Benito Mussolini- a person with whose name the very concept of “fascism” is inseparably linked, which is essentially very different from German National Socialism. Before the start of World War II, Italy was formally a monarchy, but all the levers of power were in the hands of Mussolini.
He not only served as prime minister and was the leader of the only legal party in the country - the National Fascist - but also personally headed seven key ministries, bore the title of First Marshal of the Empire, and later became supreme commander in chief. Most often he was simply called Duce, which means leader, and his official title was “His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism and Founder of the Empire.”
Mussolini's dream was the revival of the Roman Empire. The first steps towards this were taken even before the start of World War II. In 1935, the Italians and the French agreed to divide zones of influence in North Africa, and in 1936 Italian troops invaded Ethiopia. Soon Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia were united into a colony called Italiana East Africa. In the spring of 1939, Italy occupied Albania.
Before the start of World War II, both the Germans and the British wanted to get Italy as an ally. Winston Churchill, in particular, maintained extensive correspondence with Mussolini and repeatedly publicly spoke positively about him. Hitler, to some extent, considered Mussolini, who came to power in Italy a decade earlier than the Fuhrer himself in Germany, as his teacher.
Duce for a long time maneuvered, but in the end made a choice in favor of Germany. On May 22, 1939, the so-called Steel Pact (agreement of friendship and cooperation) was signed between Italy and Germany, and in 1940 - Tripartite Pact(Japan also joined it) about the delimitation of zones of influence, and in fact about the post-war redivision of the world. But even after these agreements, Churchill and Roosevelt tried for some time to persuade the Italian dictator to peace.
But Mussolini allowed Germany to drag Italy into the Second world war, which his colleagues - the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco and the Portuguese Antonio de Salazar - wisely managed to avoid. As a result, their countries avoided military losses and occupation, and they themselves were able to remain in power.
On the eve of World War II and even during it, Mussolini significantly exaggerated the actual size and combat effectiveness of the Italian army. There is still no clear opinion about whether this was a deliberate bluff in order to have greater influence in international affairs, or self-blinding, wishful thinking. Be that as it may, the coming military campaigns showed that the training and armament of the Italian army left much to be desired.
Relations between Mussolini and Hitler, despite the outward demonstration of unity and friendship, developed quite tensely. The allies did not trust each other and many important decisions kept secret until the very last moment, without warning about their actions. Hitler was irritated that military secrets shared with the Italians very quickly became known to the Allies. It got to the point that misinformation was deliberately “leaked” through them.
The German attack on Poland on September 1, 1939 came as a complete surprise to Mussolini. He accused Hitler of treachery and declared Italy a “non-belligerent.” However, the Duce did not maintain neutrality for long. Italy, in turn, without notifying its ally, attacked Greece in the fall of 1940, which is why significant forces were diverted from joint action in Egypt.
The point of no return for Mussolini was apparently June 10, 1940, when Italy, impressed by the military successes of the Germans, declared war on France and Great Britain. The main forces of France had already been defeated by the Nazis by that time, and Mussolini was in a hurry to be in time for the division of the “French pie.” "We will enter future war or not, the Germans will still occupy all of Europe. If we do not pay our tribute in blood, they alone will dictate their terms in Europe,” he said. Italy did receive some southeastern lands that had previously belonged to France, and part of the North African colonies, but now found itself inextricably linked with Germany.
During the war, Mussolini tried in every possible way to demonstrate his independence, independence from Hitler, although in reality Italy's dependence on Germany grew day by day. Initially, for example, the Duce refused to establish a single command with the Germans in North Africa, but over time, all Italian-German forces actually found themselves subordinate to German field marshal Rommel.
It was not only military losses that caused irritation among the population with Mussolini's regime. During the war, there were hundreds of thousands of Italian workers in Germany who replaced the Germans who had gone to the front. Moreover, they were often treated as second-class citizens. This most clearly demonstrated the unequal alliance with Hitler and the subordinate position of Italy.
The style of action of Mussolini the commander can be characterized by the word “voluntarism.” The Duce did not listen to advice and surrounded himself weak-willed people who could not object to him. Often he suddenly changed plans of operations at the very last moment and gave instructions to senior officers without informing their immediate commanders. He sought to control all decisions personally, virtually leaving his generals no opportunity to take the initiative. Another weakness of Mussolini as a military strategist was the dispersal of forces instead of concentrating them on the main direction. This actually made large military operations and sudden attacks by troops impossible.
