Italo Balbo

Italo Balbo
Governor-General of Italian Libya
In office
1 January 1934 – 28 June 1940
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byRodolfo Graziani
Minister of Aeronautics
In office
12 September 1929 – 6 November 1933
Prime MinisterBenito Mussolini
Preceded byBenito Mussolini
Succeeded byBenito Mussolini
Quadrumvir in the
Grand Council of Fascism
In office
12 January 1923 – 28 June 1940
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
24 May 1924 – 2 March 1939
ConstituencyEmilia-Romagna
Personal details
Born(1896-06-06)6 June 1896
Ferrara, Kingdom of Italy
Died28 June 1940(1940-06-28) (aged 44)
Tobruk, Italian Libya
Political partyItalian Fasces of Combat
(1919–1921)
National Fascist Party
(1921–1940)
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Spouse
Emanuela Florio
(m. 1924)
Children3
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Italy
Branch/serviceMVSN
Regia Aeronautica
Years of service1915–1940
RankMaresciallo dell'Aria (Marshal of the Air Force)
Battles/warsWorld War I:

World War II:

Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Italian Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young age, he was sometimes seen as a possible successor to dictator Benito Mussolini.

After serving in World War I, Balbo became the leading Fascist party organizer in his home region of Ferrara. He was one of the Quadrumvirs, the four principal architects (Quadrumviri del Fascismo) of the March on Rome that brought Mussolini and the Fascists to power in 1922, along with Michele Bianchi, Emilio De Bono and Cesare Maria De Vecchi. In 1926, he began the task of building the Italian Royal Air Force and took a leading role in popularizing aviation in Italy, and promoting Italian aviation to the world. In 1933, perhaps to relieve tensions surrounding him in Italy, he was given the task of governing Italian Libya, where he resided for the remainder of his life. Balbo, hostile to antisemitism,[1] was among a minority of leading Fascists to oppose Mussolini's alliance with Nazi Germany.[2] Early in World War II, he was killed by friendly fire when his plane was shot down over Tobruk by Italian anti-aircraft guns who misidentified it.[3]

  1. ^ De Felice, Renzo (2001). The Jews in Fascist Italy: A History. Enigma Books. p. 184. ISBN 9781929631018.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Scala was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Taylor, Blaine, Fascist Eagle: Italy's Air Marshal Italo Balbo