“On the 11th morning of yesterday at the Capitol Square, at the time of the International Surgery, Mr. Mussolini was exposed to the International Surgery Congress and at the moment he was appointed by the crowd to seize his car, a bar.” “Everyday»On April 8, 1926, on the murderous attempt against its Prime Minister ItalyBenito Mussolini, by Irish Violet Gibson.
The report of “Kathimerini” was detailed: “Until the moment you are gathered information, they say the following details of today’s murderous attempt against Mr Mussolini. On the 11th of the morning, Mr. Mussolini, preach to the launch of the International Surgery Congress in Capitol and spoke of his inauguration, withdrawing and released to the Square of the Capitol to enter his car. At that moment, a 60 -year -old line, which had approached Mr Mussolini by his hand to a revolver for him. Abundant blood flowing from Mr. Mussolini’s nose and immediately revealed his face. “
For his good luck, Mussolini was accompanied by a medical teacher who was able to lead him back to the Capitol, where Concentrated doctors took care of his wounds. Violet Gibson’s fate, however, was not as good.
Born in 1876, he belonged to a wealthy Irish family, which maintained close ties with the English aristocracy. She was the daughter of Lord Astos and grew up in an environment of wealth and privileges. However, Her life was marked by health problems, both physically and mentally. During her life, she spent periods of religious zeal, political awakening and internal turmoil.
Gibson, influenced by the suffering of the Italian people under fascist governance, developed a strong dislike for Mussolini. Although he initially lived in Britain, traveled to Romewhere she decided to perform her mission: to eliminate the man who saw as a threat to Europe. After her failed attempt, He was arrested on the spot and received wild beating by Mussolini’s supporters. She did not resist and was delivered immediately to the authorities.
With the intervention of the British government and her family, Gibson was mentally unstable and deported to Britain.
After her arrest she was questioned by the Italian authorities. Fascist newspapers presented the incident as proof of the “divine protection” of which Mussolini had and took advantage of the event to reinforce worship for him. Although Gibson’s bullet passed scratched by his faceby slightly injuring him in the nose, Mussolini survived, further enhancing his profile as a “invulnerable leader” in the eyes of his supporters.
Although fascist propaganda was persistent, the Italians decided not to try the assassin, fearing that the case could cause international dispute. With the intervention of the British Government and her family, Gibson was declared mentally unstable and deported to Britain. There, instead of being released, she was enclosed in a lifelong psychiatric asylum, despite her repeated calls released. She died in 1956, forgotten by her family and the public.
Column: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poumenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
