Abstract

This essay attempts to examine established visions of post-war in Istria, through the meth- odological perspectives of recent (post-) Habsburg historiography, starting from the category of “national indifference.µ Instead of focusing on the clash between “Italiansµ and “Slavs,µ it focuses on the chaotic dynamics of the post-1918 transition and the resultingv iolent conflicts in a rural context that was anything but nationalized. By appropriating Italian-speaking nationalism and reconfiguring the persistent Habsburg heritage, the new fascist movement managed to mobilize peasant masses on political-ideological grounds that contributed to radicalizing local rifts and conflicts. Aimed against “internal enemiesµ identified as “Austrians,µ “Bolsheviksµ and “Slavs,µ Istrian fascism worked to establish total loyalty to the new state order