THE EXECUTIONERS - UNIT 6

5th  May  1945

MUSSOLINI IS DEATH 

After years of suffering the partisans finish with the life of Mussolini.

Benito Mussolini

On 28th April a dream for the population comes true, the head of The Fascist Party of Italy, Italian Prime Minister and President of the Italian Social Republic was murdered.

In a vain attempt to flee Italy, Mussolini was captured by the Italian Resistance along with his mistress Clara Petacci and other fascist leadres. Although Mussolini initially believed that Audisio, leader of the group of communist partisants, was coming to liberate them, he took them to the village of Giulino di Mezzegra where, next to Via XXIV Maggio, and before the gates of Villa Belmonte, they were shot at 16:10.

The secret and expeditious method of execution was decided with the alleged intention of the Allies to capture Mussolini alive and prosecute him before and international tribunal. There was the possibility that he would be given a shorter sentence or absolved, while many partisans demanded instead that the dead penalty be applied to the Duce as finally decreed.

Bodies of the fascist party

The corpses were moved in the afternoon of the same day but until 29th they weren't hung. This was done to publicly confirm his death, and as a gesture of humiliation and partisan revenge, since in that same place the bodies of 15 antifascist partisans had been hung months before. The body of Mussolini was disfigured with blows to such an extent that it was almost unrecognizable.

What will happen now to Italy?