Giacomo Matteotti

Giacomo Matteotti (born the May 22nd 1885 with Fratta Polesine, province of Rovigo in Venezia - died with Rome the June 10th 1924) was a socialist Député Italy N. Its assassination by a fascistic group indirectly led to the progressive phasing-in of the totalitarian mode of Mussolini.

Biography

Resulting from an easy family, Giacomo Matteotti successfully undertakes studies of Droit at the conclusion which it is graduate Université of Bologna in 1907. In its youth, it contacts socialist movements , of which it becomes a figurehead. Preaching the neutrality of Italy at the time of the First World War, it is imprisoned in Sicily.

Active member of the Italian Socialist party (PSI), it is elected appointed in 1919, whereas Italy is shaken by a social serious attack, economic and political, punctuated of severely repressed strikes. Leader with Filippo Turati of the wing reformist of the PSI, it is expelled of the party after his scission in 1922, it is one of the founders of the unit Socialist party (October 1st, 1922) and it becomes about it General secretary until his death.

The legislative elections of the House of Commons in April 1924 proceed in a climate of violence and frauds. The Listone , list of deputies established by Mussolini constituting a " National" block; including/understanding the Left national fascist, the victory gains. Matteotti continues to denounce the methods employed in particular by the fascists, as well as the totalitarian character of the government of Benito Mussolini. The May 30th, with the House of Commons, it protests against the mode in a speech proposing the invalidation of the elections which gave a majority crushing to the " National" block; of 355 seats against 176 for the opposition parties.

We dispute in this place and at once the validity of the elections of the majority. The election according to us is nonvalid and we add that it is invalid in all the circonscriptions.

The June 10th 1924, it is removed by a group of squadristi fascistic and is assassinated with stabs. The body of the deputy will be discovered only in August 1924.

Consequences of the assassination of Matteotti

Its disappearance causes the June 27th 1924 a reaction of protest (which one names Sécession aventiniana) deputies of the opposition who decide to withdraw themselves, thus refusing to sit. During a few weeks, the government seems about to fall, carried by a wave of national indignation.

The September 12th 1924, the fascistic deputy Armando Casalini is assassinated in the tram of Rome. The assassin, Giovanni Corvi, if it did not seem to belong to an unspecified political training, will however state to have acted to avenge Matteotti.

However, Benito Mussolini, in a speech with the House of Commons the January 3rd 1925, declares that he assumes personally the political responsibility, morals and history excesses of its squadrons at the time them last years, without mentioning assassination of Matteotti. He announces at the same time the violent repression of the opponents to the mode, whether it is the press, the political bodies or the natural persons.

I declare here, in the presence of this Parliament and in the presence of all the Italian people, that I assume, me only, the political responsibility, morals, history of what it is produit.
Si the more or less deformed sentences are enough to hang a man, leave the gibet and leave the cord! If Fascism were only castor oil and drubbing and not makes of it a superb passion of best Italian youth, the fault returns to me from there! If Fascism were an association of delinquents, I am the chief of this association of delinquents!

In 1926 takes place the lawsuit of certain assassins of Matteotti, of the fascistic militants of which it is always dubious if they acted on order of Mussolini or independently. Three of them are condemned to six years of prison, but they are released before to have purged the integrality of their sorrow.

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