Riccardo Zanella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Riccardo Zanella
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| 1st President of the Free State of Fiume | |
| In office 5 October 1921 – 3 March 1922 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Giovanni Giuriati |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 June 1875 Fiume, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 30 March 1959 (aged 83) Rome, Italy |
| Resting place | Cimitero Monumentale Verano, Rome, Italy |
| Political party | Autonomist Association |
| Occupation | Politician |
Riccardo Zanella (born June 27, 1875 – died March 30, 1959) was an important politician from Fiume. He was the only elected president of the Free State of Fiume, a small country that existed for a short time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Riccardo Zanella was born in Fiume, which was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. Today, Fiume is known as Rijeka in Croatia. His father was Italian, and his mother was Slovene.
He went to the Hungarian Commercial School in Fiume and then in Budapest. After finishing school, he became a teacher of bookkeeping at the same school in Fiume. However, he left this job a year later.
Becoming a Political Leader
Zanella became involved in politics during a time of change in Hungary. He became a local leader for a group called the Kossuthist faction in Fiume. This group supported more independence for Hungary.
In 1901, he took over as the head of the Autonomist Association, also known as the Autonomist Party in Fiume. This party wanted Fiume to have more control over its own affairs. Under Zanella's leadership, the party changed its focus and became more strongly Italian nationalist. This means they strongly believed Fiume should be part of Italy.
His popularity grew, especially among everyday people. In 1914, he was even elected as the mayor (called Podestà) of Fiume. However, the Emperor Franz Joseph did not approve his appointment.
World War I and Fiume's Future
During World War I, Zanella fought in a Hungarian army unit on the Russian front. He later left his unit and went to Russia.
In 1916, he arrived in Rome, Italy. There, he started a campaign to convince people that Fiume should become part of Italy. After the war ended in 1918, he returned to Fiume and was welcomed as a hero.
However, he soon disagreed with the Italian National Council in Fiume, which had taken control of the city.
Opposing D'Annunzio
On September 12, 1919, a famous Italian poet and soldier named Gabriele D'Annunzio took control of Fiume. Zanella led the Autonomist opposition against D'Annunzio's rule. D'Annunzio ignored the Treaty of Rapallo, which was an agreement about Fiume's future. He even declared war on Italy.
Finally, in December 1920, D'Annunzio surrendered after the Italian navy attacked the city. This event is sometimes called Bloody Christmas.
President of the Free State
After D'Annunzio left, the Free State of Fiume was created. Riccardo Zanella became its first and only elected president on October 5, 1921.
His time as president was short. On March 3, 1922, his term ended because Italian forces took over Fiume after a political takeover. Italy officially made Fiume part of its territory on March 16, 1924.
Later Life and Efforts for Fiume
During the 1930s, Zanella lived mostly in Belgrade, away from Fiume. After World War II, he tried to bring back the Free State of Fiume as an independent country. He asked for support at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, but he did not succeed.
He also made his request to the London Council of Foreign Ministers in September 1945. He argued that the Free State of Fiume was taken over unfairly, just like Albania and Ethiopia. He believed Fiume should not belong to Croatia or Yugoslavia, as it had always been part of the Holy Crown of Hungary.
Despite his efforts, Zanella's ideas did not gain support. He died in Rome in 1959, still living away from his home city.
See also
- Governors and Heads of State of Fiume
