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The moment of the historical signature by
Giolitti of the Italian-Yugoslavian Treaty, in Villa Spinola, in the presence of
the Yugoslavian Cabinet President Milenko Vesnic (centre). |
The Italian-Yugoslavian Treaty
(Rapallo, 12 November, 1920)
[Source:
https://www.comune.rapallo.ge.it/storia/trattati/trat_ital_yugo_uk.htm] (no
longer online)]
The Treaty of Rapallo was a treaty between
Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes),
issued to solve the dispute over some territories in current Slovenia and
Croatia. It was signed on 12 November 1920 in Rapallo near Genoa in Italy.
Tension between the kingdoms of Italy and Yugoslavia arose at the end of World
War I, when the Empire of Austria-Hungary dissolved and Italy wanted to
implement the borders agreed upon in the London Pact.
According to the treaty Zadar (Zara in
Italian) was annexed to Italy, while Rijeka (Fiume in Italian) would become
the independent Free State of
Fiume, thus ending
Gabriele d'Annunzio's adventure there, the Italian Regency of Carnaro. The
treaty was revoked in 1924, when Italy and Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of
Rome, which gave Fiume to Italy and the town of Sušak to Yugoslavia.
By the Treaty of London (26th April, 1915) in order to convince Italy to enter
the war against the Central Empires, Great Britain, France and Russia
promised, in addition to the settlement of some outstanding colonial matters,
also Alto Adige, Trieste and all of Istria, as well as a good part of Dalmatia
and Carniola, the populations of which were prevalently Slovenes and Croats.
(Fiume instead was given as a port to Croatia.)
The Treaty of London was based on a diplomatic concept, left over from
Napoleonic times (when populations were moved at whim as long as the divine
rights of princes were untouched) so how could this still be valid in 1918?
The multiform
Austrian-Hungarian Empire had disintegrated, the Slavs from the South (Serbs,
Croats, Slovenians, Montenegrins) tried laboriously to form a nation;
President Wilson had proclaimed the principle of auto-determination of peoples
and of open diplomacy.
At the Peace Conference in
Paris (18th January, 1919), the differences between the Italians Orlando and
Sonnino and the American President therefore exploded. Wilson did not accept
the annexation by Italy of
Fiume and Dalmatia and a small part of Istria. Also
because of the personal incornprehension between the parties a compromise
could not be reached so that Orlando and Sonnino abandoned the Conference
(24th April, 1919).
The internal disputes and the political instability
of the two governments, the disorders at
Fiume provoked by the Italian troops
and above all the occupation of the city by D'Annunzio worsened ever more the
disputes; only in May 1920 did Nitti commence the Italian-Yugoslavian
rapprochement which was finally brought to a successful conclusion by the last
Giolitti govemment.
After careful negotiations and French-English
mediation, Trumbic, Vesnic, Sforza and Bonomi met in Rapallo, (after the
conclusion of the agreement also Giolitti arrived); the final agreement was
not easy and only thanks to the sincere and painful declaration of Sforza,
that he was disposed to sacrifice all his own popularity and personal position
to reach a just and fair solution if Trumbic would do likewise, did we obtain
Zara.
The treaty gave to Italy all of Istria up to the watershed, Zara and some
islands of Quarnero, leaving
Fiume
as an independent state; guarantees were
given for the other few Italian citizens of Dalmatia. The agreement wisely
aimed not to snatch away some piece of land but to build the foundation for a
stable Italian-Yugoslavian friendship to establish an economic collaboration
which would open the Balkan market for us and eventually to impede a new
German advance towards the south. Events which took place in the following
years rapidly annulled the spirit and the application of this treaty, but not
totally so.
Signed in the well-padded rooms
of Villa Spinola in S.Michele di Pagana, the agreement gave
Fiume the status
of autonomous city, whilst Zara and Istria were assigned to Italy.
This Rapallo ruling refers
directly to the new regulations of borders between Italy and Yugoslavia (the
new State which arose from the ruins of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire) a
post-war rather thorny question, whilst contemporarily at Sanremo in Castle
Devechan, discussions took place between the Allies on the amount of indemnity
due by the defeated to the victors.
