6 ▁census ▁of ▁French ▁Tun is ia ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 7 3 , 2 8 1 ▁Europe ans , ▁of ▁which ▁ 8 9 , 2 1 6 ▁were ▁It ali ans , ▁ 7 1 , 0 2 0 ▁French ▁and ▁ 8 , 3 9 6 ▁M alt ese . ▁Regarding ▁this ▁relative ▁majority , ▁Laura ▁Dav i ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁Mem oires ▁italien nes ▁en ▁Tun isie ▁that ▁" T un is ia ▁is ▁an ▁Italian ▁col ony ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁French ▁man agers " ▁( ▁" La ▁Tun is ia ▁è ▁una ▁col onia ▁italiana ▁am min istr ata ▁da ▁fun z ion ari ▁frances i " ▁). ▁ ▁However ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁ide als ▁of ▁Italian ▁ir red ent ism ▁( Italia ▁ir red enta ), ▁the ▁un ification ▁of ▁all ▁eth n ically ▁Italian ▁pe op les , ▁started ▁to ▁appear ▁amongst ▁the ▁Tun is ian ▁It ali ans . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁mainly ▁after ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁F asc ism ▁promoted ▁a ▁moder ate ▁form ▁of ▁Italian ▁ir red ent ism ▁between ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁of ▁Tun is ia ▁- ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁right ▁to ▁remain ▁It ali ans . ▁ ▁The ▁F asc ist ▁party ▁of ▁Tun is ia ▁act ively ▁rec ru ited ▁volunte ers ▁for ▁wars ▁in ▁Spain , ▁Eth iop ia , ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁began ▁prom oting ▁the ▁idea