Italy's Colonial Past Trivia Quiz

Answer: The purchase of Assab, Eritrea

A privately owned commercial society named Rubattino purchased Assab, Eritrea, and a nearby strip of land in 1869. The purchase was organised by a missionary named Giuseppe Sapetto at the behest of the Italian government, who wanted to have a port on the Red Sea.

In 1882 Assab was declared an Italian colony. Italy lost control of the region during the Second World War and ceded any claim to the area in 1947.

Answer: China

Britain and France were the first two countries to be granted concessions in the city of Tianjin in northern China. The purpose was to facilitate trade as Tianjin was located on the Bohal Sea. Further concessions, which were basically designated areas of the city, were granted to Germany, USA, Russia and Japan, among others, with Italy's dating from 1902.

Italy extended its region by claiming the concession previously held by Austria. China gradually reclaimed the concessions with Italy's (and Britain's) among the last to come to an end, in 1943. Japan was the only foreign power left, but that ended in 1945.

Answer: Libya

Tripolitania and Cirenaica (both regions of present-day Libya) were occupied in 1911 by Italian troops as a result of the war against Turkey, and annexed to the Italian Kingdom in the same year. Tripolitania was, for decades, the largest and closest Italian colony, and Tripoli the largest Italian colonial city.

The region became another area lost to Italy following World War II, with Libya becoming an independent country in 1951. Knowing that Tripoli is the capital city of Libya might have helped you narrow the options down.

Answer: The Dodecanese

During the the war against Turkey (1911-1912), in order to cut communications and war smuggling activities between Turkey and Libya, Italy occupied the islands of the Dodecanese (present-day Greece). Full Italian sovereignty was granted by France and Britain in 1915. Turkey gave up every claim on the islands after WW1, as a result of the Treaty of Sevres (1920).

Italy still controlled the Dodecanese during World War II, but the islands were invaded by Italy's former allies, Germany, in 1943 (Italy having surrendered by then). Following the end of the war in 1945, the islands became a British protectorate before being officially united with Greece under the 1947 Treaty of Peace with Italy.

Answer: Sazan (Saseno)

The Island of Saseno (Italian name) had no civilian inhabitants, neither Italians nor Albanians. On Sazan, a few miles from the Albanian town of Valona (Vlore), the Italian government built fortifications, roads and warehouses, but never a permanent settlement.

The island's main benefit was its location, which allowed Italy to control the Strait of Otranto. Sazan was returned to Albania in 1947 and remains uninhabited as an official military exclusion zone in the twenty-first century.

Answer: Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is in north-eastern Africa and is also known as the Somali Peninsula. It borders the southern part of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Apart from one region located on the Mediterranean Sea, all of Italy's colonies were situated here, some for longer than others. Other European countries with possessions in the region were Great Britain (Kenya and Uganda) and France.

Answer: Djibouti

Eritrea (annexed in 1890), Ethiopia (1936) and Somalia (1905) formed the so-called Italian Oriental Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana), or A.O.I.: Although nearby, Djibouti was actually colonised by the French.

Italian East Africa was short-lived, as Italy lost control of the region to British forces in 1941 during World War II. After the war Ethiopia became independent while Eritrea and Somalia remained under British control. In 1950, Somalia became Somaliland under Italian administration, becoming independent in 1960. Eritrea became part of Ethiopia, eventually regaining full independence in 1993 after a long and bitter war.

Answer: Zog I

Albania and Italy are neighbours separated by the Adriatic Sea. During World War I, Italy had fought against Germany and alongside Britain and France and believed that the country would be given control over Albania. Although Italy temporarily colonised its southern areas, by 1920 they withdrew, creating much resentment on Italy's part.

World War II gave Mussolini the opportunity he needed and Italy invaded Albania, with King Zog I fleeing to Greece. Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III became King of both countries. When Italy surrendered, Germany took control instead with Italy's rule lasting only until 1943. Albania regained control of its own land in 1946, but as a communist state heavily dependent on the USSR.

Answer: Zadar (Zara)

Like Albania, Dalmatia (part of Croatia in the twenty-first century) is on the opposite side of the Adriatic Sea to Italy. The Treaty of London (1915) had induced Italy to take part in World War I and promised the country that the parts of Dalmatia which had previously been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be ceded to it.

In 1918, Italy seized control of Zadar, renaming it the Province of Zara. The region, which included areas around the city and some islands in the Adriatic, remained under Italian control as a province, officially until 1947. Most Italians left the area, which became part of Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija) until that country broke up into its constituent countries in the 1990s.

Answer: Switzerland

Campione d'Italia is situated on Lake Lugano and is treated as being part of the province of Como, in Lombardy. Geographically, though, it is wholly in the canton of Ticino, the southernmost of Switzerland. Originally known just as Campione, the d'Italia part was added by Mussolini to make it clear which country it belonged to. The town is under a mile from Italy, but this is guarded by mountains and to get from Campione to Italy's nearest town means a road trip of nine miles or fourteen kilometres.

France and Slovenia also border Italy, but have no Italian exclaves while San Marino is a enclave, being an independent country surrounded by another, in this case Italy itself.