It is impressive that one reads almost nothing about national strife within the empire, given that split. Though clearly the separate identities persisted through half a millennium of unity, given the split of the empire and ultimately even the Catholic and Orthodox churches along the exact same linguistic lines.

As for the Germans in Italy, I think they'd prefer Südtirol... yet another weird legacy of cocky victorious diplomats who have never visited a region getting to decide its inhabitants' nationality.