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==Italians of Split==

==Italians of Split==

[[File:SPLIT-Hebrard overall color restitution.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Diocletian's palace built during the Roman Empire. The palace in Split is still part of the old Spalato.]]

[[File:SPLIT-Hebrard overall color restitution.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Diocletian's palace built during the Roman Empire. The palace is part of '''old Split''' (Spalato/Spalatum).]]

In the city of Split there was an [[Dalmatian Italians|autochthonous Italian community]], which was reorganised in November 1918 through the foundation of the "National Fasces" (not to be confused with Fascism) led by Leonardo Pezzoli, Antonio Tacconi, Edoardo Pervan and Stefano Selem. They arose from the ashes of the Autonomist Party, dissolved by the Austrian authorities in 1915.

In the city of Split there was an [[Dalmatian Italians|autochthonous Italian community]], which was reorganised in November 1918 through the foundation of the "National Fasces" (not to be confused with Fascism) led by Leonardo Pezzoli, Antonio Tacconi, Edoardo Pervan and Stefano Selem. They arose from the ashes of the Autonomist Party, dissolved by the Austrian authorities in 1915.

The Slav nationalists, who controlled the city with their "National Guard", soon showed huge hostility toward the Italian troops, fearing they could remain forever in the city. Even the arrival of Slav refugees from the London Pact Italian-occupied areas increased the tension. Those refugees were responsible for most of the incidents in the next 2 years.<ref>G. Menini, ''Passione adriatica. Ricordi di Dalmazia 1918–1920''</ref>

The Slav nationalists, who controlled the city with their "National Guard", soon showed huge hostility toward the Italian troops, fearing they could remain forever in the city. Even the arrival of Slav refugees from the London Pact Italian-occupied areas increased the tension. Those refugees were responsible for most of the incidents in the next 2 years.<ref>G. Menini, ''Passione adriatica. Ricordi di Dalmazia 1918–1920''</ref>

On November 9, 1918 two [[France|French]] destroyers entered the port of Split. The Italians, mostly concentrated within the old city,  exposed on the windows of their homes the Italian Flag-Italian tricolour and went to the harbour to celebrate the ''Triple Entente''.  But the reaction of the National Guard (Slavs) was immediate. They entered by force the apartments, tore down the flags, beat some of those present and damaged the furniture. Meanwhile, the Austrian commander of a ship already docked at the port (and now with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes flag) ordered with the megaphone to remove the flags, threatening to open fire.<ref>The whole episode is described in L. Monzali,''Antonio Tacconi e la comunita italiana di Spalato'' p. 110</ref>  

On November 9, 1918 two [[France|French]] destroyers entered the port of Split. The Italians, mostly concentrated within the '''old Split''' city,  exposed on the windows of their homes the Italian Flag-Italian tricolour and went to the harbour to celebrate the ''Triple Entente''.  But the reaction of the National Guard (Slavs) was immediate. They entered by force the apartments, tore down the flags, beat some of those present and damaged the furniture. Meanwhile, the Austrian commander of a ship already docked at the port (and now with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes flag) ordered with the megaphone to remove the flags, threatening to open fire.<ref>The whole episode is described in L. Monzali,''Antonio Tacconi e la comunita italiana di Spalato'' p. 110</ref>  

This was the first of a long series of incidents, which also saw the creation of a classic pattern of propaganda that would be found very often in the next months: the Croatian newspapers – and especially the most extreme of them, ''Novo Doba'',<ref>Novo Doba. ''Split in the interwar period'' of Z. Jelaska.(''the oblique Vrste nasilja u Splitu svjetska između dva rata'' in Istriae Acta, 10, 2002) p.391</ref> denounced the "Italian provocation". The Italians, however created a complaint report and forwarded it to the Allies.<ref>L. Monzali,''Italians of Dalmatia'' p.69</ref> In the following days the municipal authorities of Split were forced to submit a formal apology for the incident.

This was the first of a long series of incidents, which also saw the creation of a classic pattern of propaganda that would be found very often in the next months: the Croatian newspapers – and especially the most extreme of them, ''Novo Doba'',<ref>Novo Doba. ''Split in the interwar period'' of Z. Jelaska.(''the oblique Vrste nasilja u Splitu svjetska između dva rata'' in Istriae Acta, 10, 2002) p.391</ref> denounced the "Italian provocation". The Italians, however created a complaint report and forwarded it to the Allies.<ref>L. Monzali,''Italians of Dalmatia'' p.69</ref> In the following days the municipal authorities of Split were forced to submit a formal apology for the incident.