April 28 is the 75th anniversary of the execution of Benito Mussolini, the fascist Italian dictator, by communist partisans. As World War II ended the Italian communists rid the world of one fascist, but they allowed capitalism to continue just with a ‘democratic’ façade. It’s not just Mussolini or Donald Trump or Joe Biden, we have to get rid of the whole damn capitalist system, to paraphrase some of the young Black rebels who fought against racist police murder in Ferguson, Missouri. Let’s rebuild a communist movement that will finally put the working class in power all over the world and put all the capitalists and their racist system in the rash heap of history!
At first a socialist, Mussolini was expelled from the Italian Socialist Party for supporting Italian participation in imperialist World War I. When the war ended, Italy appeared ripe for a communist revolution. But the young Italian Communist Party (PCI), though large, was not prepared. It was not a tightly organized, democratic centralist party like the Russian Bolsheviks had formed under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. And it was geared more toward reformist politics than violent revolution.
Italian capitalists install fascist, imperialist Mussolini
Meanwhile Italian capitalists rushed to support Mussolini, who formed a nationalist dictatorship. His fascist party outlawed strikes and any independent labor movement, and killed or imprisoned communists. Communist leader Antonio Gramsci was arrested and spent the rest of his life in prison. Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship arrested, tortured, and executed opponents. His uniformed thugs, the “Blackshirts,” roamed the streets, beating and killing.
Unopposed by the imperialist Allies, Mussolini directed the brutal colonization of Libya, ultimately killing one third of its population. After 1936, he directed the imperialist conquest of Ethiopia, Somalia (then called Italian Somaliland), and Eritrea – again unopposed by the Western imperialists, who loved him for his anticommunism. The New York Times reporter in Italy, Arnaldo Cortesi, openly supported Mussolini’s policies.
Along with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler of Germany, Mussolini sent huge numbers of soldiers, military equipment, and airplanes to support fascist Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Republic was strongly supported by Stalin and the Soviet Union, which the Allies feared. The Allies blockaded the Spanish Republic, thus guaranteeing that the fascist Franco would win.
Mussolini allies with Hitler
In June 1940, Mussolini sided with Hitler in the Second World War. Fascist Italian troops occupied Greece, Albania, parts of France and Northern Africa. When Hitler invaded the then-socialist Soviet Union (USSR) on June 22, 1941, Mussolini sent troops to fight against the USSR alongside the German army. After some initial victories, the Italian army was decimated at the Battle of Stalingrad, December 1942-February 1943.
In July 1943, the Grand Council of Fascism overthrew Mussolini and the Italian King appointed a new leader. The new capitalist government tried to side with the Allies. Meanwhile Mussolini was rescued by a German commando raid and taken to Northern Italy, where he was made head of a puppet Italian state.
Communists lead resistance to fascism; kill Mussolini
The communists refused to support the new capitalist government formed by the King. They intensified their guerrilla war against both German and Italian fascist troops. Communist fighting units had political commissars, who promoted communist political consciousness among the volunteers. Many were organizing workers in the cities, while others fought in the countryside. Throughout World War II the Italian Communist Party led the underground opposition to fascism. The communist “Garibaldi Brigades” were the most numerous anti- fascist fighters and also suffered the most casualties in the anti-fascist war.
On April 25, 1945, the heavily communist National Liberation Committee of Northern Italy ordered a general insurrection in all territories still occupied by the Nazi fascists. They directed all partisan forces in Northern Italy to attack fascists and Germans, and demand their surrender. The watchword was “Surrender or Die!” Mussolini and dozens of other fascist leaders fled, heading for neutral Switzerland.
Mussolini and 52 fascist leaders were arrested on April 27. Communist-led partisans shot Mussolini the next day. His body and that of his mistress, Clara Petacci, were driven to Milan and hanged by the heels in a local square, the Piazzale Loreto, along with the bodies of other fascist leaders.
Reformist politics allow capitalists to maintain power
The partisans had wanted to seize power in Italy before the Allied troops arrived to put capitalist figures back into power. However, this proved impossible with the huge American army present. In May, 1945, the Allies and the capitalist Italian government ordered the partisans to disarm. But only about 60 percent of the weapons were turned in. Many communists did not trust the new government, and kept weapons and other military equipment. Throughout the 1950s, many partisans expected a return to guerrilla warfare in the mountains against the capitalist Italian State.
But the PCI adopted the sellout “peaceful co-existence” line, expecting to gain “socialism through the ballot box.” This rotten policy, ordered by the revisionist (phony communist) Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, led to defeat after defeat.
Fight for communism
We in the Progressive Labor Party salute and respect the great achievements, victories, and sacrifices of our forebears in the Italian communist movement. We are also determined not to repeat their mistakes – especially, the error of trusting the capitalists. Communist revolution is the only way to working-class power.