in
Rome (1920) Italy entered the
First World War in 1915 with the aim of completing national unity by annexing the "
irredent lands" of
Trento and
Trieste: for this reason, the Italian intervention in the First World War is also considered the
Fourth Italian War of Independence, in a historiographical perspective that identifies in the latter the conclusion of the
unification of Italy, whose military actions began during the
revolutions of 1848 with the
First Italian War of Independence. Tha Armistice (4 November 1918) and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 (followed by the treaties of
Saint-Germain-en-Laye and
Rapallo) allowed the annexation of Trento and Trieste and thus completed national unification; in addition, Italy also annexed
South Tyrol, the
Julian March,
Istria,
Kvarner as well as the
Dalmatian city of
Zara; the subsequent
Treaty of Rome (1924) led to the annexation of the city of
Fiume to Italy. Established in 1919, 4 November is the only Italian national holiday which has gone through decades of
Italian history: from the
liberal period to
fascist and
republican Italy. In 1921, during the National Unity and Armed Forces Day, the
Italian Unknown Soldier (
Milite Ignoto) was solemnly buried at the
Altare della Patria in
Rome. (1932) In 1922, shortly after the
march on Rome, the holiday changed its name to
Anniversario della Vittoria (Victory Anniversary) to emphasize Italian military power, while after the end of
World War II, in 1949, the original meaning was restored, becoming the celebration of Italian armed forces and the achievement of Italian Unity. With the
birth of the Italian Republic in 1946, the
national anthem was changed: the
Marcia Reale was replaced by
Il Canto degli Italiani, which was officially played for the first time as the Italian national anthem on the occasion of the National Unity and Armed Forces Day on 4 November 1946. 4 November was a
holiday until 1976. == Celebration ==