Italian Irredentism and French Patriotism in the Côte d’Azur

This chapter focuses on Italian irredentist groups in the French Riviera and how they lobbied on both sides of the border as part of their campaign for the incorporation of the County of Nice into the new Fascist regime. To further undermine the French state in preparation for a possible annexation of the French Riviera at the end of World War II, and in spite of the aristocratic disdain they harbored for the local Italian immigrants, officials of the Commissione di Armistizio con la Francia (CIAF) attempted to fully mobilize local Fascist militants. In spite of being united by a common goal, however, CIAF officials despised the irredentists. This chapter examines how the mobilization of local irredentists in the Côte d’Azur turned out to be a double-edged sword. It also considers how French nationalism in the region was stirred by Italian irredentism. Finally, it discusses the disputes between Italian representatives in France and the local population, not only in the Alpes-Maritimes but in other parts of the country.