Gabriele D’Annunzio, writer and
poet as well as man of action with great charisma, did not however recognise
the Rapallo pact and refused to leave the city, as he was ordered to do by
General Caviglia.
Finally, D’Annunzio gave in to orders and passed powers to a provisory
government but only after the Italian general had menaced to bomb
Fiume.
The two delegations reached Rapallo on 7th November,
and whilst the Italians stayed in the "New Casino Hotel"
(later "Excelsior") the Yugoslavs went to the "Hotel
Imperiale".
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The Italian Delegation
accomodated at the New Casino Hotel (photograph) was led
by the Minister for War Bonomi, Admiral Acton and General Badoglio.
The Yugoslavian Delegation
which stayed at the Imperial Palace Hotel comprised the
Cabinet President Vesnic and the Ministers Trumbic and Stojanovic.
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The Cabinet President Giovanni Giolitti together with Ministers Sforza,
Bonomi and General Badoglio.
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Representing Italy were the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Carlo
Sforza and the War Minister Bonomi, Senator Salata, the Chief of Naval High
Command Admiral Acton and Generai Badoglio. The Prime Minister Giolitti was
absent, kept in Rome by government engagements but it was only a temporary
mishap. In fact, he would be in Rapallo a few days later for the signature
of the treaty.
At Villa Spinola (later Villa Pesenti) the works to settle the
Fiume
and Dalmatian questions commenced on 8th November and continued without pause,
interrupted only by a brief visit to greet the Italian Delegation by the
Mayor of Rapallo, Mr. Lorenzo Ricci, accompanied by colleagues of the town
council, and Mr. Bontà, Provincial Councillor.
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Villa Spinola, located in San Michele di
Pagana, where on 12th November 1920, the Treaty
between ltaly and Yugoslavian was signed.
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The villa, in English
brickwork style, was built at the beginning of the 1900's by Marchese Ugo
Spinola, and many times members of the House of Savoy had been guests there.
Devastated by the military occupations after 8th September 1943, at the end
of the last war it passed to Duca Nicolino De Ferrari who restored it to its
former state, substituting on the top of the main gate the Spinola family
coat-of-arms with his own armorial bearings. The villa is in Rapallo
territory.
The Treaty was signed on 12th
November, 1920 at 23.45 and by this Treaty Italy received Zara, the islands
of Cherso, Lussino, Lagosta and Pelagosa whilst the other islands and
Dalmatia remained in the new kingdom of Yugoslavia with the polemic "coda"
about the city of 'Fiume'
which led to some reaction, sometimes violent after it was declared a
"Stato Libero" (Free State).
The ratification of the Treaty
of Rapallo by the Yugoslavian side is dated 22nd November, and by the
Italian side, 2nd February, 1921. The 10th April 1922, whilst the Conference
of Genoa was taking place, the Italian Ministers Facta and Schanzer met in
Rapallo the Yugoslavians Vasic and Nincic to resolve certain questions
relative to the application of the treaty.
A
curious fact is the polemic of a purely local character which for years
concemed the exact geographical location of the Italian-Yugoslavian Treaty.
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A group photograph of the Italian Delegation present
at the Italian-Yugoslavian Conference.
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Certain newspapers of that time
indicated the location of the historical meeting as Santa Margherita Ligure
which was objected to by the Rapallo authorities backed by a local
periodical, "Il Mare".
For
the tranquillity of the citizens of Rapallo, Count Sforza on 13th November,
when leaving the Riviera city reassured the Mayor, Mr. Ricci, confirming
that the agreement would take the name of "The Treaty of Rapallo" an
affirmation he later supported by sending a copy of the historical document
with an autographed letter dated 17th November, 1920.
This was not the only sign of appreciation: the Yugoslavian
Cabinet President Vesnic in fact sent a letter of thanks, together with a
donation of 2,500 liras for charity, to the Mayor for the welcome received.
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