Province of Cattaro
The Province of Cattaro (in Italian: Provincia di Cattaro) was a province of the Italian Governorate of Dalmatia, created in May 1941 during World War II (by the Regio Decreto Legge del 18 maggio 1941 n. 452[1]). It lasted until September 1943.
History
In April 1941 the Italians conquered coastal Dalmatia from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. They created some provinces in that region, that lasted until September 1943. One was the province of Cattaro. The administrative capital was the city of Cattaro (now Kotor).[2]
The province (subdivided in 15 "Comuni") had an area of 547 Km2 and a population of 39,800 inhabitants. Most of the province's inhabitants were Montenegrins, Croats and Serbs, but there were even 300 Dalmatian Italians, concentrated in Cattaro and Perasto (now Perast).
The Italians improved the region by building hospitals and infrastructures, but even started a process of Italianization. Because of this, in summer 1942 there was a small insurrection against the Italian conquest, but without huge consequences until summer 1943.
In September 1943 the German army took control of the region from the Italians, who has surrendered to the Allies, and soon started a terrible guerrilla war between the Nazi occupiers and Joseph Broz Tito's partisans. The province was abolished in the same September.
Administrative subdivision
The 15 "Comuni" were (in Italian the official name and in Montenegrin the actual):
- Cattaro / Kotor
- Cartolle / Krtole
- Castelnuovo di Cattaro / Herceg Novi
- Dobroto / Dobrota
- Gruda / Gruda
- Lastua Inferiore / Donja Lastva
- Lustizza / Luštica
- Mulla / Muo
- Perasto / Perast
- Perzagno / Prčanj
- Risano / Risan
- Stolivo Inferiore / Donji Stoliv
- Sutorina / Sutorina
- Teodo / Tivat
- Zuppa / Grbali
See also
- Governatorate of Dalmatia
- Province of Spalato
- Province of Zara
Notes
Bibliography
- Rodogno, Davide. Il nuovo ordine mediterraneo, ed. Bollati Boringhieri, Turin, 2003