Police state Benito Mussolini

mussolini in years in power

between 1925 , 1927, mussolini progressively dismantled virtually constitutional , conventional restraints on power , built police state. law passed on december 24, 1925 – christmas eve largely roman catholic country – changed mussolini s formal title president of council of ministers head of government , although still called prime minister non-italian news sources. no longer responsible parliament , removed king. while italian constitution stated ministers responsible sovereign, in practice had become impossible govern against express of parliament. christmas eve law ended practice, , made mussolini person competent determine body s agenda. law transformed mussolini s government de facto legal dictatorship. local autonomy abolished, , podestàs appointed italian senate replaced elected mayors , councils.

on 7 april 1926, mussolini survived first assassination attempt violet gibson, irish woman , daughter of lord ashbourne, deported after arrest. on 31 october 1926, 15-year-old anteo zamboni attempted shoot mussolini in bologna. zamboni lynched on spot. mussolini survived failed assassination attempt in rome anarchist gino lucetti, , planned attempt italian anarchist michele schirru, ended schirru s capture , execution.

all other parties outlawed following zamboni s assassination attempt in 1926, though in practice italy had been one-party state since 1925 (with either january speech chamber or passage of christmas eve law, depending on source). in same year, electoral law abolished parliamentary elections. instead, grand council of fascism selected single list of candidates approved plebiscite. grand council had been created 5 years earlier party body constitutionalized , became highest constitutional authority in state. on paper, grand council had power recommend mussolini s removal office, , theoretically check on power. however, mussolini summon grand council , determine agenda. gain control of south, sicily, appointed cesare mori prefect of city of palermo, charge of eradicating mafia @ price. in telegram, mussolini wrote mori:

your excellency has carte blanche; authority of state must absolutely, repeat absolutely, re-established in sicily. if laws still in force hinder you, no problem, draw new laws.

mori did not hesitate lay siege towns, using torture, , holding women , children hostages oblige suspects give up. these harsh methods earned him nickname of iron prefect . in 1927, mori s inquiries brought evidence of collusion between mafia , fascist establishment, , dismissed length of service in 1929, @ time number of murders in palermo province had decreased 200 23. mussolini nominated mori senator, , fascist propaganda claimed mafia had been defeated.