The Assassination Attempt on Mussolini 100 Years Ago

An assassination attempt on Mussolini in Bologna on October 31, 1926, marked the fourth attempt on his life in less than a year. According to an analysis by Giovanni Sale, SJ, in La Civiltà Cattolica, these attacks allowed the regime to implement new restrictions on constitutional freedoms and accelerate the process of rendering the state Fascist.

Previous attempts, often carried out by mentally unstable individuals, had already facilitated the shift toward authoritarianism. A failed attempt by former Socialist deputy Tito Zaniboni on November 4, 1925, preceded legislative changes that granted Mussolini full executive power by December 24, 1925. Under this authority, he became accountable only to the king.

Further measures on January 31, 1926, allowed the government to pass laws without consulting Parliament, reducing the chamber to a rubber-stamp role. Subsequent laws expanded the powers of prefectural authorities and reorganized local administrations.