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[[Image:SPLIT-City plan 1912.jpg|thumb|right|400px| Split during WWI. In the map can be seen the original four quarters: Borgo Grande, Borgo Luciaz, Borgo Manus and Borgo Pozzobon]]

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Split Incidents}}

In '''1918–1920''', a series of '''incidents took place at Spalato''' (now Split) between [[Dalmatian Italians]] and local South Slavs fighting for the control of the city.

In 1918–1920, a series of '''incidents took place at Spalato''' (now Split) between [[Dalmatian Italians]] and local South Slavs fighting for the control of the city.

==Political background==

==Political background==

There were 2,082 Italians in Spilt according to the 1910 Austrian Census and they were only the 9.73% of the total population,<ref>G.Perselli, ''I censimenti della popolazione dell'Istria, con Fiume e Trieste, e di alcune città della Dalmazia tra il 1850 e il 1936'', Unione Italiana Fiume-Università Popolare di Trieste, Trieste-Rovigno 1993.</ref> but they had the best economic status in the Split society.

There were 2,082 Italians in Spilt according to the 1910 Austrian Census and they were only the 9.73% of the total population,<ref>G.Perselli, ''I censimenti della popolazione dell'Istria, con Fiume e Trieste, e di alcune città della Dalmazia tra il 1850 e il 1936'', Unione Italiana Fiume-Università Popolare di Trieste, Trieste-Rovigno 1993.</ref> but they had the best economic status in the Split society.

This census data had understated the number of Italians in the city area and this mistake seems to be confirmed by a series of subsequent events. Indeed -following the Treaty of Rapallo (1920)- the Italians of Dalmatia could opt for the acquisition of Italian citizenship instead of the  Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia  one (latter renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929), while maintaining residence: despite a violent campaign of intimidation on the part of Yugoslavia, over 900 families of Italian speaking "Spalatini" had exercised the option to be Italians.<ref>Luciano Monzali.''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p. 165</ref> Furthermore, in 1927 was carried out a Census of Italians living outside Italy: in Split and surrounding area were counted 3,337 Italian citizens.<ref>Luciano Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.167</ref>  

This census data had understated the number of Italians in the city area and this mistake seems to be confirmed by a series of subsequent events. Indeed -following the Treaty of Rapallo (1920)- the Italians of Dalmatia could opt for the acquisition of Italian citizenship instead of the  Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia  one (latter renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929), while maintaining residence: despite a violent campaign of intimidation on the part of Yugoslavia, over 900 families of Italian speaking "Spalatini" had exercised the option to be Italians.<ref>Luciano Monzali.''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p. 165</ref> Furthermore, in 1927 was carried out a census of Italians living outside Italy: in Split and surrounding area were counted 3,337 Italian citizens.<ref>Luciano Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.167</ref>  

So, given that about 1,000 Italians (with their families) left the city following its incorporation into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and estimating a certain percentage of Italians who accepted the "forced" Yugoslavian citizenship, it is really possible that 7,000 Italians in the Split area -as said by Antonio Tacconi- obtained membership in Italian associations of Spalato in 1918/1919: this amount is more than 3 times the data from the 1910 Austrian Census.

So, given that about 1,000 Italians (with their families) left the city following its incorporation into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and estimating a certain percentage of Italians who accepted the "forced" Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes citizenship, it is really possible that 7,000 Italians in the Split area -as said by Antonio Tacconi- obtained membership in Italian associations of Spalato in 1918/1919: this amount is more than 3 times the data from the 1910 Austrian Census.

==History==

==History==

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 tensions: 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 tensions: 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>

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 Croatian authorities of Spalato were forced to submit a formal apology for the incident.

