Conquest and colonization Italian Tripolitania and
Italian Cyrenaica were formed in 1911, during the conquest of
Ottoman Tripolitania in the
Italo-Turkish War. Despite a major revolt by the Arabs, the Ottoman sultan ceded Libya to the Italians by signing the
1912 Treaty of Lausanne. The Italians made extensive use of the
Savari, colonial cavalry troops raised in December 1912. These units were recruited from the Arab-Berber population of Libya following the initial Italian occupation in 1911–12. The Savari, like the
Spahi or mounted Libyan police, formed part of the
Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali della Libia (Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops). The memoirs of
Francesco Crispi states the discussion of Tripoli during the
Congress of Berlin. The discussion was halted as it was not a priority, however Italy's attention in the congress was focused on Tripoli. Their expansion into Tripoli, which they believed was their right, was reluctantly accepted by other European Powers. Several reorganizations of the colonial authority had been made necessary because of armed Arab opposition, mainly in Cyrenaica. Between 1919 (17 May) to 1929 (24 January), the Italian government maintained the two traditional provinces, with separate colonial administrations. A system of controlled local assemblies with limited local authority was set up, but was revoked on 9 March 1927. In 1929, Tripoli and Cyrenaica were united as one colonial province. From 1931 to 1932, Italian forces under
General Badoglio waged a
punitive pacification campaign. Badoglio's successor in the field,
General Rodolfo Graziani, accepted the commission from Mussolini on the condition that he was allowed to crush
Libyan resistance unencumbered by the restraints of either Italian or
international law. Mussolini reportedly agreed immediately and Graziani intensified the oppression. Some
Libyans continued to defend themselves, with the strongest voices of dissent coming from the Cyrenaica. Beginning in the first days of Italian colonization,
Omar Mukhtar, a Senussi
sheikh, organized and, for nearly twenty years, led
Libyan resistance efforts. His example continued to inspire resistance even after his capture and execution on 16 September 1931. His face is currently printed on the Libyan ten dinar note in memory and recognition of his patriotism. By 1934, Libyan indigenous resistance was effectively crushed. The new Italian governor
Italo Balbo created the political entity called
Italian Libya in the summer of that year. The classical name "Libya" was revived as the official name of the unified colony. Then in 1937 the colony was split administratively into four provinces:
Tripoli,
Misrata,
Benghazi, and
Derna. The Fezzan area was called
Territorio Sahara Libico and administered militarily."
Resistance The
Italian Fascist Party came to power in 1922, it was agreed that fraternising with local Libyan Leaders was a failure of the previous colonial practice. Instead, the fascists opted for to 'pacify' the local population. However, Graziani saw
Cyrenaica as a problem due to the united force of Cyrenaican tribesmen and merchants. The resistance came to a stop with
Umar Al-Mukhtar's capture on the 11th of September 1931, his trial ran personally by
General Rodolfo Graziani.Within five days the trial ended with the public hanging of the Al-Mukhtar, Concluding the era of organised resistance.
Unification with Cyrenaica , January 1934 Italian Tripolitania and
Italian Cyrenaica were formed in 1911, during the conquest of
Ottoman Tripolitania in the
Italo-Turkish War. In 1934, Italian Tripolitania became part of
Italian Libya. In December 1934, certain rights were guaranteed to autochthonous
Libyans (later called by
Benito Mussolini "Moslem Italians") including individual freedom, inviolability of home and property, the right to join the military or civil administrations, and the right to freely pursue a career or employment. In 1937, northern Tripolitania was split into
Tripoli Province and
Misrata Province. In 1939 Tripolitania was included in the
4th Shore of the Kingdom of Italy. In early 1943 the region was invaded and occupied by the
Allies; this was the end of the Italian colonial presence. Italy tried unsuccessfully to maintain the colony of Tripolitania after
World War II, but in February 1947 relinquished all Italian colonies in a Peace Treaty.
Legacy The legacy of the unification of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica by the Italians in 1934 and their treatment of these regions throughout their fascist rule has been tied to the regionalism and conflict present in Libya today. The Italian colonial administration prioritised the economy and infrastructure in Tripolitania compared to Cyrenaica.
Gaddafi continued this legacy of prioritising Tripolitania when important economic businesses were moved from Cyrenaica to Tripolitania, negatively impacting the region's economy, and when he removed significant leaders from the region from power. The legacy of Italian colonisation has led to significant anti-western sentiments across Tripolitania and all of Libya which, some scholars argue, were crucial for Gaddafi's legitimacy. According to Visconti, the extent of the Italian public's understanding of colonisation in Tripolitania and the rest of Libya is either nothing at all, or that they "made the desert bloom" with their various infrastructure projects. ==Colonial administration==