Description:

(1883 - 1945) Italian dictator whose fascist supporters marched on Rome, securing him power; allied with Hitler, after many military and political setbacks he was captured and executed at war's end by partisans. Superb content war-date T.L.S. with holograph date and subscription on 'Il Duce del Fascismo' letterhead, 4pp. legal folio, Rome, June 30, 1941, to ANTE PAVELIC (1889-1959) Croatian dictator, founder of the fascist regime 'Ustase' which governed the Independent State of Croatia from 1941-1945 with the military and financial assistance of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. A historic letter displaying Mussolini's strong-arm tactics in forcing Pavelic to accept Italian demands for land concessions following the dismembering of Yugoslavia. In part: '...As always there is in me the most vivid desire to satisfy your requests with that spirit of friendship and broad understanding with which I have met the aspirations of the Croatian people to be reintegrated into their historical rights...I do not deny however that some of the questions you raised to me...raise serious difficulties...The border with Montenegro...you have indicated...would involve serious and painful mutilations for the populations...You know what ties bind Italy to Montenegro...it in addressing the assistance of Fascist Italy, asked that her rights be protected...Italy cannot fail to meet these expectations...When the arrangement to be given to the territories that were part of the former Yugoslav state was dealt with in Vienna between minsters Ciano and Ribbentrop the border lines...were agreed between Italy and Germany...taking into account...the historical rights of the populations concerned...the border of the Drina is undoubtedly from the point of geographic view, clearer, and as such would best avoid misunderstandings and incidents between populations...it will be necessary to exercise peace and moderation...It is a question of ensuring on solid foundations the territorial and political structure of this part of Europe that overlooks the Adriatic and which for centuries has been the scene of bloody struggles between races...I believe that the ethnic criterion must have absolute precedence over the religious one if a constructive and lasting work is to be carried out...In my desire to eliminate any question that could give rise to friction between our two countries I have arranged for the drafting of the Convention...limited to the strictly administrative sphere as indicated in the border treaty of May 18....I absolutely agree with you that it is necessary to eliminate all the aforementioned issues as soon as possible and thus clear the ground of all misunderstandings..' With the original envelope (hand-delivered). Minor paper loss at upper-right corner, else very good. On May 18, 1941, Pavelic met with Mussolini and signed the Treaty of Rome which defined the border between Italy and Croatia and required Croatia to cede large amounts of mainly coastal lands to Italy in order to become 'independent'. In reality, Pavelic had signed a widely-hated pact that made his country a protectorate of Italy. Pavelic tried to retrieve some areas that were lost, which is likely prompted this response from Mussolini, but his effort proved unsuccessful. From a vast collection of historical documents compiled by a Croatian historian.

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May 22, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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