“Bloodlands” and Adriatic frontier in the first half of the 20th century
The essay aims to verify whether the formula of the “Bloodlands” coined by Timothy
Snyder is also applicable to the “Adriatic frontier”. To do so, the article proposes a
profile of the logics of political violence during the first half of the 20th century in the
Adriatic area. Thus a series of clearly identified “seasons” is highlighted: the “season of
flames” (1915-1921), the season of state violence (1922-1941), the “season of massacres”
(1942-1945/6), a new season of state violence (1954-1956). This overview confirms the reputation of the Julian-Dalmatian region as a “laboratory of the contemporary” in its most dramatic aspects, while the comparison with the “Bloodlands” shows similarities and differences. The essay concludes by discussing the advantages and limitations of comparative history.
