Communist Party of the Free Territory of Trieste
Encyclopedia
Communist Party of the Free Territory of Trieste (in Italian
: Partito Comunista del Territorio Libero di Trieste, PCTLT, in Slovenian
: Komunistična partija Svobodnega tržaškega ozemlja, KPSTO) was a communist party
in the Free Territory of Trieste
. It was founded at a congress in 1945 by a merger of the local branches of the Italian Communist Party
and the Communist Party of Slovenia
as the Communist Party of the Giulian Region (Partito Comunista della Regione Giuliana, PCRG, Komunistična partija Julijske krajine, KPJK). The party published a daily newspaper, Il Lavoratore.
. This stood in contrast with the line of the Italian Communist Party and its leader Palmiro Togliatti
, which opposed Yugoslav claims to the region. The main leaders of the party were Rudi Uršič and the Yugoslav partisan
leader Branko Babič
.
In 1947, when the Free Territory was formally constituted, the party adopted the name PCTLT/KPSTO.
, resulting in the expulsion of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia
. The pro-Yugoslavia wing was led by Branko Babič, and the pro-Cominform wing was led by former Comintern
agent Vittorio Vidali
. The pro-Cominform wing was able to retain a majority in the Central Committee (6 against 4), and Vidali became the leader of the party. Under Vidali's leadership the party began opposing the annexation of the Free Territory by Yugoslavia
.
The pro-Yugoslav minority was largely composed of Slovenian cadres. They formed a separate PCTLT under the leadership of Babič. The pro-Yugoslav minority then regrouped as the Italian-Slovenian Popular Front (FPIS).
Although initially present in both the British-U.S.-controlled Zone A and the Yugoslavian-controlled Zone B, the PCTLT led by Vidali was suppressed in Zone B after the split. The FPIS took part in FTT elections in Zone A and continued to function after the integration of Zone A into Italy.
, closely linked to the FGCTLT.
in 1954, the party merged into the Italian Communist Party
(PCI) in 1957. Within the PCI, the Trieste communists had a Triestian Autonomous Federation.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: Partito Comunista del Territorio Libero di Trieste, PCTLT, in Slovenian
Slovenian language
Slovene or Slovenian is a South Slavic language spoken by approximately 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia. It is the first language of about 1.85 million people and is one of the 23 official and working languages of the European Union...
: Komunistična partija Svobodnega tržaškega ozemlja, KPSTO) was a communist party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
in the Free Territory of Trieste
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was to be a city-state situated in Central Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, created by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of World War II and provisionally administered by an appointed military governor commanding the peacekeeping United...
. It was founded at a congress in 1945 by a merger of the local branches of the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
and the Communist Party of Slovenia
League of Communists of Slovenia
The League of Communists of Slovenia was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989...
as the Communist Party of the Giulian Region (Partito Comunista della Regione Giuliana, PCRG, Komunistična partija Julijske krajine, KPJK). The party published a daily newspaper, Il Lavoratore.
Initial period
At the time of its foundation, the party favoured integration of the area with YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. This stood in contrast with the line of the Italian Communist Party and its leader Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.-Early life:...
, which opposed Yugoslav claims to the region. The main leaders of the party were Rudi Uršič and the Yugoslav partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
leader Branko Babič
Branko Babic
Branko Babic is the inventor of polystyrene concrete, which is created by mixing together expanded polystyrene beads one mm in diameter and large quantities of air. It was used to help control Kuwaiti oil wells set ablaze on Saddam Hussein's orders in 1991 during the Gulf War. Babic states he is...
.
In 1947, when the Free Territory was formally constituted, the party adopted the name PCTLT/KPSTO.
Tito-Cominform split
The party suffered a split following the June 28, 1948 resolution of CominformCominform
Founded in 1947, Cominform is the common name for what was officially referred to as the Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties...
, resulting in the expulsion of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
. The pro-Yugoslavia wing was led by Branko Babič, and the pro-Cominform wing was led by former Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
agent Vittorio Vidali
Vittorio Vidali
Vittorio Vidali , also known as Vittorio Vidale, Enea Sormenti, Jacobo Hurwitz Zender, Carlos Contreras, "Comandante Carlos") was an Italian-born Stalinist.- Early life :...
. The pro-Cominform wing was able to retain a majority in the Central Committee (6 against 4), and Vidali became the leader of the party. Under Vidali's leadership the party began opposing the annexation of the Free Territory by Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
The pro-Yugoslav minority was largely composed of Slovenian cadres. They formed a separate PCTLT under the leadership of Babič. The pro-Yugoslav minority then regrouped as the Italian-Slovenian Popular Front (FPIS).
Although initially present in both the British-U.S.-controlled Zone A and the Yugoslavian-controlled Zone B, the PCTLT led by Vidali was suppressed in Zone B after the split. The FPIS took part in FTT elections in Zone A and continued to function after the integration of Zone A into Italy.
1949 election
The PCTLT took part in the June 12, 1949 elections in the Free Territory. It obtained 35 568 votes (approximately 20% of the total vote), and 13 seats. In the same election, the pro-Yugoslav communists obtained one seat.Ethnic composition
PCTLT was the sole pluriethnical political force in the Free Territory at the time, with a large following amongst both Italian and Slovenian workers. It ran a separate Slovenian-language organ, Delo.Youth wing
The youth wing of the party was known as the Communist Youth Federation of the Free State of Trieste (Federazione Giovanile Comunista del Territorio Libero di Trieste). FGCTLT published Gioventù. There was also an Anti-Fascist Youth Union of the Free Territory of TriesteAnti-Fascist Youth Union of the Free Territory of Trieste
The Anti-Fascist Youth Union of the Free Territory of Trieste , initially known as the Anti-Fascist Youth Union of the Julian March was a youth movement in the Julian March . It was active between 1945 and 1954....
, closely linked to the FGCTLT.
Integration into PCI
After the Zone A was integrated into ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1954, the party merged into the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
(PCI) in 1957. Within the PCI, the Trieste communists had a Triestian Autonomous Federation.