On November 9, 1918 two French destroyer entered the port of Split. The Italians – mostly concentrated within the old city – exposed on the windows of their homes the Italian Flag-Italian tricolor and went to the harbor to celebrate the ''Triple Entente''. But the reaction of the National Guard (Slavs) was immediate: they entered by force in 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 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>  

But other incidents and demonstrations against Italy and the Dalmatian Italians happened in other cities, like [[Trogir|Trau]] and the "Castelli". The worst happened on December 23 when groups of fanatical Slavs destroyed the offices of the main Italian institutions in Spalato (the "Fascio Nazionale", the "Gabinetto di Lettura" and the "Società Operaia") and hit many dozens of Italians on the streets, while destroying a lot of Italian-owned shops. The same happened on January 6, 1919 in Trau.<ref>Luciano Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunita italiana di Spalato''. p. 113-114</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 Croatian authorities of Split were forced to submit a formal apology for the incident.

Italian Admiral [[Enrico Millo]], who was just promoted to Governor of Dalmatia for the area occupied by Italy, quickly sent ships to defend the Italians of Spalato: on January 12 arrived the destroyer "Puglia" in the port of the city, between huge protests from the Slav community.<ref>Silvio Salza. ''La marina italiana nella grande guerra'' p.808</ref>

But other incidents and demonstrations against Italy and the Dalmatian Italians happened in other cities, like Trogir (Trau) and the Kastel (Castelli). The worst happened on December 23 when groups of fanatical Slavs destroyed the offices of the main Italian institutions in Split (the "Fascio Nazionale", the "Gabinetto di Lettura" and the "Società Operaia") and hit many dozens of Italians on the streets, while destroying a lot of Italian-owned shops. The same happened on January 6, 1919 in Trau.<ref>Luciano Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunita italiana di Spalato''. p. 113-114</ref>

On February 24, while an "Allies Commission for the Adriatic" (made of US admiral [[Albert P. Niblack]], French admiral Jean-Etienne-Charles-Marcel Ratyè, British admiral Edward Burton Kiddle and Italian admiral Umberto Cagni) was visiting Spalato, a huge group of Slavs -in order to show that they were the majority in Spalato and rejected the Italians- attacked the Italian sailors of the "Puglia": the captain Giulio Menini was hit together with some Italians walking on the nearby streets, and again were damaged some shops owned by the Italian community.<ref>G.Menini, ''Passione adriatica. Ricordi di Dalmazia 1918–1920'' p.82-83</ref> The Croatian authorities were forced to do another apology and until summer there were only minor incidents.

Italian Admiral '''Enrico Millo''', who was just promoted to ''Governor of Dalmatia'' for the area occupied by Italy, quickly sent ships to defend the Italians of Split: on January 12 arrived the destroyer "Puglia" in the port of the city, between huge protests from the Slav community.<ref>Silvio Salza. ''La marina italiana nella grande guerra'' p.808</ref>

But on September 12 [[Gabriele D'Annunzio]] occupied Rijeka (Fiume)  and later went even to Zadar (Zara). As a consequence the Italian count Fanfogna organized a similar tentative of occupation in Trogir (Trau) <ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F1061FFD3D5C1A718DDDA10A94D1405B898DF1D3 New York Times: Count Fanfogna "Dictator" of Trau]</ref> and the Slavs of Spalato feared something similar was going to happen in their city: tensions arose and other incidents against the Italians happened in Spalato in November (the "Caffe Nani" was destroyed and many Italian owned shop were damaged.<ref>G.Menini, ''Passione adriatica. Ricordi di Dalmazia 1918–1920'' p.187-188</ref>)

 

But on September 12 Gabriele D'Annunzio occupied Rijeka (Fiume)  and later went even to Zadar (Zara). As a consequence the Italian count Fanfogna organized a similar tentative of occupation in Trogir <ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F1061FFD3D5C1A718DDDA10A94D1405B898DF1D3 New York Times: Count Fanfogna "Dictator" of Trau]</ref> and the Slavs of Spalato feared something similar was going to happen in their city: tensions arose and other incidents against the Italians happened in Spalato in November (the "Caffe Nani" was destroyed and many Italian owned shop were damaged.<ref>G.Menini, ''Passione adriatica. Ricordi di Dalmazia 1918–1920'' p.187-188</ref>)

===The murder of Captain Tommaso Gulli===

===The murder of Captain Tommaso Gulli===

But after the attack of January 27, 1920 in which were damaged nearly all the Italian-owned shops and the offices of Italian institutions, some Italian sailors of the "Puglia" now under the command of captain Tommaso Gulli, started to defend themselves and the Dalmatian Italians menacing to use their guns.

