Istria annexation decision and historical context

In September 1943, during the Second World War, the Provincial National Liberation Committee (NOO) for Istria made a historic decision in Pazin to annex Istria, Rijeka, Zadar, and other occupied territories to Croatia. This decision was subsequently confirmed by ZAVNOH on September 20, 1943, under the leadership of Vladimir Nazor.

The movement followed the capitulation of Italy on September 8, 1943, which triggered a general uprising in Istria. Resistance forces, supported by messages from Josip Broz Tito, worked to liberate the peninsula from Italian and German occupation. The struggle was characterized by the mobilization of approximately 10,000 Istrians and the disarmament of thousands of Italian soldiers.

The historical context of this period is deeply intertwined with the literary work of Vladimir Nazor. Having lived in Istria for fifteen years starting in 1903, Nazor frequently used themes of Istrian liberation and national identity in his poetry, such as in his collections ‘Krvava košulja’ and ‘Istarski gradovi’, reflecting the complex ethnic and political tensions of the region.