ABSTRACT
Autumn 1944 was the key moment in wartime relations between Italian and Yugoslav Communists. One argument is that if an evolution in Slovene Communist positions on territorial questions can be seen, the shift to explicit concern with acquisition of territory came in November 1942. Yugoslav claims were couched in traditional nationalist terms, and the language and arguments of Communist leaders were perfectly consonant with those of Smodlaka and Zwitter. From an extensive reading of the documents it does seem fair to state that the Slovene Communists tended to adopt territorial demands similar to those of interwar nationalists earlier than did the party at the national level. The fate of the Venezia Giulia was the topic of extensive discussion, and, not surprisingly, relations between Communists and nationalists proved difficult. The differences in how Italian and Yugoslav Communists addressed the national question became evident in the late summer and early autumn of 1943, especially following the Italian armistice of September 8.
