Everything about The Free State Of Fiume totally explained
The
Free State of Fiume, also known as the
Free State of Rijeka (
Croatian:
Slobodna Država Rijeka,
Italian:
Stato libero di Fiume) was an independent
free state which existed in
Fiume, now the
Croatian city of
Rijeka, between
1920 and
1924.
History
Fiume gained autonomy for the first time in
1719 when it was proclaimed a free port in a decree issued by
Charles VI of Austria. In
1779 during the reign of the Empress
Maria Theresa the city gained the status of
corpus separatum. From then until 1924 Fiume existed more or less as an autonomous entity with elements of statehood.
The city briefly lost its autonomy in
1848 after being occupied by
ban (viceroy)
Josip Jelačić, but regained it in
1868 when it joined the
Kingdom of Hungary, again as a
corpus separatum.
In the 19th century the city was populated by Croats, Hungarians, Italians and other nationalities. National affiliation changed from census to census, as at that time, nationality was mostly defined by the language a person spoke. The special status the city had, being placed between different states, created a local Fiuman identity among the majority of the population. The official languages in use were
Hungarian and
German, business correspondence was carried out in
Italian, whilst most of the families spoke
Fiuman, a kind of mix between Venetian and few words in Croatian. Outside the city in the countryside a Croatian
dialect was spoken.
Politics
After
World War I and the demise of
Austria-Hungary the question of the status of Fiume became a major international problem. At the height of the dispute between the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and the
Kingdom of Italy, the Powers advocated the establishment of an independent buffer state. President
Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. became the arbiter in the Yugoslav-Italian dispute over the city. He suggested that Rijeka be set up as an independent state and as the potential home for the
League of Nations organisation.
The dispute led to lawlessness and the city changed hands between a South-Slav National Committee and an Italian National Council, leading finally to the landing of British and French troops who took over the city. This confusing situation was exploited by the Italian poet
Gabriele D'Annunzio who entered the city with his anarcho-fascist movement on
12 September 1919 and began a 15-month period of rule. A year later after failure of negotiations with the Italian government D'Annunzio proclaimed the
Italian Regency of Carnaro.
On
12 November 1920, the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the
Treaty of Rapallo by which both parties agreed to acknowledge "the complete freedom and independence of the State of Fiume and oblige to respect it for eternity". With this act the "Free State of Fiume" was created, which, it turned out, would exist as an independent state for about one year
de facto, and four years
de jure. The newly created state was immediately recognized by the
United States,
France and the
United Kingdom. D'Annunzio refused to acknowledge the Agreement and was expelled from the city by the regular forces of the
Italian Army, in the" Bloody Christmas" from the 24th to the 30th of December 1920.
In April
1921 the first parliamentary elections were held which were contested by the autonomists and the pro-Italian National Bloc. The Autonomy Party, which was supported by votes from the majority of the Croats, gained 6558 votes, while the National Bloc, composed of Fascist, Liberal and Democratic parties, got 3443 votes. The leader of the Autonomy Party,
Riccardo Zanella, became the President.
On
3 March 1922 the fascists carried out a
coup d'état and the legal government escaped to
Kraljevica.
In January
1924 the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes signed the Rome Agreement, agreeing to the
annexation of Fiume by Italy and the absorption of Susak by the Serbs; this took effect on
16 March. The government-in-exile of the Free State considered this act invalid and non-binding under
international law and continued its activities.
Aftermath
With the surrender of Italy in the
World War II, the Fiume issue became topical again and in
1944 a group of citizens issued the "Liburnia Memorandum" in which it was recommended that a confederate state be formed from the three cantons of Fiume,
Sušak and
Bistrica. The islands of
Veglia,
Cherso and
Lussino would enter the common condominium as well. However President Zanella of the
government-in-exile still sought the re-establishment of the Free State.
The communist
Yugoslav authorities, who liberated the city from German occupation on 3 May
1945, objected to these plans, and with the
Paris Peace Treaty of
1947, Fiume and
Istria officially became part of
Croatia within Yugoslavia.
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