The matteotti murder
After Mussolini was in power, very few dared speak out against him. One brave man who did was Giacomo Matteoti, the leader of the Italian Socialist Party. On June 10th, 1925, Matteoti disappeared, and his body wasn't found until August 18th, in a graveyard outside Rome. There was a carpenter's file in his chest.
The murder of this man "created outrage in Italy and it nearly cost Mussolini his political career. Ironically, it also gave him the opportunities to expand his power in Italy" (1). Earlier that year, the Ceka (secret police) were created, mainly being used to scare people into voting for the Fascist Party. Two members of the Ceka, Albino Volpi and Amerigo Dumini, were professional gangsters, and employed by Mussolini, who paid them daily. Some historians believe that these two men were employed specifically to murder Mattoeti, but it cannot be proven, nor can wether Mussolini told them to carry out the murder or if they acted on their own will, sensing that Matteoti was a threat to Mussolini's control.
1924 was the hardest year for Mussolini, and he almost lost control of Italy after the murder of Matteoti. People did not believe he had nothing to do with it and after his continual denial of his involvement, he had to promise that he would kick the "violent men" out of the Fascist party, and as a result, he was seen as giving the public what they wanted, and too soft. After publicly stating that Dumini had acted stupidly (after his arrest for the murder of Matteoti), but that "Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary." (Jan 1925) This was sufficient to the people of Italy, and Mussolini went on to become a dictator for more than 20 years.
1: "The Murder of Matteotti." The Murder of Matteotti. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/murder_of_matteotti.htm>.
"The Murder of Matteotti." The Murder of Matteotti. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/murder_of_matteotti.htm>.
"Matteotti Crisis (Italian History)."
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1574455/Matteotti-Crisis>.
The murder of this man "created outrage in Italy and it nearly cost Mussolini his political career. Ironically, it also gave him the opportunities to expand his power in Italy" (1). Earlier that year, the Ceka (secret police) were created, mainly being used to scare people into voting for the Fascist Party. Two members of the Ceka, Albino Volpi and Amerigo Dumini, were professional gangsters, and employed by Mussolini, who paid them daily. Some historians believe that these two men were employed specifically to murder Mattoeti, but it cannot be proven, nor can wether Mussolini told them to carry out the murder or if they acted on their own will, sensing that Matteoti was a threat to Mussolini's control.
1924 was the hardest year for Mussolini, and he almost lost control of Italy after the murder of Matteoti. People did not believe he had nothing to do with it and after his continual denial of his involvement, he had to promise that he would kick the "violent men" out of the Fascist party, and as a result, he was seen as giving the public what they wanted, and too soft. After publicly stating that Dumini had acted stupidly (after his arrest for the murder of Matteoti), but that "Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary." (Jan 1925) This was sufficient to the people of Italy, and Mussolini went on to become a dictator for more than 20 years.
1: "The Murder of Matteotti." The Murder of Matteotti. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/murder_of_matteotti.htm>.
"The Murder of Matteotti." The Murder of Matteotti. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/murder_of_matteotti.htm>.
"Matteotti Crisis (Italian History)."
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1574455/Matteotti-Crisis>.