Giorgio Almirante
Encyclopedia
Giorgio Almirante was an Italian politician, the founder and leader of the Italian Social Movement
until his retirement in 1987.
, in Emilia Romagna, the son of the actor Mario Almirante
. He spent his childhood following his parents, who worked in the theatre
, in Turin
and Rome
. Here he studied under Giovanni Gentile
, the then pre-eminent pro-fascist philosopher. He graduated in Literature in 1937.
-based fascist journal Il Tevere. A minor figure in the National Fascist Party
, whose chief claim to fame was a venomous polemic with Julius Evola
on how fascism was to be implemented (he maintained the materialistic view of "biological" view, while his opponent preferred a more "spiritual" take on the matter). In this respect he was influenced by the journalist Telesio Interlandi
, who was his ideological mentor. A journalist by profession, Almirante wrote extensively for Interlandi's journal La difesa della razza. Almirante also helped to organise the Italian Social Republic
, being appointed Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Culture in 1944. A second-tier figure at best, even in the last throes of the Italian fascist regime, Almirante was mentioned in the memoirs of an RSI veteran as "eating and talking all the way through an official dinner speaking in grandiose and cryptic terms of secret weapons and smiling to himself as he did know secrets beyond his guests' comprehension".
(MSI), which was set up the same year. Almirante was chosen as leader of the new party in part because of his low profile, as the higher ranking members of the fascist regime involved in the MSI opted instead to take on behind the scenes roles. Representing a radical faction within the party, Almirante's group lost ground as more moderate elements gained influence in the party; this tendency soon gained the upper hand, forcing Almirante to give way to Augusto De Marsanich
as leader in 1950. He had intimated his support for the Europe a nation
ideas prevalent at the time but failed to convince the party to take a position against De Marsanich's pro-NATO policy.
under De Marsanich and his successor Arturo Michelini
, resigned his position on the National Council to become a critic of the leadership. He emphasised the proletarian origins of fascism against the new conservatism and argued for 'quality' rather than 'quantity' in government, endorsing expert-driven elites instead of liberal democracy
. However, he stopped short of the route taken by the other leading dissident Pino Rauti
by remaining within the party. Like Rauti however he became increasingly influenced in his thought by Evola, even hailing the philosopher as "our Marcuse
- only better".
In his role as leader of the internal opposition Almirante was not averse to employing the tactics of the Blackshirts
, and indeed in 1968 he was one of three leaders of a 'punitive expedition' against student radicals at the Fine Arts Department at the University of Rome
. However, Almirante and some 200 followers were routed and in the end had to be protected by the police.
. On this basis he aimed to attract more conservative
elements to the MSI, while simultaneously passing reforms that strengthened the power of the party secretary in order to pre-empt opposition from the radical tendency with which he had previously been associated. He also sought to 'historicise' fascism and dropped the more overt references to the ideology from MSI propaganda and rhetoric, notably shelving the black shirt and the Roman salute
His new policy, known as the strategia del doppio binario, was not aimed at making the MSI more palatable to the Christian Democrats
, as had been the plan of his predecessor, but rather to move the MSI into that party's ideological space and so challenge them directly for the leadership of the right. As part of this policy he brought in a number of disparate rightist groups, merging the MSI with the Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity
, readmitting the hard-line splinter group Ordine Nuovo
, and adding establishment figures such as Admiral Gino Birindelli and General Giovanni de Lorenzo as members. However, the policy floundered as the MSI made few inroads into Christian Democrat support and instead pushed the mainstream right towards an accommodation with the Italian Communist Party
. As a consequence some of the moderate faction split off to form the National Democracy
in 1977.
Despite the policy's failure to deliver at the ballot box, under Almirante's leadership the MSI did emerge to an extent from the political ghetto, a shift demonstrated in 1984 when Almirante was allowed to enter the headquarters of the Communist Party in order to pay respects to their dead leader Enrico Berlinguer
, a gesture previously unimaginable for an MSI leader. However, his newly moderate approach brought him into conflict with Rauti and clashes between the two became a feature of the annual party conference.