It is not surprising that the Italian army had significantly more defeats than victories, and Italian units were sometimes saved from defeat only by German allies. This was the case in North Africa and Greece, far from the most strong army which for a long time not only successfully resisted the Italian one, but also launched a successful counter-offensive, which continued until the intervention German troops.
One of Mussolini's main mistakes was entering the war against Soviet Union and sending troops to Eastern Front. Moreover, this decision was made by him alone. At Stalingrad, the Italian Expeditionary Corps was defeated and suffered huge losses. This dealt a colossal blow to both the combat effectiveness of the army and the authority of the Duce.
Mussolini was an excellent speaker and publicist and knew how to inspire and convince people, but over time the real state of affairs became so bad that the effect of propaganda became weaker.
Military failures, much of the blame for which lay with Mussolini, caused discontent even among the top of the National Fascist Party, and after Allied troops landed in Sicily in July 1943, it reached a boiling point. On July 25, 1943, the Duce was removed from power and arrested. However, two weeks after his arrest, Mussolini was released German special forces under the command of the legendary saboteur Otto Skorzeny.
After his release, Mussolini was actually forced by the Germans to head the puppet Italian Social Republic (its unofficial name- Republic of Salo, named after the actual capital). If in internal affairs It retained some kind of independence, but otherwise its policies were completely controlled by Germany. Mussolini, whose health left much to be desired, virtually retired from business and remained a figurehead. In April 1945, he tried to flee the country, disguised as German uniform, but was recognized, captured by partisans and executed along with his associates.
IN last days war in Europe, when the attention of the whole world was focused on Berlin, where, together with Adolf Hitler German Nazism was dying in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery and found itself somewhat in the shadows main ally Fuhrer - Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
If in the second half of April 1945 Hitler was losing the will to live every day, then the Duce made desperate attempts to save himself until the last.
Mussolini's relationship with Hitler was difficult. The head of the Italian fascists seized power in his country in 1922, that is, more than a decade before Hitler came to power in Germany.
However, by the beginning of the 1940s, Mussolini, in the alliance of the two countries, became Hitler’s “junior partner”, forced to build and shape his policy in accordance with the will of Germany.
Mussolini was far from stupid person. The longer the war went on, the more obvious it became that Italy had made a mistake by firmly tying itself to an alliance with Hitler. More careful Spanish Caudillo Franco, who flirted with the USA and Great Britain, successfully survived the Second World War and remained in power for another three decades, until his death in 1975.
But Mussolini, stuck in the arms of Hitler, no longer had such an opportunity.
Mussolini and Hitler in 1937. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Hitler puppet
In 1943, after the Allied landing in Sicily, yesterday’s comrades-in-arms of the Duce came to the conclusion that Mussolini needed to be gotten rid of in order to begin negotiations on Italy’s withdrawal from the war. He was deposed and placed under arrest on July 25.
September 12, 1943 by order of Hitler German paratroopers under the command Otto Skorzeny Mussolini was kidnapped and taken to Germany.
But the ally who appeared before the Fuhrer bore little resemblance to the Duce of better times. Mussolini complained about his health and spoke of his desire to leave politics. Hitler literally forced the Duce to head the Italian Social Republic created in northern Italy, which continued the war with the anti-Hitler coalition.
Since 1943, Mussolini actually ceased to be an independent politician. "Italian social republic"was one hundred percent controlled by the Germans, and the Duce became a puppet in their hands.
The only thing his personal will was enough for was to settle scores with traitors from his inner circle, imaginary and real. Even the Duce's son-in-law was among them Galeazzo Ciano, who was sentenced to death penalty and shot.
Mussolini understood the position he was in quite soberly. In 1945 he gave an interview journalist Madeleine Mollier, in which he stated: “Yes, madam, I am finished. My star has fallen. I work and I try, but I know that this is all just a farce... I'm waiting for the end of the tragedy - I don't feel like an actor anymore. I feel like I'm the last one in the audience."
Escape to Switzerland
In mid-April 1945, the Germans had no time for the Duce’s tutelage, and he, revived, again tried to take his destiny into own hands. He really didn’t have any great ambitions - Mussolini wanted to escape persecution and save his own life.
For this purpose, he entered into negotiations with representatives of the Italian Resistance movement, but was unable to achieve any guarantees for himself. Mussolini had almost no trump cards left in his hands in order to bargain on equal terms.
