In the mid-19th century, the area became an important center of the Slovene national revival. During World War I, the whole area was the theatre of the Battles of the Isonzo, fought between Italy and Austria-Hungary. After the end of the war in 1918, the region was occupied by the Italian Army, and in 1920 it was officially annexed to Italy, and included in the Julian March region. Between 1922 and 1943, the Kobarid area, which had an exclusively Slovene-speaking population, was submitted to a policy of violent Fascist Italianization. Many locals emigrated to the neighbouring Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Several Italian military memorials were built in the area.