Anti Bolshevik sailors took the Kronstandt fortress, on an island, but accessible from the mainland in February due to frozen ice.
Striking miners in the Italian occupied Croatian city of Labin declared a communist republic for the town. The rebellion is regarded as the first anti fascist rebellion in the world, but the reason for it being so regarded really isn't clear. The city was under Italian governance at the time, but while fascism was rising in Italy, it had not yet come into control of the Italian monarchy. The rebellion would last until April 8 when the Italian government put it down.
Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein relocated to Amman in anticipation of ruling the Emirate of Transjordan
The oddball effort to make Fiume some sort of independent Italian state came to an end as Italian forces occupied the city.
On this day in 1920 Italy began its military occupation of Fiume.
The spat over Fiume is almost incomprehensible today, featuring an effort by Italian patriots to seize the city for Italy in spite of it having a mixed population. 62% of the town's residents were, however, of Italian ethnicity. Italy negotiated around the problem of the city and it became a "free city" as a result, with the accompanying result being that the Italian leaders within the city declared war on Italy, a moronic move under the circumstances. On this day the Italians, who had enough of it, started to occupy the city leading to what was called "Bloody Christmas" as the occupation did result in some loss of life.
Today the city is known as Rijeka and is in Croatia.
On the same day, Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance at the Met in New York.
The 48 year old Caruso was not well and would die that following August.
Elsewhere, the day before Christmas looked much like it normally does.