After unsuccessful negotiations in Milan, Mussolini and his entourage went to the city of Como, where he settled in the local prefectural building. In Como he is in last time met my wife of Raquela Mussolini.
The Duce finally decided to make his way to Italy. On the morning of April 26, having parted with his wife, with a small detachment of people devoted to him, Mussolini moved along Lake Como to the village of Menaggio, from where the road to Switzerland ran.
Not all of his comrades decided to go with the Duce. The fact is that detachments of Italian partisans were actively operating in this area, and a meeting with them threatened quick reprisals.
Mussolini's last mistress joined Mussolini's group Clara Petacci.
From left to right: German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering, Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, Duce Benito Mussolini near A. Hitler's apartment after the assassination attempt on him on July 20, 1944. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Mussolini's German uniform didn't help
On the night of April 26-27, the Duce met with the detachment German soldiers consisting of 200 people, who also intended to take refuge in Switzerland. Mussolini and his men joined the Germans.
It seemed that there was very little left to reach the desired goal. But on April 27, the Germans were blocked by a picket of the 52nd Garibaldi partisan brigade, commanded by Count Bellini della Stella. After the ensuing firefight, the commander of the German detachment entered into negotiations.
The partisans put forward a condition - the Germans could move on, the Italian fascists must be extradited.
The Germans did not plan to die for Duce, but they still showed nobility by dressing him in a German uniform and trying to pass him off as one of the soldiers.
The first two inspections of the vehicles by the partisans did not yield anything, but they carried out a third inspection. Apparently, someone gave them information that Mussolini was in the column. As a result, one of the partisans identified him. The Duce was detained.
The partisans did not know Clara Petacci by sight and did not intend to detain her, unlike the Duce. However, the 33-year-old woman, fanatically devoted to the 61-year-old Mussolini, herself declared a desire to share his fate.
Mission of "Colonel Valerio"
Mussolini and his mistress were taken to the village of Dongo, where in the house peasant Giacomo de Maria they spent the last night of their lives.
During these hours, Mussolini's fate was decided. The surviving comrades, having learned about his captivity, were preparing an operation to free him, the command of the Anglo-American troops demanded his extradition... He was ahead of everyone else Walter Audisio, known among Italian partisans as "Colonel Valerio". From the Italian Committee of National Liberation he received a mandate granting emergency powers.
On the afternoon of April 28, he arrived in Dongo with his detachment and took Mussolini and Petacci from the partisans who had captured them.
Mussolini himself was told by “Colonel Valerio” that he had come to save him. A spark of hope lit up in the eyes of the Duce, which, however, soon faded when the partisans rather rudely pushed Mussolini and Petacci into the car.
This journey was not long. The car stopped in the tiny village of Giuliano di Mezgra. Along the road stretched a low stone fence, interrupted by an iron gate, behind which one could see an orchard and big house. The car stopped just in front of the gate.
The fascist leader was shot on the third attempt
“Colonel Valerio” sent two partisans to watch the road so that they would warn if strangers appeared.
Mussolini was ordered to get out of the car and stand between the wall and the goal post. Petacci again voluntarily joined him.
“Colonel Valerio” began to read out the death sentence of the Duce on behalf of the Freedom Volunteer Corps, which united all the main partisan groups Italy.
Mussolini remained indifferent, but Clara Petacci was distraught with horror. She shouted at the partisans, covered the Duce with her body, literally screaming: “You won’t dare!”
“Colonel Valerio” pointed the machine gun at Mussolini and pulled the trigger, but the weapon misfired. The assistant next to him tried to carry out the sentence with a pistol, but it also misfired.
Then he rushed to the aid of “Colonel Valerio” Michele Moretti- one of the partisans guarding the road. The detachment commander took the machine gun of his subordinate, who did not let him down. Many years later, Moretti even claimed that he personally shot the Duce.
Memorial sign at the site of Mussolini's execution. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Be that as it may, the first bullet went to Clara Petacci, who continued to hug her lover. They did not intend to shoot her, “Colonel Valerio” called her death a tragic accident, however, the partisans did not try to take her away from Mussolini before the execution.
A moment later it was all over, two dead bodies lay against the wall. The execution took place at 16:10 on April 28, 1945.
The whole of Milan mocked the leader's body
The bodies of Mussolini and Petacci were taken to Milan. At the same time, the bodies of five more executed fascists were delivered there.
