The Proština rebellion was a rebellion by peasants in

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

, then a territory of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, against the

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

government. It began in early February 1921 and was quelled on 5 April 1921. Almost at the same time, a miners' uprising known as the

Labin Republic The Labin Republic (, ) was a short-lived self-governing republic that was proclaimed by miners in the Istrian city of Labin (Albona) on March 7, 1921, during a mining strike. It was created in what has been described as the world's first anti-fa ...

took place in the neighboring Labin region. It was one of the first anti-fascism uprisings in Europe. In order to intimidate the population, fascist squadrons were intruding into Istrian villages. The first such incursion to Krnica and Proština was undertaken on the night of 2–3 February 1921, the second in mid-March, and the third in early April of the same year. Local peasants therefore decided to form an organized resistance. The main organizer of the resistance was

Ante Ciliga Ante Ciliga (20 February 1898 – 21 October 1992) was a Croatian politician, writer and publisher. Ciliga was one of the earliest leaders of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ). Imprisoned in Stalin's Gulags in the 1930s as part of the Grea ...

, who, together with the

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

s there, founded a party organization in Proština. On several occasions, the rebels emphasized in writing to the local authorities and the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

that their action was not an anti-state uprising, but only a (self-) defensive action directed against the fascist terror. During conflict in early April 1921, the Proština rebels managed to capture two fascists, while the other fascists retreated to

Marčana Marčana () is a naselje, village and a municipality in the southern part of Istria, Croatia, 15 km northeast of Pula, Pula-Pola. The village is situated on the D66 road, D66 state road (Pula - Rijeka). Demographics According to the 2021 cens ...

and Krnica, taking with them the innkeeper Ivan Macuka as a hostage, whom the Proština rebels eventually freed. After these events, units of the regular army and

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

with about 400 members, and with about 100 members of the fascist squadrons invaded the villages of Proština on 5 April 1921 and broke the resistance of the three hundred or so poorly armed peasants there. The fascists burned the village of

Šegotići Šegotići (Italian language, Italian: Segotti) is a settlement in the Croatia, Republic of Croatia, part of the Marčana, Municipality of Marčana, Istria County. History In April 1921 during Proština rebellion, village was burned to the grou ...

and several other houses in other villages. About 400 participants of the Proština rebellion were arrested and taken to the

Pula Pula, also known as Pola, is the largest city in Istria County, west Croatia, and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the Istria, Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, wi ...

remand prison. Fascists and soldiers beat and mistreated arrested

anti-fascists Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

on the way, and several people died as a result of the beatings. Gradually, the anti-fascists were released from prison and later, in the context of the process of wider political amnesty, all were released.

References

{{Revolutions of 1917–1923 1921 in Italy Revolutions of 1917–1923 20th-century rebellions Peasant revolts Anti-fascism in Italy Communism in Italy Communist rebellions History of Istria

See also

References