In search of hegemony in the Adriatic: the clash between Italy’s and Yugoslav’s national interests in the first half of the 20th Century

Relations between Italy and Yugoslavia in the first half of the 20th Century were strained and unfriendly. Several political problems estranged Rome and Belgrade at the end of the Great War: the diplomatic struggle for possession of the upper Adriatic, the political rivalry for control over Albania, the Italian support for Croatian and Macedonian separatism, and the presence of national minorities within the respective borders. Most of the Italian leaders regarded the creation of the Yugoslavia as a real threat, as the unification of the South Slavic populations frustrated Italy’s expansionist plans eastwards and its hegemonic dreams over the Balkans. Likewise, most of the South Slavic leaders considered Italy’s war aims a real and dangerous threat to the very existence of the Yugoslav State. The uncompromising stands of both countries’ leadership in addressing any bilateral issue, their unwillingness to better understand one another’s reasons and their inability to implement any bilateral agreement, concurred to erase any chance of partnership.