On April 29, 1945, at a gas station near Piazza Loreto, where less than a year earlier 15 Italian partisans were executed, the bodies of the Duce, his mistress and other associates were hung upside down.
The bodies of the Duce, his mistress and other associates were hung upside down. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
A huge crowd gathered in the square cursed the dead, they were pelted with stones and various debris.
Mussolini's body was mocked in a particularly sophisticated way - they danced and relieved themselves on it, as a result of which it was disfigured beyond recognition. Then the bodies of the Nazis were thrown into the gutter.
On May 1, 1945, the bodies of Mussolini and Petacci were buried in Milan's Musocco cemetery in an unmarked grave in a poor lot.
Even after this, Mussolini's remains did not find peace. In 1946 they were dug up and stolen by the Nazis, and when they were discovered a few months later, such a serious conflict broke out over where and how to bury him that Mussolini's body remained unburied for another 10 years.
As a result, the remains of Benito Mussolini were buried in the family crypt in his hometown Predappio.
The tomb of Benito Mussolini in the family crypt in the cemetery in Predappio. Photo:
Benito Mussolini's death occurred on April 28, 1945. He left this world 2 days before Hitler. At the time of his death, the leader of Italian fascism was 61 years old. This man lived a colorful life and was familiar with almost all the prominent political figures of the first half of the 20th century. They spoke very highly of him, since the Duce (leader) was distinguished by his extraordinary intelligence, determination and possessed strong will. But all these qualities did not help to avoid a well-deserved execution, which was carried out on the debunked leader by members of the Italian Resistance.
Brief biography of Mussolini
Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) - a prominent statesman and politician Italy. Born in the small village of Varano di Costa near the town of Predappio in northern Italy in the family of a blacksmith and a teacher. My father adhered to socialist views, and held active position. He spoke at rallies and even spent time in prison. All this did not pass without a trace for Benito. In 1900 he joined the Italian Socialist Party, but in 1902 he left for Switzerland to avoid military service.
There he first tried himself as a speaker, speaking to Italian emigrants. He soon met Marxists and read the works of Nietzsche, Marx, Stirner, and Sorel. He was particularly impressed by the French philosopher Sorel, who called for the overthrow of capitalism through violence.
In 1903, Mussolini was arrested by the Swiss police at the request of the Italians for evading military service. He was deported to Italy, where the young man voluntarily enrolled in Italian army. After serving for 2 years, he became a teacher at junior classes, since I graduated from high school at one time. In parallel with his work as a teacher, he was engaged revolutionary activities and organized a strike of agricultural workers.
I had to leave my job and move to the city of Trento, which at that time belonged to Austria-Hungary. This happened in 1909. And from that time on, the young man took up political journalism. He was the editor of the newspaper "People", and a year later, returning to Italy, he became the editor of the magazine " Class struggle" In 1912, he headed the newspaper of the Socialist Party “Forward” and established himself as a bright and talented journalist.
With the outbreak of the First World War, Benito began to advocate for Italy's entry into the war against Germany. This caused discontent among the socialists, and the future leader of the country was relieved of his post as editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Forward”. In August 1915, Italy entered the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary, and Mussolini was drafted into the army. He got into elite infantry(Bersagliere) and proved himself to be a brave soldier. In February 1916 he was awarded military rank corporal, and a year later he was demobilized due to a leg wound.
The front-line soldier who returned from the war decisively broke with socialism, declaring that this doctrine had become obsolete. In March 1919 he created new organization– Italian Wrestling Union. In November 1921 it was transformed into the National Fascist Party. After this, Benito proclaimed the "Third Way" of the Italian people. Under his leadership, armed fascist detachments (Blackshirts) were created, and this new power began to successfully resist communists, socialists, and anarchists.
At the end of October 1922, fascist detachments moved in masses of thousands towards Rome (March on Rome). This march frightened King Victor Emmanuel III. He did not organize resistance to the fascists, but held a meeting with Mussolini and appointed him Prime Minister of Italy. He created his own cabinet of ministers, and the country's parliament meekly approved it. Thus, in 1922, Benito Mussolini came to power and became the leader (Duce) of the Italian people.
By December 1925, the Duce's power became absolute. The Black Shirts suppressed any resistance to the new regime, constitutional restrictions on power were eliminated, and the Duce was retrained from prime minister to head of government. He was no longer accountable to parliament, and only the king could remove him from office.
