On the Road to Italian Fascism: The Fiume Affair and Global Politics

Abstract

Despite its relative obscurity beyond the realm of Italian history, the Fiume Crisis (1919-1920) is a critical juncture for the study of modern European history, international affairs, and the genesis of fascism in Italy. Following the conclusion of WWI, Italians felt betrayed by their Entente allies who did not deliver Italy the territorial expansion they promised. Gabriele D’Annunzion described this as a “mutilated victory” and seized upon the geopolitical instability following WWI by cap-turing the Croatian city of Fiume to deliver Italy some of the land it was promised. Although his reign in Fiume only lasted fifteen months, his actions inspired the likes of Benito Mussolini to use unilateral force to claim power in 1922. Thus, beyond representing a critical episode in fascism’s history, Fiume is arguably the birthplace of Italian fascism.