But after the attack of January 27, 1920 in which were damaged nearly all the Italian-owned shops and the offices of Italian institutions, some Italian sailors of the "Puglia" now under the command of captain Tommaso Gulli, started to defend themselves and the Dalmatian Italians menacing to use their guns.

On July 27 another attack against the Italians of Spalato was done and a group of officials of the "Puglia" found refuge in a place near the docks: captain Gulli ordered a boat to rescue them, but it was blocked by some Slavs and was forced to fire "alarm shots" in the sky to get help<ref>G.Menini, Passione adriatica.'' p.207</ref>

On July 27 another attack against the ''Italians of Spalato'' was done and a group of officials of the "Puglia" found refuge in a place near the docks: captain Gulli ordered a boat to rescue them, but it was blocked by some Slavs and was forced to fire "alarm shots" in the sky to get help<ref>G.Menini, Passione adriatica.'' p.207</ref>

Soon Gulli went to the rescue with a [[MAS (boat)|MAS]], but approaching the docks found a huge crowd of nationalist Slavs. Shots were fired to the Italians and for the first time they returned fire. A hand granade was thrown to the Mas and hit the sailor Aldo Rossi and others.<ref>L.Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.137</ref>  

Soon Gulli went to the rescue with a MAS (boat), but approaching the docks found a huge crowd of nationalist Slavs. Shots were fired to the Italians and for the first time they returned fire. A hand granade was thrown to the Mas and hit the sailor Aldo Rossi and others.<ref>L.Monzali. ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.137</ref>  

Another shot hit captain Gulli, while the Italians killed a man on the docks, whose name was Matej Mis. Anyway, many versions about what happened were done in the next days, by the Yugoslavians and by the Italians.  

Another shot hit captain Gulli, while the Italians killed a man on the docks, whose name was Matej Mis. Anyway, many versions about what happened were done in the next days, by the Slavs and by the Italians.  

Captain Gulli was helped in a Hospital but died the next day, while sailor Rossi survived only a few hours.<ref>L.Monzali, ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.208</ref>  

Captain Gulli was helped in a Hospital but died the next day, while sailor Rossi survived only a few hours.<ref>L.Monzali, ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p.208</ref>  

In the Kingdom of Italy the reaction to what happened in Spalato was of rage and indignation: in [[Trieste]] fascists and nationalists attacked the Hotel Balkan (called in [[Slovenian language|Slovenian]] "Narodni dom" and center of the Slav activities in Trieste) the next day.  

In the Kingdom of Italy the reaction to what happened in Split was of rage and indignation: in Trieste fascists and nationalists attacked the Hotel Balkan (called in Slovenian language "Narodni dom" and centre of the Slav activities in Trieste) the next day.  

In the following years the Italians of Spalato – under the Yugoslavian rule of "Split", as was officially called the city- were continuously harassed in their institutions, schools and shops & business: they declined in a slow but steady way.<ref>Read ''Il lento declino. Gli italiani di Spalato 1922–1935'' in L.Monzali, ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p. 235</ref>

In the following years the Italians of Spalato – under the regime rule (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes)  were continuously harassed in their institutions, schools and shops and business: they declined in a slow but steady way.<ref>Read ''Il lento declino. Gli italiani di Spalato 1922–1935'' in L.Monzali, ''Antonio Tacconi e la comunità italiana di Spalato'' p. 235</ref>

==Notes==

==Notes==