Italy became a one-party state, and all parties except the fascist one were banned. In accordance with this, parliamentary elections were canceled, and instead of parliament, the Great Fascist Council began to rule everything. The Duce formed a personal security service, which began a merciless fight against dissent.
While in power, Mussolini led a campaign to state control over business. By 1935, 70% of all Italian firms came under full state control. Strict price regulation began in 1938. The Duce himself was completely unpretentious in everyday life. He didn't care about money at all material goods. The only thing he was interested in was power.
Two Fascist Dictators: Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler
In 1934, the Duce began to improve relations with Nazi Germany. The first meeting with Hitler took place on June 14, 1934 in Venice. And Benito first arrived in Germany in September 1937. German fascists gave the Duce a magnificent welcome and amazed him with parades, mass rallies and military power. As a result, on May 22, 1939, Italy and Germany signed the Pact of Steel, an agreement on a defensive and offensive alliance.
After this, on September 27, 1940, the Tripartite Pact was signed between Italy, Germany and Japan. From this moment on, the Axis countries appeared ( Nazi bloc or Hitler's coalition) opposed during World War II anti-Hitler coalition. Italy fought against France and Great Britain in Africa, southern regions France, Belgium, Greece, Yugoslavia. In June–July 1941, the Duce declared war on the USSR and the USA.
At first, military operations went well for the Italians, but after Germany attacked the USSR, the situation worsened, since the Germans could no longer fully help the Italians in their fight against the opposing coalition. Italian troops began to abandon previously captured territories, unable to withstand the onslaught of the British and Americans. In May 1943, Italo-German troops capitulated in Tunisia, and on July 10, the Anglo-Americans landed in Sicily.
The capture of Sicily prompted the leaders of the Fascist Party to consider removing Mussolini and ending the war. On July 24, 1943, the Great Fascist Council was assembled. It was decided to resign the Duce and transfer all power to the king. The next day, the leader, who had lost popularity, was arrested. A new government was formed in the country, and negotiations began with the Americans and British. Benito’s arrest sparked violent anti-fascist protests in the country, and on July 27 fascist party was dissolved.
New with the British and Americans Italian government concluded a truce on September 3 and pledged to hand over the Duce. The deposed leader himself was kept under guard in the Apennine Mountains at the Albergo Rifugio Hotel. His fate awaited him political criminal, but on September 12, 1943, a German landing force under the command of Otto Skorzeny freed the dictator and brought him to Germany to Hitler.
The Fuhrer invited the Duce to create a new state - the Italian Socialist Republic with its capital in the city of Salo. Mussolini agreed to take power into his own hands again, but now he has already become a puppet fascist Germany. So in the northern and central parts Italy, occupied by the Germans, on September 23, 1943, a new public education, completely controlled by Hitler.
However, times have changed. The forces of the Italian Resistance intensified, and Anglo-American troops began to push back the German occupiers and the Italians supporting them. In the last ten days of April 1945, the remnants of the German troops capitulated, and the Italian socialist republic ceased to exist on April 25, 1945.
Benito Mussolini and Clara Petacci after the shooting
Death of Benito Mussolini
The Italian dictator bet on Hitler and lost. And the natural ending was the death of Benito Mussolini. On the eve of the end, the Duce, together with his mistress Clara Petacci (1912-1945), arrived in Milan on April 17, 1945. Here he planned to resist the Anglo-Americans, and if that didn’t work out, then flee to Switzerland. But the plans for resistance were confused by the Germans. They decided to capitulate, and Mussolini had no choice but to flee Italy.
Together with Clara Petacci and several fascist associates, he set off along Lake Como to the road that led to Switzerland. On the night of April 26-27, a small detachment of fugitives joined a convoy of German trucks. However, near a small village, the column’s path was blocked by partisan detachment. A firefight began but quickly died down. The partisans agreed to let the Germans through, but on the condition that they hand over the Italian fascists with them.
We must pay tribute to the German military. They gave Mussolini the uniform of a German non-commissioned officer and put him in the back of a truck. But the partisans began to carefully examine each truck and the people sitting in it. One of the Garibaldians recognized the dictator, and he was immediately arrested. The Germans did not protest and hastily left, and the Duce, along with his mistress and associates, was captured.
The detained group was taken to the village of Giulino di Medzegra, placed in a peasant house and placed under heavy security. However, the news of the arrest of the Duce very quickly reached the allied forces, and they began to demand the transfer of the dictator to them. The Italian communists opposed this and decided to urgently put Benito Mussolini to death.
