1. The Background: The Separation of South Tyrol from Austria and the Inter-War Years
Questions
Description and Analysis
After the First World War, the Treaty of Saint-Germain regulated the dissolution of the Austrian half of Austria-Hungary (consisting of the kingdoms and crownlands of the Austrian Empire) and the conditions of the new Republic of German Austria. The Treaty was signed and passed over to the Austrian delegates on the 10th September 1919 at the Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The Treaty was one of the Paris suburb contracts which officially marked the end of the First World War and was concluded by Austria and 27 Allied and Associate members.
In the years following the incorporation of the South Tyrol into Italy, one of the most influential people was Ettore Tolomei, an Italian nationalist from Trentino, who made the Italianisation of South Tyrol his main mission in life. From 1923 onwards, all place and field names were italianised and the use of the name Tyrol was forbidden.
Italian became the only community language and official language in court in South Tyrol / Alto Adige between 1923 and 1925, and all German-language newspapers were banned. As part of the fascist school reforms, in the following years the German language was banned in all schools. Church schools had to either comply with the new regulations or close down.
Answers to the Questions
- What consequences did Mussolini’s seizure of power have for South Tyroleans?
Italian as official language, Place names were changed into Italian, Secret schools for German lessons - Look at the map: In which part of Italy is the autonomous province of South Tyrol - Trentino?
Northern Italy - What effects did the resettlement of industries in Bolzano have?
Immigration of Italian-speaking workers
Presentation
The end of the First World War brought about new political conditions in Central Europe. The Danube Monarchy, the Austrian multi-state had collapsed and new borders were created. This also affected the Tyrol, which had been united and had belonged to Austria since 1363. Because of the Ceasefire Agreement and the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919 between the victorious powers of the First World War and the newly created Republic of Austria, South Tyrol became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
The seizure of power in Italy by “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini signalled the start of the fascist Italianisation of the South Tyroleans. Between 1923 and 1925, Italian became the only approved official language, and all place and field names were given newly created Italian names.
As part of the fascist school reforms, in the following years the German language was banned in all schools. From this situation arose so-called “catacomb schools”, which were makeshift and later secret schools in which the children were taught in their German mother tongue. In 1928, factories and large industries started to resettle in the Bolzano area. Only Italian-speaking workers were employed in these new companies. Within just a few years, the population of Bolzano had soared from 30,000 to 120,000 because of Italian immigrants.