Italy, Greece, Entente and Problem of Dodecanese Islands in Diplomatic Struggle of 1915-1923

Abstract

The history of Italy’s diplomatic struggle for recognition of Italian control over the Dodecanese Islands during the period of Italy’s participation in the World War I and in the period of post-war settlement of territorial problems at the Paris and Lausanne peace conferences is considered. The article proves that during the World War I and during the post-war peace conferences Italy, referring to the articles of the London Treaty of 1915, sought international recognition of its possession of the Dodecanese Islands. It is reported that Greece, which also participated in the war on the Entente side, sought to establish its own control over the Islands of the archipelago. It is noted that in the current situation, Italy had undoubted advantages over Greece, primarily because the Islands were really under Italian control. It is shown that the discussion of the issue was seriously affected by the defeat of Greece in the war of 1919-1922 with Turkey, after which Greece could no longer be a real rival of Italy in the struggle for the Dodecanese Islands. It is reported that the outcome of the Lausanne peace conference in 1923 was the legal recognition of the Islands as the possession of Italy, with which both Turkey and Greece were forced to reconcile.