ABSTRACT
Ettore Tolomei was the most extreme Italian nationalist. Taking possession of South Tyrol once and for all and Italianizing it were Tolomei's two most important concerns, and he made their realization—using practically any and all means possible—his life's work. Tolomei worked as a journalist for the magazines Giornaletto and Minerva before founding the Archivio per VAlto Adige. In 1904, he also climbed the Glockenkarkopf in the Ahrntal Alps - declaring his effort a first ascent, although Fritz Kogel had already accomplished that feat in 1895. Tolomei dubbed the peak "Vettad Ttalia," a choice of names consistent with the "natural boundary theory" and endowing the region with the superficial appearance of Italianness. The instrument in this struggle would be the Archivio, which premiered in August 1906 in Glen bei Neumarkt. For Tolomei, the occupation of South Tyrol by Italian troops after the ceasefire of 3 November 1918 was a decisive step on the path to "retaking" South Tyrol.
