Projects / Programmes
ANTIFASCISM IN THE JULIAN MARCH IN TRANSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, 1919–1954
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.01.00 |
Humanities |
Historiography |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H250 |
Humanities |
Contemporary history (since 1914) |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.01 |
Humanities |
History and Archaeology |
contemporary history, 1919–1954, antifascism, resistance movement, Julian March
Researchers (16)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The project “Antifascism in the Julian March in a Transnational Perspective, 1919–1954” will examine the special characteristics and lesser known aspects of the antifascist resistance in the former Julian March, and its role in the wider European context. The research will focus on the phenomenon of antifascism as it developed in response to the “borderland fascism” (fascismo di confine) characteristic of this multiethnic border region, and take into consideration the period spanning from the emergence of fascism in Italy (1919) to the division of the Free Territory of Trieste between Italy and Yugoslavia (1954).
The objectives of the proposed project are: 1) analysis of ideological, social and national premises of antifascism in the former Julian March; 2) research into antifascist groups and movements of various ideological-political provenances, and analysis of various practices of their antifascist engagement from theoretical, artistic, and political, to intelligence and terrorist activities, as well as organized armed resistance; 3) research into interactions between local antifascist groups, their connections with other antifascist movements and organizations in Europe, and international transfers of ideas and tactics; 4) analysis of women’s emancipation within the antifascist movement; 5) analysis of antifascist symbols and discourse employed in fine arts and literature; and 6) research into the formation of collective memory of antifascism along the Yugoslav-Italian border after WWII.
Special emphasis will be paid to Slovenian antifascist groups and individuals whose engagement was characterized by transnational cooperation in the Italian and wider European context. Due to the interactions between the national impulse and forms of action with different ideological backgrounds, as well as the earliness of spontaneous resistance and its international character, the antifascism in the Julian March was characterized by a dimension that can be best approached through methods of transnational and comparative history. Applying these approaches, the project will introduce recent methodological tools and problematize new historical aspects of this borderland region. Such an approach will enable participating researchers to enter more actively into dialogue with the international historiographical community, which has in recent years shown an increasing interest in researching antifascism, and stressed the importance of research into political and cultural aspects of antifascism in various European regions with common or similar features.
Taking into account the findings of previous studies by Slovenian, Croatian, Italian, and other scholars, the proposed research will be based on archival and other historical sources. The key archival holdings for the proposed project, which have already been partially researched or at least registered by the project leader and members of the project group, are kept by the various Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian and Italian archives or private collections, while contacts with foreign agents will be analyzed on the basis of the documents kept by Russian, British, Vatican, and other archives, which have also been partly registered by the participating researchers.
The feasibility of the project is ensured by the project leader’s ample knowledge and years of experience, as well as by previous successful collaboration of the participating researchers in several projects. In order to achieve the set goals, the project will be divided into several interrelated sections, with the segments being in line with research interests of the project team composed of experienced scholars, as well as younger researchers at the beginning of their academic career.
Significance for science
The proposed project will broaden the existing research on antifascism in the borderland region between Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, and by exploring unknown or lesser known aspects of antifascism (e.g. the contribution of women, artists and intelligentsia to antifascism) considerably enlarge the thematic scope of the existing studies as well. The multiethnic Julian March and the “borderland fascism” which emerged in the region during Mussolini’s regime, provide an ideal setting for the research into national, political, social, cultural and other characteristics of antifascism as, according to Eric Hobsbawm (The Age of Extremes, 1994, 149), antifascism found it easier to mobilise minority groups than the majority population. In this context, the project team intends to explain its massive appeal and the entanglement of the antifascist movement of the Julian March with the simultaneous international developments (e.g. in the Comintern, the Congres des Nationalités Européennes, the Giustizia e Liberta), that will be enabled by the access to newly opened or unexamined archival holdings in Moscow, Rome, the Vatican, London, Zagreb, Belgrade etc. Applying the approaches of transnational and comparative history, the participating researchers will shed light on the connections of individuals and antifascist groups from the Julian March, their cross-border influences, and transfers of ideas with antifascist movements in the wider European area, as well as to compare the developments in the Julian March with those in other multiethnic borderlands of fascist Italy.
The results of the proposed project will also be relevant for other scientific fields as well as for the general public as they will shed light on a very topical issue that often proves to be controversial when addressed by the media or daily politics. The heritage of antifascism in this borderland is still part of divided memory deepened by unreflected political discourses. According to Andrea Mammone (A Daily Revision of the Past: Fascism, Anti-Fascism, and Memory in Contemporary Italy, 2006), in the beginning of the 1990s the revision of the “antifascist paradigm” took place in Italy, and it was the Slovenian-Italian border region that turned out to be the platform for the search for a new national consensus. By placing various manifestations of antifascism in the Julian March in the then European context, we also aim to bring about a reflection upon the legitimacy of rebellion. The dissemination of the research results to the general public and spreading of interpretative frameworks are therefore relevant from the point of view of not only closer collaboration between Slovenian and international historiographical communities, but also public confrontation with collective perceptions, stereotypes and prejudices.
Significance for the country
The proposed project will broaden the existing research on antifascism in the borderland region between Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, and by exploring unknown or lesser known aspects of antifascism (e.g. the contribution of women, artists and intelligentsia to antifascism) considerably enlarge the thematic scope of the existing studies as well. The multiethnic Julian March and the “borderland fascism” which emerged in the region during Mussolini’s regime, provide an ideal setting for the research into national, political, social, cultural and other characteristics of antifascism as, according to Eric Hobsbawm (The Age of Extremes, 1994, 149), antifascism found it easier to mobilise minority groups than the majority population. In this context, the project team intends to explain its massive appeal and the entanglement of the antifascist movement of the Julian March with the simultaneous international developments (e.g. in the Comintern, the Congres des Nationalités Européennes, the Giustizia e Liberta), that will be enabled by the access to newly opened or unexamined archival holdings in Moscow, Rome, the Vatican, London, Zagreb, Belgrade etc. Applying the approaches of transnational and comparative history, the participating researchers will shed light on the connections of individuals and antifascist groups from the Julian March, their cross-border influences, and transfers of ideas with antifascist movements in the wider European area, as well as to compare the developments in the Julian March with those in other multiethnic borderlands of fascist Italy.
The results of the proposed project will also be relevant for other scientific fields as well as for the general public as they will shed light on a very topical issue that often proves to be controversial when addressed by the media or daily politics. The heritage of antifascism in this borderland is still part of divided memory deepened by unreflected political discourses. According to Andrea Mammone (A Daily Revision of the Past: Fascism, Anti-Fascism, and Memory in Contemporary Italy, 2006), in the beginning of the 1990s the revision of the “antifascist paradigm” took place in Italy, and it was the Slovenian-Italian border region that turned out to be the platform for the search for a new national consensus. By placing various manifestations of antifascism in the Julian March in the then European context, we also aim to bring about a reflection upon the legitimacy of rebellion. The dissemination of the research results to the general public and spreading of interpretative frameworks are therefore relevant from the point of view of not only closer collaboration between Slovenian and international historiographical communities, but also public confrontation with collective perceptions, stereotypes and prejudices.
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Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
