The Proposed Internationalization of Trieste (1947–1954)

Abstract

At the end of the First World War Italy had been awarded the city and hinterland of Trieste, to the great chagrin of the new state of Yugoslavia. At the end of the Second World War Yugoslavia wanted to rectify this matter, and seemed well placed to do so, as her troops were the first of the victors to enter the area. However, following the receipt of what amounted to an ultimatum from her British and American allies, she handed over the city of Trieste and the immediately surrounding territory to them. The leading victorious powers then tried to agree amongst themselves over what to do. Although Italy had entered the War on the German side, she had ended it on the other as a ‘co-belligerent’. This was a somewhat dubious status, but it did mean that some notice had to be taken of Italy’s views, with the result that the issue was in the nature of an intra-club problem.