88 “Blue Devil” Division Occupation force in Venezia-Giulia

Protecting and finalizing borders in the aftermath of World War II.

“This area differs from any other part of Europe at the moment in that it remains, and must remain until settlement of the peace conference, as a purely military zone under military government.” – Text, lower right.

In the months following V-E Day, small-scale fighting continued in several contested regions across the European Theater. One such territory was Venezia-Giulia (also known as the Julian March), a region around the port of Trieste situated between the border of Italy, Yugoslavia, and Austria. Yugoslav leader Josip Tito agreed to an official demarcation line with the Allies in June, 1945 and the 88th Infantry Division was called in shortly thereafter to keep the peace.

This map of the ‘Blue Devil’s’ occupation zone was published in January 1946 by the divisional Information and Education Section. The Morgan Line is boldly shown in blue, in addition to a small enclave around the port city of Pula. An inset in the lower left shows the broader region around the Adriatic Sea, while descriptive text on the right provides a history of the long-disputed territory.