Italian irredentism in Savoy
Italian irredentism in Savoy was the political movement among Savoyards promoting annexation to the
History
Italian irredentists were citizens of Savoy who considered themselves to have ties with the
In spring 1860 the area was annexed to France after a referendum and the administrative boundaries changed, but a segment of the Savoyard population demonstrated against the annexation. Indeed, the final vote count on the referendum announced by the Court of Appeals was 130,839 in favour of annexation to France, 235 opposed and 71 void, showing a questionable complete support for French nationalism (that motivated criticisms about rigged results).[2]
Presently, the situation seems the following: generally, it does not exist any will to separate Savoy and Piedmont. In the highest part of the country, Maurienne, Tarentaise and Upper-Savoy (Albertville and Beaufortain), the population is resolutely for the statu quo. In Genevois, Faucigny and Chablais, if ever should produce a change, the annexation by Switzerland is preferred to any other solution.[3]
At the beginning of 1860, more than 3000 people demonstrated in Chambéry against the annexation to France rumours. On 16 March 1860, the provinces of Northern Savoy (Chablais, Faucigny and Genevois) sent to Victor Emmanuel II, to Napoleon III, and to the Swiss Federal Council a declaration - sent under the presentation of a manifesto together with petitions - where they were saying that they did not wish to become French and showed their preference to remain united to the Kingdom of Sardinia (or be annexed to Switzerland were a separation from Sardinia unavoidable).[4]
Some opposition to French rule was manifest when, in 1919, France officially (but contrary to the annexation treaty) ended the military neutrality of the parts of the country of Savoy that had originally been agreed to at the
In 1861, the Associazione Oriundi Savoiardi e Nizzardi Italiani was founded in Italy,[6] an association of the Italian Savoyards that lasted one century until 1966.
During the fascist period in the early 1940s, organizations were created that promoted the unification of Savoy to the Kingdom of Italy. The fascist members were nearly one hundred in 1942, concentrated mainly in Grenoble and Chambéry.[7]
When Italy occupied Savoy in November 1942 these fascist groups claimed that nearly 10,000 Savoyards demanded the unification to Italy, but nothing was done mainly because the King of Italy opposed it.[8]
After World War II all the organizations of the Irredentist Savoyards were outlawed by the French authorities of Charles de Gaulle.
Most of the remaining Irredentist Savoyards supported in the 1950s and 1960s the development of autonomistic political organizations of Savoy, like the
Italian-occupied Savoy
In November 1942, in conjunction with "
A process of Italianization of the schools in Savoy was started, but was never fully implemented. Only a few Italian Savoyards were voluntarily enrolled in the Italian Army through fascist organizations like the Camicie Nere. Others joined the resistance and fought against the invaders.
Most of the Irredentist Savoyards actively helped the Jews in the occupied zone in Savoy, a region that acted as a refugee zone for
The projects to incorporate Savoy to the Kingdom of Italy were supported by the fascist Savoyards of Grenoble,[11] but nothing was done even then because in September 1943 Nazi Germany substituted Italy in the occupation of Savoy.
The Savoyard dialect
Savoyards historically have spoken a dialect related to the
During the fascist occupation in 1942-1943, Italian authorities promoted a process of Italianization of all the people of Savoy, mainly related to the use of Italian in substitution of the Savoyard dialect.[12]
See also
- Italia irredenta
- House of Savoy
- Nizzardo Italians
- Languages of France
- Italian-occupied France
References
- ISBN 978-2-29633-505-9), p. 190.
- ^ Wambaugh, Sarah & Scott, James Brown (1920), A Monograph on Plebiscites, with a Collection of Official Documents, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 599
- ^ F. ENGELS, Savoyen, Nizza und die Rhein, Berlin, 1860
- ^ Section: our country, Savoy / History
- ^ The Times (April 28 1860): Universal suffrage in Savoy[permanent dead link]
- ^ Text (in Italian) of "Bollettino" from the Savoiardi association
- ^ Fascism's European Empire -By Davide Rodogno
- ^ Vignoli, Giulio. Gli Italiani Dimenticati p. 130
- ^ Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt. Germany and the Second World War - Volume 2: Germany's Initial Conquests in Europe, pg. 311
- ^ Robert O. Paxton. Vichy France, Old Guard, New Order. 1972
- ^ Giulio Vignoli, Gli italiani dimenticati, Roma, Giuffè, 2000, p. 130. (in Italian)
- ^ Jean-Louis Panicacci, « Occupation italienne », nicerendezvous.com.
Bibliography
- Bosworth, R. J. B. Mussolini's Italy: Life Under the Fascist Dictatorship, 1915-1945. Penguin Books. London, 2005.
- De Pingon, Jean. Savoie Francaise. Histoire d'un pays annexé. Editions Cabédita. Lyon, 1996.
- Rodogno, Davide. Fascism European Empire. Cambrigge University Press. Cambridge, 2004.
- Vignoli, Giulio. Gli Italiani Dimenticati. Ed. Giuffè. Roma, 2000