Italy: Trouble in Tyrol

The first explosion came at dawn. The sleepy-eyed citizens of Bolzano, a quiet, German-speaking town in Italy's Alpine province of South Tyrol, trembled wonderingly out of bed and into the streets. At the second blast, an eerie bluish light flashed over the mountains as a high-tension tower toppled and its 220,000-volt cables short-circuited. For two hours the bombs continued to go off around Bolzano. The stunned Tyroleans slowly realized what had happened. Germanic extremists, who had long been agitating for more local autonomy, had declared private war on the Italian state.

Dissension...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!