The executed Benito Mussolini and Clara Petacci were hanged upside down in Milan (Mussolini is third from left, and Clara Petacci is fourth from left).
On the same day, April 28, 1945, a prominent figure in the Italian anti-fascist resistance, Lieutenant Colonel Valerio (Walter Audisio), went to the village. His people led the Duce out of the peasant house, and Clara Petacci followed, not wanting to part with her beloved man. The couple was taken to Villa Belmonte and placed near the fence. Valerio asked Petacci to step aside, but she grabbed Mussolini with a death grip and shielded him with her body.
The lieutenant colonel once again asked the love-crazed woman to move away. But she didn’t want to listen to anyone. What could the Italian communists do, a volley rang out, and two dead bodies fell to the ground. Both corpses were taken to Milan and hanged upside down near Piazza Loreto at a gas station. The bodies of several other prominent fascists were hanged nearby. After a few hours, the ropes were cut and the bodies fell into the gutter. There they lay until May 1, and then were interred in the Milan cemetery of Cimitero Maggiore. Moreover, the site where tramps were buried was chosen for burial.
Benito Mussolini's grave in the family crypt
However, the shameful death of Benito Mussolini did not leave the fascists indifferent. In March 1946, they dug up the Duce's body from the grave and kidnapped him. They searched for the mortal remains for quite a long time and discovered them only in August of the same year. After that, they lay for 10 years in the Certosa de Pavia monastery (a suburb of Milan) in an old large chest and were not buried. Finally, the decision was made to bury former dictator in the family crypt of the Mussolini family in the city of Predappio. His grave was surrounded by marble fronts and a bust was erected, thereby posthumously honoring the former Duce.
April 25, 1945 allied forces entered northern Italy, and collapse fascist republic became inevitable. Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci traveled to Switzerland, intending to board a plane to Spain. Two days later on 27 April they were stopped near the village of Dongo (Lake Como) by partisans Valerio and Bellini and were identified by the political commissar of the 52nd Garibaldi Brigade, partisan Urbano Lazzaro. After several unsuccessful attempts to get them to Como, they were taken to Mezzegra.
The next day, Mussolini and Petacci were shot simultaneously, along with most of their comrades (15 people), primarily ministers and officials of the Italian Republic.
Mussolini was assassinated two days before Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide.
On April 29, 1945, the bodies of Mussolini, Petacci and other executed fascists were loaded into a van and moved south to Milan. At 3 a.m. the corpses were dumped on the ground in the old square of Loreto. The piazza was renamed "Piazza Quindici Martiri" in honor of the fifteen anti-fascists who were recently executed there.
Dead bodies of Benito Mussolini, his mistress Claretta Petacci and other executed fascists on display in Milan, 1945
The dead body of Benito Mussolini next to his mistress Claretta Petacci and other executed fascists, exhibited in Milan on April 29, 1945 in Piazzale Loreto, the same place where the fascists executed the year before civilians.
Photography by Vincenzo Carrese. The bodies from left to right are: Nicola Bombacci, Benito Mussolini, Claretta Petacci, Alessandro Pavolini, Achille Starace.
Benito Mussolini hanging upside down from a gas station in Milan" after his execution. Milan, Italy. April 29, 1945.
The corpse of the overthrown dictator was subjected to ridicule and insults. One of Mussolini's associates, Achille Starace, was captured and sentenced to death, and then taken to Piazzale Loreto, he was shown Mussolini's body. Starace, who once said of Mussolini "He's a god", saluted what was left of his leader shortly before he was executed by firing squad. Starace's body was then hanged next to Mussolini.
Benito Mussolini and Clara Petacci hang after their execution. Milan, Italy. April 29, 1945.
The body of Benito Mussolini after his execution. "Benito Finito." Milan, Italy. April 29, 1945.
Clara Petiazzi is hanged after her execution. "Mussolini's Girl Clara." "Milan, Italy. April 29, 1945.
After his execution and display of his corpse in Milan, Mussolini was buried in an unmarked grave in the Musocco cemetery, north of the city.
On Easter Sunday 1946, his body was dug up by Domenico Leccisi and two other neo-fascists.
Subsequently, after the discovery of the remains, the authorities were forced to hide their location; after 10 years, the remains were reburied by Prepappio in Romana, Mussolini's birthplace, in a crypt (the only posthumous honor granted to Mussolini). His tomb is surrounded by marble columns and a marble bust stands above his grave.