Almirante also served the MSI in parliament although he was stripped of parliamentary immunity three times: in 1979, he was charged with trying to revive the Fascist Party; and in 1981 and also in 1984, he was charged with aiding and abetting Carlo Cicuttini
, who had fled Italy after a 1972 Peteano car bomb that killed three policemen. However, Almirante received amnesty under a 1987 law.
. Fini had been close to Almirante since 1977 when the MSI leader had Fini appointed chief of the MSI youth movement even though he had only finished seventh in the members vote. Almirante died in Rome on 22 May 1988.
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
until his retirement in 1987.
Early life
Almirante was born at Salsomaggiore TermeSalsomaggiore Terme
Salsomaggiore Terme is a town and comune in northern Italy. It is located in the province of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region, located at the foot of the Apennines. It is a popular Spa town. The water is strongly saline....
, in Emilia Romagna, the son of the actor Mario Almirante
Mario Almirante
Mario Almirante was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 26 films between 1920 and 1933. He directed the 1927 film La bellezza del mondo, which featured an early appearance from Vittorio De Sica.-External links:...
. He spent his childhood following his parents, who worked in the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Here he studied under Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.- Life and thought :Giovanni...
, the then pre-eminent pro-fascist philosopher. He graduated in Literature in 1937.
Pre War Fascism
Trained as a schoolteacher, Almirante instead wrote for the RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
-based fascist journal Il Tevere. A minor figure in the National Fascist Party
National Fascist Party
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
, whose chief claim to fame was a venomous polemic with Julius Evola
Julius Evola
Barone Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola also known as Julius Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esotericist...
on how fascism was to be implemented (he maintained the materialistic view of "biological" view, while his opponent preferred a more "spiritual" take on the matter). In this respect he was influenced by the journalist Telesio Interlandi
Telesio Interlandi
Telesio Interlandi was an Italian journalist and propagandist. He was one of the leading advocates of anti-Semitism in Fascist Italy....
, who was his ideological mentor. A journalist by profession, Almirante wrote extensively for Interlandi's journal La difesa della razza. Almirante also helped to organise the Italian Social Republic
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
, being appointed Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Culture in 1944. A second-tier figure at best, even in the last throes of the Italian fascist regime, Almirante was mentioned in the memoirs of an RSI veteran as "eating and talking all the way through an official dinner speaking in grandiose and cryptic terms of secret weapons and smiling to himself as he did know secrets beyond his guests' comprehension".
Leadership
Following the defeat of fascism Almirante was indicted on charges that he ordered the shooting of partisans in 1944, although a general amnesty saw this lifted. He initially fled Italy after the war but returned in 1946 to set up his own small fascist group which was quickly absorbed into the Italian Social MovementItalian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
(MSI), which was set up the same year. Almirante was chosen as leader of the new party in part because of his low profile, as the higher ranking members of the fascist regime involved in the MSI opted instead to take on behind the scenes roles. Representing a radical faction within the party, Almirante's group lost ground as more moderate elements gained influence in the party; this tendency soon gained the upper hand, forcing Almirante to give way to Augusto De Marsanich
Augusto De Marsanich
Augusto De Marsanich was an Italian National Fascist Party politician and the second leader of the Italian Social Movement ....
as leader in 1950. He had intimated his support for the Europe a nation
Europe a Nation
Europe a Nation was a policy developed by British politician Oswald Mosley as the cornerstone of his Union Movement. It called for the integration of Europe into a single entity....
ideas prevalent at the time but failed to convince the party to take a position against De Marsanich's pro-NATO policy.
Opposition
During the mid 1950s Almirante, disquieted by the drift towards conservatismConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
under De Marsanich and his successor Arturo Michelini
Arturo Michelini
Arturo Michelini was an Italian politician and Secretary of the Italian Social Movement.Michelini was born in Florence. An accountant by profession, he was a lower to middle-ranking figure in the National Fascist Party, rising to become secretary of the party in Rome...
, resigned his position on the National Council to become a critic of the leadership. He emphasised the proletarian origins of fascism against the new conservatism and argued for 'quality' rather than 'quantity' in government, endorsing expert-driven elites instead of liberal democracy
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
. However, he stopped short of the route taken by the other leading dissident Pino Rauti
Pino Rauti
Giuseppe Umberto "Pino" Rauti is an Italian politician who has been a leading figure on the far right for many years...
by remaining within the party. Like Rauti however he became increasingly influenced in his thought by Evola, even hailing the philosopher as "our Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse was a German Jewish philosopher, sociologist and political theorist, associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory...
