Symbolic figures shown guarding a mountain range

South Tyrol was, before the First World War, a province of Austria lying within the Alps between Bavaria and Italy, which was ceded to Italy in 1919. Both Hitler and Mussolini had designs on it. When Hitler was in prison in 1924, following the failure of the Munich putsch, Goering attempted to borrow 2 million lire from Mussolini to help Hitlers case. In return Goering offered the public support of the Nazi Party for Mussolinis claim on the Tyrol. Nothing came of the offer. The pressure from neighbours led to the formation of private Tirolese political armies for self-defence, of which the major ones were the Schutzbund, organised by the Social Democrats, and the Heimwehr of the Christian Socialists. This card, issued by the Friends of the Heimwehr, was probably sold as a fund-raiser

Attempted Borrow Ceded Claim Failure Heimwehr Hitlers Issued Lire Mussolinis Neighbours Nothing Offer Offered Organised Pressure Putsch Schutzbund Self-defence Tyrol

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