Giacomo Matteotti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

Giacomo Matteotti (22 May 1885 – 10 June 1924) was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists commited fraud in the recently held elections. After two weeks he was kidnapped and killed by Fascists.


Contents

[edit] Political career

Matteotti was born a 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 (and was interned in Sicily during the conflict for this reason). As a follower of Filippo Turati, Matteotti became the leader of the United Socialist Party in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. He openly 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 10 June 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.

He was bundled into a car and stabbed several times with a carpenter's file as he was struggling to escape. His corpse was found 20 miles from Rome after an extensive search. It was not yet known who committed the murder but the killer was seen as a hero by many zealous fascists.

Five men (Amerigo Dumini - a prominent member of the Fascist Ceka, Giuseppe Viola, Albino Volpi, Augusto Malacria and Amleto Poveromo) were later arrested for the crime. Only three were convicted and shortly after released under amnesty by King Victor Emmanuel III; one, Filippo Panzeri, escaped before the arrests of his accomplices. It is very likely that Mussolini ordered or was somehow involved in the assassination; in fact, a few months later (3 January 1925) he declared addressing the Parliament that he alone took "all political, moral and historical responsibility for all that has happened" (Speech to the Chamber: January 3, 1925).

Historians of the time, including Justin Pollard and Denis Mack Smith, thought Mussolini was probably aware of the assassination plot but that it was ordered and organized by someone else. However, recent studies by Mauro Canali revealed that Mussolini probably did order the murder, as Matteotti uncovered and wanted to make public incriminating documents proving that Mussolini and his associates sold to an American oil company (Sinclair Oil) exclusive rights to use all Italian oil reserves.

[edit] Consequences of the murder

The death of Matteotti sparked widespread criticism of the Fascists. 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. He believed that 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, serving as Italy's minister of tourism in 1970-72 and minister of foreign trade in 1972–1974, and died in 2000.

[edit] Works

[edit] References

  • Canali, Mauro (2004). Il delitto Matteotti. Bologna: Il Mulino.