La politica dell’oblio. La mancata punizione dei crimini di guerra tra Italia, Austria e Ungheria dopo la Grande guerra (1918-1921)

Abstract

The article wishes to focus on the role of Italy after the First World War about the punishment of Austro-Hungarian criminals of war. During the war, Italian propaganda did not insist on that theme, even if the Allies wished to punish all German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman authors of «atrocities». Only at the end of war, Italian government had to adapt to allied will. It created a commission, which had to estimate war damages caused in Veneto occupation (1917-18) and to investigate individual responsibilities for war criminals. At peace’s negotiations, Italy was very skeptical about legal punishment of former Kaiser and German criminals, but it insisted on Austro-Hungarian punishment in order to assure its diplomatic position. After signing of peace treaties, however, Italian government did not do anything to punish Austrian and Hungarian war criminals, but it made politicy of oblivion in order to establish a new peacetime order in Balkans.