SITUATION IN VENEZIA GIULIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R000300760004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 11, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 1, 1946
• Content Type: IR

Document No. QO_ -
NO C H W A N IS eleas 11999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R00030076000
^ DECLASSIFIED
Class. CHAiii'.==D .J TS S
Auths
DDA1~'.v_:s, 4Apr77
DDDk R~L ` 77; 763
Date:
By'
25X1A2g
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
COUNTRY Yugoslavia/Ital y
SUBJECT Situation in Venezia ,iia
25X1A6a
ORIGIN
25X1X6
DATE: 25X1 X6
DISI. M
PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT
I., The main phenomena to be observed in the- political situation of Venezia
Giulia during the month of December 1946, were the fo' ll.owing:
(a) Furthor growth of UAIS (Unions Antifascista Italo-Slovenia - Italo-
Slovene Antifascist Union),.
(b; Groundwork preparations for the election of the first
parliamentary body in the Free State of Trieste..
(c) Advance formation of an "anti-governor opposition blocs
W' Intensified and vehement propaganda activities against the
Angloa-Americanse
(e) Fear of the future. spread among nom.Communist elements
of the population,
2G Ths Co rnncnists have put forth strenuous efforts to enlist the maxim m,
number of people in DAIS membership. To this Lind they have mobilised all
-Available resources and engaged every existing., romaunist_affYliated
organization. Sete ted functionaries are calling upon all .adult family
members to Join the [PAlS. According to Communist Party directives, any
individual rejecting such an "invitation" should be warned that he may
be liable to denunciation as a 'Fascist". 'Further; the directives. stress
that everyone is eligible or UAIS membership regard esa of pat
activities or convictions. iris are being offered b those funo-
tionaries who turns in the best results in the De r-January enlist moat
drive.
The Communists . have already embarked upon activities which, in their
opinion, will result in their victory at the first elections for the Trieste
Assembly., For this purpose, they have ordered some of their men and women
leaders to Opatija to attend special three-month political courses. The
Communists plan to form within the boundaries of the, Free State of Trieste a
"Popular Front" which would assemble under it all Yugoslavs and Italians
of Communist creed and orientation. Intensive propaganda is being carried
on in the press and at secret meetings aimed at forming a united Ndeaaocration
fronts which is-to oppose and combat the "Faacists'N and the "Angle--scan
occupiers and colonisers". So-called Communist "activists* have received
strict .orders from the Croatian Comm am sat Party and the Slovenian Coanuiist
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 Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000300760004-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
25X1A2g
Party to "develop the political consciousness of the masses"; i.e.
to instruct them in politics and to condition them for the forthcoming .
elections. An assortment of slogans has been prepared for use in
conducting this "educational" campaigns
4. Three months ago a systematic defamation and discrediting campaign
directed against the future Governor of the Free State was set in motion
by the Communists and has since been persistently maintained. The
Governor, who is to be nominated by the Security Council of the United
rations, is already being branded and attacked as one wtic will be
representative of Anglo-American Imperialism. Bath Allied powers
are being accused of conspiring to convert the Free State into their
"colony" to serve as a base-in their struggle against "progressive
democracy".
Dr. Toncich, Dr. Ivan Ghok and Dr. Besednjak are being definitelly,
mentioned as prospective Yugoslav meubers of the interim government,
None of these is a Coanaunist., yet all three support the present
Communist regime in Yugoslavia.
6. During December the Communists continued with undiminished vigor
their anti-Allied campaign in the daily press, at public and secret
meetings, and in their circular letters. The Allies ale branded as
"capitalists", "imperialists", "colonizers"! "dens- of reaction",,
"oppressors of small nation"s,ettc. At secret Communist meetings it
has been stated that "the masses" suffer from fatigue caused by
their ceaseless struggle against the Anglo-A ricansm Opposition
tb the iea is being gradually shifted mainly to social and economic
Erounds,'where it may be expected to score a series of relatively easy
successes because-of the series' economic situation prevailing in
Trieste and the general discontent caused by the acute shortage of fuel,
electric current, gas, the scarcity and irregularity of the water supply
and the extremely high liting costs. In this respect, the present
situation, two years after the end of hostilities, is far more serious than
that which existed during the ware
To
The first month of the new year in Venezia Giulia is marked by universal
fear of the future. The Slovenes.and Croats who do not share the
Communist ideology and oppose the present regime'in Yugoslavia are
considerably alarmed. Equally frightened are the Italians. The
Cernmunists, employing their familiar tactics, do their best to spread
the general feeling of fear, personal insecurity,, and psychological terror.
The people are terrified by the ever-present danger of abduction (seventeen
individual cases of kidnapping have thus far been reported) and by the -
ill-famed "black automobile" which circulates in and around Trieste
after darks, kidnapping adversaries of the Communists.
The terns of the settlement of the Trieste problem, particularly the
clause whereby 5,O0O Yugoslav soldiers will participate in the Allied
occupation force, have brought about considerable discontent among
the Yugoslav nationalists, to say nothing of the Italians, It is
generally asserted that it is futile and illusory to talk about free
life in the New Free State with the Communist elite present in the
territory. It is predicted that free electicns in Trieste will be
Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000300760004-5
 Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000300760004-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
25X1A2g
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similar, if not identical, to present Yugoslav election because
Communist intimidation tactics and methods have already produced
widespread fears determining the general mood of the population,
and such fears are likely to increase. Much speculation goes on
as to why the British and Americans have agreed to parity with
Yugoslavia in the nu---ber of occupation troops. Widely held is the
surmise that the agreement represents an atte:.ipt to avoid armed
resistance which the Yugoslavs might put up if they were ordered
to withdraw from that part of Zone "B" which is to be incorporated
into the Free State under the latest settlement. The presence of the
Yugoslav troops may be counted upon to render the solution of the
whole Trieste problem more co:tplex and unpleasant.
9. Following the settlement reached in New York, the "People's
Authorities" tightened the press control. Numerous persons were
also deprived of their legal passes 1:hich permitted them to cross
into Zone "A". Religious songs and traditional Christmas celebrations
were banned in the schools. Searches of private houses and dwellings
were carried cut, followed by sequestration of money.when and if
discovered in excessive amounts. Numerous shops. and other enterprises
are reported to have been taken away from their legal owners and
transferred to state ovmership and administration.
10, The comnranists have been making speedy preparations for their future
subversive underground activities in Trieste,.which should enable them
at a later stage to bring the situation under their total control,
thereby paralyzing such pf the Governor's actions as shall be determined
unfavorable to the Communist cause. The special three-month political
courses in Cpatija and Postojan attended by the Communist leaders were
directed toward this purpose. Communists are being planted in the
Venezia Giulia Police force and in other agencies where they falsely
represent themselves as being fervent and loyal nationalists or as
being outside of any political party and ideology. All servants
chambermaids, doorkeepers, porters, etc. have been engaged by the
Communists and organized to carry out espionage work; post and telegraph
employees, communal registry office personnel, as well as other employees
of city agencies and offices have secretly been organized to communicate
and supply information demanded by the Communists.
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