Province of Spalato facts for kids
The Province of Spalato was a special area in Dalmatia during World War II. It was part of the Governorate of Dalmatia, which was controlled by Italy. Its official name in Italian was Provincia italiana di Spalato.
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How the Province of Spalato Started
During World War II, Italy took control of many coastal areas along the Adriatic Sea. This happened after the Independent State of Croatia, a country controlled by Italy, signed an agreement called the Treaties of Rome on May 18, 1941.
Italy's government, led by the Fascist Party, supported a group called the Ustaše in Croatia. Italy helped the Ustaše leader, Ante Pavelić, become the head of Croatia. This happened after Yugoslavia broke apart in April 1941. One of the areas Italy took control of was the city of Split in Dalmatia.
Italy then created several "provinces" (which are like administrative districts) in this region. These provinces existed until September 1943. One of them was the Province of Spalato. The main city and administrative center of this province was Spalato, which is the Italian name for Split.
Facts About the Province
The Province of Spalato covered an area of about 1,075 square kilometers (415 square miles). It had a population of around 128,000 people. Most of the people living there were Croats. However, there were also more than 3,000 Dalmatian Italians, mainly in Spalato and Traù (Trogir). The island of Lastovo, which Italy gained after World War I and renamed Lagosta, was also part of this province.
Life and Changes in the Province
The Italians immediately began a process called Italianization. This meant they tried to make people in the province more Italian. This was partly because of the history of Venetian Dalmatia, which had Italian influences. Because of these changes, some Croats started a resistance movement in the summer of 1941. This movement grew stronger in 1943.
In 1942, a football team called "Associazione Calcio Spalato" was created. It was managed by the Italian football association (FIGC) and played in Italian championships. Also, in 1941 and 1942, many Jews and some Serbs found safety in Spalato. They were escaping from nearby regions controlled by the Croatian Ustaše.
The End of the Province
In September 1943, the Italian army surrendered to the Allies. The German army then took control of the region from the Italians. Soon after, a difficult guerrilla war began between the German occupiers and Josip Broz Tito's partisans (resistance fighters). The Province of Spalato was officially ended in September 1943. Later, its land became part of Ante Pavelić's Croatia again.
Towns and Areas in the Province
The Province of Spalato was divided into 15 "Comuni" (which are like towns or municipalities). Here are their names in both Italian and Croatian:
- Spalato / Split
- Blatta / Blato
- Castella Inferiore o Castel Vecchio / Kaštel Stari ili Donja Kaštela
- Castelli / Kaštel Sućurac
- Castel Vitturi / Kaštel Lukšić
- Comisa / Komiža
- Curzola / Korčula
- Lagosta / Lastovo
- Lissa / Vis
- Meleda / Mljet
- Solta / Šolta
- Traù / Trogir
- Vallegrande / Vela Luka
