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At the beginning of World War I, Italy declared to be neutral in the conflict. The United States and its allies tried to get Italy involved on their side by promising the Italian leaders parts of other countries in case of a victory. Italy agreed, and after the end of World War I, Italy received South Tyrol as a "gift". In the aftermath of World War I South Tyrol was occupied by Italy, and subsequently annexed, adding an area of 14,037 km² (5,420 mi²) to Italy. The areas around Trento formed Italian-speaking Trentino. In the north the valleys around Bozen/Bolzano were inhabited by ethnic Germans and Ladins. (Today Ladin is the third official language of South Tyrol, alongside German and Italian.)
After the rise of Fascism in 1922 a policy of Italianisation was implemented ruthlessly. All places, up to the tiniest hamlet, were given Italian names, and even some family names were translated. The process intensified in the 1930s, when the government of Benito Mussolinifascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini ( July 29, 1883 April 28, 1945) ruled Italy as a dictator from 1922 to 1943. He created a fascis encouraged thousands of southern Italians to relocate to the region.
With the Treaty of Gruber-De GasperiThe Treaty of Gruber-De Gasperi named after the foreign ministers of Italy ( Alcide De Gasperi) and Austria ( Karl Gruber), of September 1946, gave South Tyrol to Italy but ensured its autonomy. (1946) the German-speaking people were granted special rights. These were further extended in the 1970sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Years: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Events and trends.
The late 1950sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Years: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. and expecially 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around see the rise of anti-Italian terrorism. In 1945Events January January 5 The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of the Bulge. January 12 World War II: the Schützen, created by Andreas HoferAndreas Hofer ( November 22, 1767 February 20 1810) was a Tyrolean innkeeper and patriot and leader of rebellion against Napoleon's forces. Andreas Hofer was born 1767 in St. Leonhard, Tyrol. His father was an innkeeper of Sandwirt inn and Andreas followe as the response to the 1796 invasion of Tyrol by Franco-Bavarian troops, and then disbanded after World War I, were reformed ( 1945) in North Tyrol , and in 1946 the first company of South Tyrolian Schützen appeared. Leader of the Schützen in the 1960s was Jörg Klotz , deeply involved in the terrorist strategy.
Terrorists carried out 361 attacks with explosives, guns and land mines, between 1956 and 1988. Acts were mainly against structures, so human casualties were very few considered the time span involved. However there were 21 human casualties, among which 4 terrorists who were slain by their own explosive devices. The wounded accounted to 57. The pressure of terrorism caused Italian central government to consider a special autonomy for the region.
Today South Tyrol (i.e. the Province of Bozen-Südtirol or Bolzano-Alto Adige) enjoys a high degree of autonomy, and relations with North and East Tyrol - the two portions of the old state retained by Austria - are lively, especially since Austria joined the European Union. There is a South Tyrolean People's Party, or Südtiroler Volkspartei, that is steadily in power since its founding in 1945. Places still have two (German/Italian) or even three (Ladin/German/Italian) versions.
According to the 2001 census more than two third of the population is German speaking (69.4%); the second most used language is Italian (26.3%), followed by Ladin (4.3%).