Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1994 The outhS Tyrol and the Principle of Self- Determination: An Analysis of a Minority Problem Eva Pfanzelter This research is a product of the graduate program in History at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Pfanzelter, Eva, "The outhS Tyrol and the Principle of Self-Determination: An Analysis of a Minority Problem" (1994). Masters Theses. 2050. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2050 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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BY Eva Pfanzelter THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARITIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNNERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1994 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING nns PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE 3/ Pit:Jud /CJ'I '-{ DA L ABSTRACT For almost three quarters of a century the South Tyroleans had fought for the preservation of their ethnic identity. The idea of self-determination introduced by Woodrow Wilson in 1918 legitimized their quest for protection of their ethnicity and language. Yet, the peace of Paris of 1919 denied the South Tyrolens' the right to self­ determination and incorporated the German-speaking territory of the South Tyrol into Italy. During the following two decades Italian fascism eliminated the South Tyroleans' right to struggle for their cultural identity. Mussolini's ideology pursued the ltalianization of the South Tyrol. The German-speaking minority in Italy could not even hope for help from the German national socialists in the north who during the 1930's renounced the South Tyrol for an alliance with Italy. During the fascist era minorities were not a problem for the dictatorial states. Minority rights were simply ignored. Only the peace conference in 1945/46 gave the European minorities a new chance to fight for their protection. The South Tyroleans hoped again that the peacemakers would allow a return of the South Tyrol to Austria. During the peace negotiations, however, political realities in Europe changed and the rising conflict between East and West urged the Western powers to confirm the decision of 1919 and to maintain the South Tyrol within Italy. Although the Allied powers recognized the ethnic difference of the South Tyroleans from the Italian people, they also explicitly forbade the application of self-determination to the German-speaking minority on Italy's northern frontier. Consequently the decision of 1946 confronted the South Tyroleans with the need to negotiate for a different kind of self-determination, for a determination of their fate within the Italian state. The Italian government now expressed its goodwill to come to satisfying terms with its German-speaking minority in the north. Yet, Italy's treatment of the South Tyrol L question after the Peace Conference in 1946, reverted to opposite measures. Italy tired to obstruct the implementation of the guarantees given in a bilateral agreement between Italy and Austria in 1946. Thus, the Italian government opened the way to the endless discussions that only ended in 1993. During this time, however, the South Tyrolean representatives achieved an autonomy for the German-speaking people on Italy's northern frontier. During these decades the South Tyroleans had the chance to adapt the autonomy to present-day needs and ultimately achieved an autonomy that protected the uniqueness of their people much better than neither an agreement in 1919 nor in 1945 could have anticipated. Today, the South Tyroleans are among the best protected minorities in Europe. They determine their own political future and administer their province by themselves. Although sometimes Italian-speaking and German-speaking inhabitants guard each other with suspicion the tendencies to live together, rather than to live side by side, increase steadily. The South Tyrolean autonomy which provides the German-speaking minority in Italy with the possibility of self-government and ethnic protection, could indeed become an example to many other European minorities. Their case could help solve the various problems arising in post-cold war Europe where many minorities, whose rights had been suppressed for decades, now demand protection of their ethnicity and self-determination. ~I To my parents and my brothers ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the many teachers who in the course of the years have taught me the things I know. My first teachers were my parents and my grandmother. To them I will be forever indebted for their patience, guidance, and support throughout the different stages of my life. My mother's industriousness ("Aren't you done yet?") and my father's view of life ("Take your time, there is much more to life than books!") have become invaluable guidelines. Especially, I would like to thank those teachers who have enabled my stay at the Eastern Illinois University and who have guided my studies throughout that year in the United States. Among these is Dr. Rolf Steininger, head of the department of contemporary history at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. He gave me the opportunity to study abroad and patiently supported me during the tedious application process ("I didn't know the South Tyroleans had a problem with English. I only knew they don't know how to speak proper German!"). Also, I would like to thank Dr. Wolfgang Schlauch, study abroad coordinator at the history department of the Eastern Illinois University. I will not attempt to enumerate the many things he did for me during my stay in the United States and will only mention his tireless interest in the progress of my work ("To be sure, you have to substantiate that more thoroughly!"). I am grateful to Dr. John McElligott of the history department at the Eastern Illinois University for convincing me of the importance of the history of the United States ("Am I not right, Miss Pfanzelter?"). Further, I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Waldrep of the history department at the Eastern Illinois University who taught me how to read history ("How come?") and Dr. Newton Key, graduate coordinator at the history department at the Eastern Illinois University, who taught me how to write history ("Yeah, but - not exactly!"). Both made me remember why I started to study history in the first place and taught me to I - ii appreciate my studies for the first time since I chose history as my major. I am also grateful to my brothers for their constant financial ("If you take my car be sure to return. it with a full tank!") and emotional ("There are so many jobless historians out there, so why should you bother finishing your studies as soon as possible? You should rather go out with us and have some fun!") support. Last, but not least, I want to thank all my friends in Austria, Italy, and the United States. I am convinced that without them I would never have come this far. Acknowledgements TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknow ledgments .................................................................................... .i Chapter I. Introduction .................................................................................. 1 II. The Principle of Self-Determination as Applied to the South Tyrol in 1919 ......................................................................................... :. 7 III. The South Tyrol between Italian Fascism and German National Socialism .................................................................................... 33 N. Restate the Decision of 1919: The South Tyrol at the Paris Peace Conference in 1945 ........................................................................54 V. The Way to a Solution: The South Tyrol Question before the UN and the Conclusion of the "Package" ..................................................................79 VI. Conclusion ..................................................................................97 Bibliography ....................................................................................... 104 1 I CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The end of World War I marked the beginning of the question of the South Tyrolean minority which repeatedly raised the interest of the European political scene for the following decades. For centuries the area in dispute had been part of the Duchy of Tyrol. In the thirteenth century the Counts of Tyrol liberated the territory from