Exiled To A Foreign Land: How Lasting International Friendships Were Forged During World War I
The Ledro Valley population was forced to evacuate their towns and villages on the eve of Italy declaring war on Austria-Hungary, in May 1915. They resettled into the Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia, and the bond they built with the Czechs during these hard times is still very much alive.
The story of the exile of the Ledro Valley people to Bohemia and Moravia during World War I is not known as it deserves to be, perhaps because popular attention tends to focus more on the other huge conflict, World War II. And yet, this is an exemplary tale of integration, friendship, and acceptance under very difficult circumstances. I find it very important to rediscover today these events, whose protagonists belong to two EU member states. The Union itself, in my opinion, should actively work to rediscover and popularize stories and tales like this one.
Austria-Hungary decided to evacuate the Ledro Valley on the eve of the declaration of war by the Kingdom of Italy in May 1915. The Valley was in the border area, and the evacuation was meant to protect civilians while ensuring greater freedom of movement…
