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Grand Council of Fascism

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Grand Council of Fascism
Gran Consiglio del Fascismo
AbbreviationGrand Council
Formation9 December 1928 (1928-12-09)
Dissolved25 July 1943 (1943-07-25)
Legal statusConstitutional body
HeadquartersPalazzo Venezia, Rome
King Victor Emmanuel III
Benito Mussolini

The Grand Council of Fascism (Template:Lang-it, also translated "Fascist Grand Council") was the main body of Mussolini's Fascist government in Italy, that held and applied great power to control the institutions of government. It was created as a body of the National Fascist Party in 1922, and became a state body on 9 December 1928. The council usually met at the Palazzo Venezia, Rome, which was also the seat of the head of the Italian government.[1] The Council became extinct following a series of events in 1943, in which Benito Mussolini was voted out of the Prime Ministry of Italy.

Powers of the Council

The session of the Grand Council of 9 May 1936, where the Empire was proclaimed.

Essentially, the council held these powers:

  • The power to elect the Fascist Party deputies, the nomination for the Party Secretary and other party leaders, the approval of the party statutes and the power regarding the party's policy.
  • The power to elect the Crown's line of succession including the choice of the heir to the throne, the right of the crown, the power to choose possible successors to the Prime Minister, the power to choose the function and membership of the Grand Council, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies (later the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations), the power to decide the rights and powers of the Prime Minister, international Treaties, and foreign affairs.

The Grand Council meetings were convened by the Prime Minister himself, and all decrees and laws could only be legalized after receiving his approval. In contrast to the Führerprinzip government model in Nazi Germany, the Grand Council retained the power to recommend that the King of Italy remove the Prime Minister from office. As all the former governing institutions had been subordinated to the Fascist party, the Council was the only check on Mussolini's power.

Overthrow of Mussolini

Main article: Fall of the Fascist regime in Italy

The Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943. Grand Council member Dino Grandi proposed a vote of no confidence in Mussolini as leader of the Council and the party. A vote was held on the night of 24–25 July 1943 and passed with 19 votes for, 8 against and one abstention. Among the 19 votes of no confidence were those of Mussolini's son-in-law Galeazzo Ciano, who had been former minister of foreign affairs, and the influential marshal Emilio De Bono.

The following day King Victor Emmanuel met Mussolini and informed him that General Pietro Badoglio would lead Italy, as Prime Minister. Mussolini was arrested immediately after the meeting.[2]

In September 1943 Mussolini was freed from imprisonment by German commandos and helped to regain power in northern Italy. He had Ciano, De Bono and three others arrested and tried for treason on 8 January 1944 in Verona. They were executed by firing squad three days later.[3][4]

Members of the Council

The composition of the Council was revised and defined by a law of 14 December 1929. Its members, selected among the party's gerarchi, are below. Their vote on the 25 July 1943 motion to depose Mussolini is also given next to their name.

