By comparing the consequences of post-war events on the communist world of the Julian
March and South Tyrol, the essay illustrates the different perspectives of the communist
parties involved in the cross-country region between Austria, Italy and Yugoslavia. At the
heart of the analysis is the PCI’s strategy towards the two border regions. The Italian party
sought to establish and legitimize itself as a political force in two regional scenarios. In
the Julian March and Trieste, the obstacles presented to the PCI were manifold. This was
due to the very dynamic foreign policy of the Government in Belgrade and its longa manus
in the region, the Slovene CP, which intended to incorporate the entire Julian March into
Socialist Yugoslavia. The situation in South Tyrol was very different: here, the PCI first
chose a policy of strength, especially towards the initial antagonism of the Austrian CP.
