RUPNIKOVA LINIJA
(The Rupnik Line)
and
VALLO ALPINO
The easter part of the renown Italian fortification system of 1930'
and the contemporary reply by then Kingdom of Yugoslavia,
both systems now located in Slovenia and Croatia.
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"VALLO" DATA
"RUPNIK LINE" DATA
PHOTOS
Vallo Alpino of Rijeka by Vladimir Tonic
For presentation of individual forts have a look at the
Fortifications section of the main
Ars-Cartae index.
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Two mighty fortification lines, eastern part of "Vallo Alpino" also reffered to as "Vallo Littorio" or "Vallo Alpino del Littorio", built by the Kingdom of Italy, and "Rupnik line", built by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, are traversing Slovenian territory and descending to the Croatian port of Rijeka, known once also as Fiume. Their bunkers and casemates are hidden in the woods, overgrown and some even blown up. Locals know them, but they know surprisingly little of their origin. Almost no Slovenian literature about them can be found. Untill now they were virtually forgotten. As was the border line they guarded, called the "Rapallo Border". Why? Because for the people still remembering thirties and forties of the XX. century, they were mainly a reminder of years of Fascist oppression and devastating second world war.
But now, when more than half a century has lapsed, we can probably allow ourself to let go the passions surrounding both defensive lines at the time and observe them for what they are: one of the lager European fortification systems from the period between the two world wars. |
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WHAT EXACTLY IS "VALLO ALPINO"? That's how Luciano Marcon, the author of the Vallo Alpino site describes the origin of the name: "I can only say that "Vallo Alpino" and "Vallo Littorio " or "Vallo alpino del Littorio " are exactly the same thing. "Vallo Alpino" was the denomination used in all the official documents of the Italian Army, the other two were used only by the press and by the soldiers." At first I used term "Vallo Littorio" to denote the eastern part of the Italian defence line, built between 1932 and 1938 from French to Yugoslav border. That sector begun north-west of Pontebba, facing Austria and than continued along the Rapallo Border with Yugoslavia, across the present day Republic of Slovenia to the port of Rijeka (Fiume, Reka), now in Croatia. But after publishing the first data about "Vallo" in the local press I was kindly let to know that term "Littorio" didn't derive from "litorale", as I assumed, but was supposedly referring to the Fascist Warriors. So I decided to stick with the official military term "Vallo Alpino". WHAT EXACTLY IS "RUPNIK LINE"?
Situation in Europe persuaded Yugoslavia to start building modern fortifications and most of this activity was carried on between 1937 and 1939. According to Joe Kaufmann, the author of the book "Fortress Europe" and web site Site 0and "Rupnik line" entry in Slovenian Encyclopedia (Enciklopedija Slovenije, Z. Markovic) what is presently known as "Rupnik line" were officially following sectors of the Yugoslav defences called initially by Yugoslav military "The Western Front":
Avaliable data on the eastern part of "Vallo Littorio "
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THE GHOSTS OF THE PAST In 1998 some of the Rapallo border stones were repaired. The media went into frenzy asking: "Who wants back Rapallo?". So modest and simple effort of a local historian and some forestry workers to preserve some material remains of a certain historical period almost caused a diplomatic affair.
What is so problematic about Rapallo Border? Two years after Italy took over the mentioned territories fascists burnt down Slovenian "Narodni dom" in Triest (Trieste, Trst) - the seat of many Slovenian organisations and the main local Slovenian bank. The event heralded a prolonged period of harsh national oppression. People were forced to change or Italianise their names and the use of Slovenian language was made punishable by the law. For some memories of those times are still alive and painful. And with some serious Italian textbooks still relating to the present day border as the "demarcation line" this may even not be so surprising. So, justly or not, the fear of the repetition is sometimes easy to recall.
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WHY THEY WERE FORGOTTEN? The Rapallo Border was established in 1918, confirmed with the Treaty of Rapallo in 1920, stopped functioning as a border in 1943 and was formally cancelled in 1947. But until in 1955 the relations between the two nations were finally stabilised, the fear that fortifications could be used again caused that many of Vallo fortifications were blown up. The recent research carried out by Vladimir Tonic of Rijeka (Fiume, Reka) has also shown that another strong reason for dismantling those forts was the lack of iron in post-war Yugoslavia. In some cases thou this was simply a symbolic act of revenge for the years of fascist oppression. Or even just a sort of vandalism. But as Italy couldn't really find many reason for pride in this segment of Vallo Alpino , so couldn't Yugoslavia and later Slovenia in Rupnik line. For it too was a rather misfortunate affair. Built in late thirties it failed to check the aggression in April 1941. In fact hardly any shot was fired in anger from the posts that mainly stood unfinished. After the break-up of Yugoslavia Slovenian territory was split between Germany and Italy. In their zone Germans left the fortifications of the Rupnik line intact. But Italy was enduring a chronical shortage of iron (and maybe they were even fearing a possible trouble with Germans?) so in their zone Italians blew up almost all the surface structures of the Rupnik line, using it as an iron mine. Thus many visible evidences of the existence of this extensieve line disappeared under the grass and foliage. Since the resistance movement against German and Italian occupation (called partisans) was mostly led by communists, the chief architect of this defence line, Yugoslav general of Slovenian origin Leon Rupnik decided to collaborate with Germans in suppressing it. At the end of the war he joined retreating Germans and fled to Austria. But the British forces handed him back to Yugoslavia where he was tried for treason and shot. The stain remained on both the man and his work and in the ideologically strained atmosphere after the war it was by far the best not to speak about either. Because of all this both lines soon faded out of the collective memory.
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| And there is a third story to this fortifications as well. In 1943 and 1944, fearing an Allied invasion on the Balkan peninsula, Germans rebuilt parts of both lines, transforming them into the "Ingridstellung" or Ingrid line. When in 1945 Yugoslav forces advanced from Dalmatia, they were blocked by this line. In the "Battle for Rijeka" Yugoslav army broke it at a cost of a great number of lives lost on both sides. The locals used to say that in May 1945 one could walk from Rijeka to nearby Ilirska Bistrica stepping from body to body without once touching the ground. Surely this story is exaggerated, but it does illustrate well the ferocity of the battle. |
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THE FUTURE? The history of these forts may indeed not be a cheerful one, but let's hope that after half a century we can indeed take them for their face value and observe them mainly as achievements of the fortifications building. In 1999 I was invited to draw the pictorial map for the town of Ziri. This was a part of an attempt to give a boast to the local tourism. However, coming across the forts of Zirovski vrh was a perfect surprise. In an area that is very beautiful, yet lacks such explicit attractions that are otherwise dotting Slovenia, it soon became clear that fortifications of "Rupnik Line" and "Vallo Alpino" represent a notable value. So I believe that the appreciation of these forts is to undergo certain transformation and that they are well positioned to become a significant attraction for tourists and an asset for the local communities.
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RELEVANT LINKS
Vallo Alpino
- an excellent site about the Vallo by Luciano Marcon,
mostly coevering sections along the Swiss and French border.
Vallo Alpino
- A site by Alessandro Giudici, covering section of Vallo Alpino
along the former Yugoslav border, now in Slovenia and Croatia.
Rijeka Bunkers
A collection of photos of Vallo Alpino fortifications around the port of Rijeka
(Reka, Fiume), Croatia.
Site 0
- fortifications discussion type site by Joe Kaufmann, the author of the book
"Fortress Europe".
Le Fortificazioni Militari
- highly comprehensive site about fortifications in Northern Italy with stress on
pre WW1 forts, compiled by Giorgio Trevisan
Fortifications Links List
- arguably the most comprehensive list of links regarding fortifications
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