In 1945 Benito Mussolini the Italian dictator and founder of the Italian Nationalist Party, Fasci di Combattimento, (where the word fascism was derived) was executed by Italian Partisans. He and his mistress along with some close associates were captured on the 26th of April while they attempted to escape to Switzerland. In 1922, Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, feared a communist uprising such as in Russia and so appointed Mussolini the head of a new government of Fascist and Nationalist with him as Prime Minister. Once the socialist leader died in 1924 the ‘Fascist police’ suppressed any other party and by 1929 Italy had a one party system with Mussolini as Leader. In a show of strength Mussolini ordered his army to take Ethiopia as they already controlled the neighbouring countries. This was condemned by the League of Nations but Mussolini became a hero to the leader of the German Nationalist Party (the NAZI party). In 1936 Hitler met with Mussolini and they signed a non-military alliance with Germany. During World War II, Italy made many attempts to take territories but suffered many losses mainly to British forces. These defeats made Mussolini look weak in the eyes of the Germans and Mussolini was loosing favour with Hitler. The Allies decided to remove Mussolini once and for all and they invaded Sicily knowing this would enrage the Italian people. It worked and on the 25th of July 1943 the fascist government met and voted to oust Mussolini, King Victor Emmanuel III had him removed from office and imprisoned but Hitler had him rescued and placed him in charge of a area in North Italy which was under German Control. After his capture he was held until this day in 1945 when he was executed by a firing squad. His body and the body of his associates and mistress were then hung upside down as members of the public beat them and spat on the corpses. At the end of the day their mutilated corpses were left in the gutter at the side of the road.
Also In 1945 On the 28th of April news of Himmler’s failed surrender attempt was released on the BBC. With the end of World War II in sight and the inevitable defeat of Hitler, Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler attempted to broker a deal for surrender of the German forces to Western powers on the understanding that he would remain in control of Germany after the war. His offer was not accepted especially because the acts of mass murder committed at Himmler’s command. The message was intercepted by German intelligence and when Hitler heard he was heartbroken. He also received news of the execution of Long term friend and Italian Dictator Mussolini, whose body was left in the gutter to rot. To avoid capture and a similar fait, Hitler committed suicide on the 30th of April with his revolver while his wife of one day took a cyanide capsule.
