Giacomo Matteotti
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Giacomo Matteotti (22 May 1885 — 10 June 1924) was an Italian socialist politician who was famously kidnapped and killed by Fascists.
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[edit] Political career
Matteotti was born, son of a wealthy family, in Fratta Polesine, Province of Rovigo (Veneto).
A graduate in law from the University of Bologna and from early on an activist in the socialist movement and the Italian Socialist Party, he opposed Italy's entry into World War I (for this reason, he was interned in Sicily during the conflict). As a follower of Filippo Turati, Matteotti became the leader of the United Socialist Party in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. He spoke out against Fascism and Benito Mussolini, and for a time was leader of the opposition to the National Fascist Party (PNF).
[edit] Murder
He was murdered on June 10, 1924, after the publication of his book The Fascisti Exposed: A Year of Fascist Domination and two fierce and lengthy speeches in the Chamber of Deputies denouncing Fascism and its vulgar and violent tactics. Five men (Amerigo Dumini - a prominent member of the Fascist Ceka, Giuseppe Viola, Albino Volpi, Augusto Malacria and Amleto Poveromo) were arrested for the crime, only three were convicted but released two months later under amnesty by King Victor Emmanuel III; the sixth Fascist, Filippo Panzeri, was allowed to escape before the arrests of his accomplices. It is very likely that Mussolini was responsible for the incident in one way or another; indeed, speaking to the Parliament on January 3, 1925, Mussolini declared that he alone took all "political, moral and historical responsibility for all that has happened" (Speech to the Chamber: January 3, 1925).
[edit] Consequences of the murder
Eminent historians of the time, including Pollard and Mack Smith, thought that Mussolini probably had knowledge of the plot but did not order it. However, recent studies by Mauro Canali have come to a different conclusion. Canali contends that Mussolini gave the order to kill Matteotti because the Socialist deputy had obtained documents proving that Mussolini and other Fascist leaders had accepted bribes from the American Sinclair Oil company in exchange for exclusive rights to explore and exploit any Italian oil reserves they found. Matteotti was bundled into a car and stabbed repeatedly as he struggled to escape. His body was found 20 miles from Rome after an extensive search precipitated by Matteotti's wife's plea to Mussolini himself. Whoever the killer was, he was seen as a hero by many of the zealous fascists in Italy.
The death of Matteotti sparked widespread Fascist criticism: a general strike was threatened in retaliation and for a while it seemed that domestic and international pressure would force Victor Emmanuel into action, but as the King was supported so strongly by Mussolini and was worried he would otherwise be replaced by his cousin, he did nothing. The King feared that there would be a civil war or a socialist uprising if he forced Mussolini out of power. If the socialists were to obtain power in Italy the monarchy would be abolished and of course the king did not want this. Moreover, the King was under pressure from his mother who was a Fascist supporter. Thus, Mussolini was soon able to use his influence over the media combined with a speech taking a complicated stance over who was responsible for the murder to regain the people's confidence. Using political skill Mussolini managed to take credit from his supporters while avoiding much of the blame. Most anti-Fascist parties left the Italian Parliament in protest - an event which came to be known as the Aventine Secession; albeit in a less obvious manner than the previous Acerbo Law, this event arguably served to consolidate the grip of the PNF on Italian society. As a result, most members of the Italian Parliament converted to the Fascist Party, either by their own will, convenience or by force, while left-wing groups, Communists and Socialists alike, faced harsh persecution and were put under constant surveillance.
Matteotti's son, Matteo Matteotti, became a Social Democratic parliamentary deputy after World War II, served as Italy's minister of tourism in 1970-72 and minister of foreign trade in 1972-74, and died in 2000.
[edit] Works
[edit] References
- Canali, Mauro (2004). Il delitto Matteotti. Bologna: Il Mulino.