Head of Government and Duce of Fascism
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		14 December 1929 25 July 1943 13 years, 223 days Deposed
The Quadrumvirs
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Italo Balbo
(1896–1940) 		14 December 1929 28 June 1940 10 years, 197 days Died in Office
Michele Bianchi
(1883–1930) 		14 December 1929 3 February 1930 51 days Died in Office
Emilio De Bono
(1866–1944) 		14 December 1929 25 July 1943 13 years, 223 days Yes
Cesare Maria De Vecchi
(1884–1959) 		14 December 1929 25 July 1943 13 years, 223 days Yes
President of the Senate
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Luigi Federzoni
(1878–1967) 		14 December 1929 2 March 1939 9 years, 78 days —
Giacomo Suardo
(1883–1947) 		15 March 1939 25 July 1943 4 years, 132 days Abstention
President of the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations[a]
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Giovanni Giuriati
(1876–1970) 		14 December 1929 19 January 1934 4 years, 36 days —
Costanzo Ciano
(1876–1939) 		28 April 1934 26 June 1939 5 years, 59 days Died in office
Dino Grandi
(1895–1988) 		30 November 1939 25 July 1943 3 years, 237 days Yes
Minister of Agriculture and Forests
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Giacomo Acerbo
(1888–1969) 		14 December 1929 24 January 1935 5 years, 41 days —
Edmondo Rossoni
(1884–1965) 		24 January 1935 31 October 1939 4 years, 280 days —
Giuseppe Tassinari
(1891–1944) 		31 October 1939 26 December 1941 2 years, 56 days —
Carlo Pareschi
(1898–1944) 		26 December 1941 25 July 1943 1 year, 211 days Yes
Minister of Corporations
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Giuseppe Bottai
(1895–1959) 		14 December 1929 20 July 1932 2 years, 219 days —
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		20 July 1932 11 June 1936 3 years, 327 days —
Ferruccio Lantini
(1886–1959) 		11 June 1936 31 October 1939 3 years, 142 days —
Renato Ricci
(1896–1956) 		31 October 1939 6 February 1943 3 years, 98 days —
Carlo Tiengo
(1882–1945) 		6 February 1943 19 April 1943 72 days —
Tullio Cianetti
(1899–1976) 		19 April 1943 25 July 1943 97 days Yes
Minister of Finance
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Antonio Mosconi
(1866–1955) 		14 December 1929 20 July 1932 2 years, 219 days —
Guido Jung
(1876–1949) 		20 July 1932 17 January 1935 2 years, 181 days —
Paolo Thaon di Revel
(1888–1973) 		17 January 1935 6 February 1943 8 years, 20 days —
Giacomo Acerbo
(1888–1969) 		6 February 1943 25 July 1943 169 days Yes
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		14 December 1922 12 September 1929 6 years, 272 days —
Dino Grandi
(1895–1988) 		12 September 1929 20 July 1932 2 years, 312 days —
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		20 July 1932 9 June 1936 3 years, 325 days —
Galeazzo Ciano
(1903–1944) 		9 June 1936 6 February 1943 6 years, 242 days —
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		6 February 1943 25 July 1943 169 days Deposed
Minister of the Interior
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Benito Mussolini
(1883–1945) 		14 December 1929 25 July 1943 13 years, 223 days Deposed
Minister of Grace and Justice[b]
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Alfredo Rocco
(1875–1935) 		14 December 1929 20 July 1932 2 years, 219 days —
Pietro De Francisci
(1883–1971) 		20 July 1932 24 January 1935 2 years, 188 days —
Arrigo Solmi
(1873–1944) 		24 January 1935 12 July 1939 4 years, 169 days —
Dino Grandi
(1895–1988) 		12 July 1939 5 February 1943 3 years, 208 days —
Alfredo De Marsico
(1888–1985) 		5 February 1943 25 July 1943 170 days Yes
Minister of Popular Culture[c]
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Galeazzo Ciano
(1903–1944) 		23 June 1935 11 June 1936 354 days —
Dino Alfieri
(1886–1966) 		11 June 1936 31 October 1939 3 years, 142 days —
Alessandro Pavolini
(1903–1945) 		31 October 1939 6 February 1943 3 years, 98 days —
Gaetano Polverelli
(1886–1960) 		6 February 1943 25 July 1943 169 days No
Minister of National Education
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Balbino Giuliano
(1879–1958) 		14 December 1929 20 July 1932 2 years, 219 days —
Francesco Ercole
(1884–1945) 		20 July 1932 24 January 1935 2 years, 188 days —
Cesare Maria De Vecchi
(1884–1959) 		24 January 1935 15 November 1936 1 year, 296 days —
Giuseppe Bottai
(1895–1959) 		15 November 1936 5 February 1943 6 years, 82 days —
Giacomo Acerbo
(1888–1969) 		5 February 1943 25 July 1943 170 days Yes
President of the Royal Academy
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Tommaso Tittoni
(1855–1931) 		14 December 1929 16 September 1930 276 days —
Guglielmo Marconi
(1874–1937) 		19 September 1930 20 July 1937 6 years, 304 days Died in Office
Gabriele D'Annunzio
(1863–1938) 		12 November 1937 1 March 1938 109 days Died in Office
Luigi Federzoni
(1878–1967) 		21 April 1938 25 July 1943 5 years, 95 days Yes
President of the Special Court for the Defence of the State
Portrait Name
(Born–Died) 		Term of office 25 July 1943 Motion
Took office Left office Time in office
Guido Cristini
(1895–1979) 		9 December 1928 28 November 1932 4 years, 19 days —
Antonino Tringali Casanuova
(1888–1943) 		28 November 1932 25 July 1943 10 years, 239 days No
  • The Secretary of the National Fascist Party, who was also the secretary of the Council.
  • The Presidents of the Corporations: Industrialists, Farmers, Industrial Workers, Agriculture Workers.
  • The Chief of Staff of the MVSN.

The remaining members of the council were chosen by Mussolini himself, and each held appointments of three-year durations.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gran consiglio del fascismo". Enciclopedia on line (in Italian). Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana fondata da Giovanni Treccani S.p.A. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  2. ^ Shirer, William L. (1959). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (2011 ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 997. ISBN 9781451642599. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  3. ^ Bosworth, Richard J. B. (2010). Mussolini (New ed.). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 9780340981733. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  4. ^ De Grand, Alexander J. (2000). Italian Fascism: Its Origins & Development (Third ed.). Lincoln, NV: University of Nebraska Press. p. 136. ISBN 0803266227. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  1. ^ President of the Chamber of Deputies until 1939.
  2. ^ Minister of Justice and Worship Affairs before 1932.
  3. ^ Minister of Press and Propaganda before 1937.

Further reading

  • 2194 Days of War, Cesare Salmaggi & Alfredo Pallavisini (editors), Gallery Press, New York — ISBN 0831788852 (1977)
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