inhabitants of the region of Ljubljana by statute. Although the
occupying authorities greatly strived for faster assimilation of the region with Italian fascist system and
for subordination of its institutions and organizations as appropriate Italian. On account of political,
cultural and economic appeal of Italy, home population should be gradually converted to Fascist and
became enthusiastic about Italianism. The fascist occupiers at first believed that the Slovenes would be
easily subjected under the impression of the more valuable Italian civilization, so the Italian occupying
policies at first were relatively mild. They wanted to gain the affection of the Slovene population,
particularly social elites.
The Slovenes, in comparison with Nazis first saw the Italian occupying regime as less evil, so some
political forces cooperated with them, although they were not inclined toward Fascism: the majority of
Slovenes trusted in the victory of the allied forces after the first doubt, and saw the future of the Slovene
nation in an anti-fascist coalition.
The Italian occupying authority at first respected Slovene cultural and educational autonomy,
and these institutions continued their work almost undisturbed. The long-term aim of the Italians was
without doubt the Italianization of the country, which they wanted at first to be gradual and less harsh
than Germanization. Everything began with a bilingual public administration, compulsory Italian in
schools, and the establishment of the auxiliary fascist organisations. The Italian assumption of an
“Italian occupation with cultural benefits”, which would drive out inferior Slovene culture in the fascist
corporatist society, met with resistance and soon ended in violence and the burning of houses. It reached
its peak in the time of big Italian, so called, the Roshka offensive against the by the partisan occupied
territory, between June and November 1942. It became characteristic of the Italians to shoot hostages
and deport people to Italian concentration camps (Rab, Gonars, Visco, Renicel etc.); in alone Rab more
than 1,000 Slovenes died in desperate circumstances, among them many women and children. The
plans for mass deportations from the region of Ljubljana were formulated.
During the occupation the Italians judged more than 13,000 people and at least 3,500 were
sentenced to many years’ imprisonment; dozens of people were sentenced to capital punishment, and
145 hostages were shot. The Fascist violence against Slovenes lasted until the capitulation of Italy on 8
November 1943, when the territory of Ljubljana and Venezia Giulia were occupied by the Germans and
the Operative Zone of the Adriatic Sea was established (Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland).
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