Repression in 1925 and constitutional amendments, 1925–26

Question 1

4 August 1925

Answer 1

TITO ZANIBONI ARRESTED: Socialist deputy arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mussolini. Mussolini announced banning of Zaniboni’s party (PSU). New press law: all journalism must be supervised and approved by state. Another law gave government power to sack any public employee whose actions were hostile to PNF.

Question 2

December 1925

Answer 2

TITLE OF PM CHANGES: To ‘Head of Government and Duce of Fascism’. Ability of parliament to remove PM through vote of no confidence was removed.

Question 3

January 1926

Answer 3

Mussolini was granted ability to rule by decree- make laws without parliament.

Question 4

31 October 1926

Answer 4

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION AGAINST MUSSOLINI: Fourth and final attempt. Mussolini’s motorcade was shot as he drove past crowds celebrating anniversary of March on Rome. Alleged assassinator was Anteo Zamboni, a 16 yr old boy. He was attacked by crowds and murdered. Each assassination was followed by more laws undermining Italian democratic freedoms; Zamboni incident used to support banning of political parties and a Special Tribunal for the Defence of the State was set up for prosecution of antifascists who had no right of appeal, Aventine deputies permanently excluded from parliament and communist parliamentarians banned. Most opposition leaders fled to exile in France.

Question 5

Mussolini’s final move

Answer 5

Abolish elected government and replace mayors with podestá appointed by local prefects who were appointed by Mussolini. Prefects held power in local regions, not ras. New PNF secretary Augusto Turati asserted prefects would take precedence if they had conflict with ras. Mussolini was a dictator of the party and of Italy. End of 1926: Italy was to all extents a one party, police state. It was not the dictatorship the ras hoped for in 1924.