- only better".
In his role as leader of the internal opposition Almirante was not averse to employing the tactics of the Blackshirts
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
, and indeed in 1968 he was one of three leaders of a 'punitive expedition' against student radicals at the Fine Arts Department at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
. However, Almirante and some 200 followers were routed and in the end had to be protected by the police.
Return to the leadership
Almirante regained the leadership of the party in 1969 following the death of Michelini. By now his own opinions had shifted somewhat towards a more moderate position as he soon declared his own support for democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. On this basis he aimed to attract more conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
elements to the MSI, while simultaneously passing reforms that strengthened the power of the party secretary in order to pre-empt opposition from the radical tendency with which he had previously been associated. He also sought to 'historicise' fascism and dropped the more overt references to the ideology from MSI propaganda and rhetoric, notably shelving the black shirt and the Roman salute
Roman salute
The Roman salute is a gesture in which the arm is held out forward straight, with palm down, and fingers touching. In some versions, the arm is raised upward at an angle; in others, it is held out parallel to the ground. The former is a well known symbol of fascism that is commonly perceived to be...
His new policy, known as the strategia del doppio binario, was not aimed at making the MSI more palatable to the Christian Democrats
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
, as had been the plan of his predecessor, but rather to move the MSI into that party's ideological space and so challenge them directly for the leadership of the right. As part of this policy he brought in a number of disparate rightist groups, merging the MSI with the Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity
Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity
Since 1961 the Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity was the continuation of the Italian Democratic Party , a monarchist party founded in 1959 by the union of the People's Monarchist Party and the National Monarchist Party.The new party, like its predecessors, was hampered by a...
, readmitting the hard-line splinter group Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo , full name Centro Studi Ordine Nuovo, "New Order Scholarship Center") was an Italian far right cultural and extra-parliamentary political and terrorist organization founded by Pino Rauti in 1956...
, and adding establishment figures such as Admiral Gino Birindelli and General Giovanni de Lorenzo as members. However, the policy floundered as the MSI made few inroads into Christian Democrat support and instead pushed the mainstream right towards an accommodation with the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
. As a consequence some of the moderate faction split off to form the National Democracy
National Democracy (Italy)
The National Democracy party was a spin-off of Movimento Sociale Italiano, after the electoral defeat of 1976. It was born to pursue an agreement with the Democrazia Cristiana party, by moving from the neo-fascist ideology of the Movimento Sociale Italiano to a post-fascist moderate ideology.The...
in 1977.
Despite the policy's failure to deliver at the ballot box, under Almirante's leadership the MSI did emerge to an extent from the political ghetto, a shift demonstrated in 1984 when Almirante was allowed to enter the headquarters of the Communist Party in order to pay respects to their dead leader Enrico Berlinguer
Enrico Berlinguer
Enrico Berlinguer was an Italian politician; he was national secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1972 until his death.-Early career:...
, a gesture previously unimaginable for an MSI leader. However, his newly moderate approach brought him into conflict with Rauti and clashes between the two became a feature of the annual party conference.
Almirante also served the MSI in parliament although he was stripped of parliamentary immunity three times: in 1979, he was charged with trying to revive the Fascist Party; and in 1981 and also in 1984, he was charged with aiding and abetting Carlo Cicuttini
Carlo Cicuttini
Carlo Cicuttini is a former member of the neo-fascist grouping Ordine Nuovo, who was convicted in absentia in 1987 for his part in a bombing attack in Peteano di Sagrado, 1972...
, who had fled Italy after a 1972 Peteano car bomb that killed three policemen. However, Almirante received amnesty under a 1987 law.
Retirement
Dogged by poor health, Almirante stepped down as leader at the 1987 National Congress and saw the leadership pass to his protege Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
. Fini had been close to Almirante since 1977 when the MSI leader had Fini appointed chief of the MSI youth movement even though he had only finished seventh in the members vote. Almirante died in Rome on 22 May 1988.