Edmondo Rossoni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edmondo Rossoni
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| Minister of Agriculture and Forestry | |
| In office January 24, 1935 – October 31, 1939 |
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| Prime Minister | Benito Mussolini |
| Preceded by | Giacomo Acerbo |
| Succeeded by | Giuseppe Tassinari |
| Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office May 24, 1924 – August 5, 1943 |
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| Constituency | At-large |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 6, 1884 Tresigallo, Italy |
| Died | June 8, 1965 (aged 81) Rome, Italy |
| Political party | PSI (1903–1915) FIC (1915–1921) PNF (1921–1943) |
| Profession | Trade unionist, journalist |
Edmondo Rossoni (born May 6, 1884 – died June 8, 1965) was an important Italian politician. He was a leader in a movement called syndicalism, which focused on workers' rights and unions. Later, he became involved with the fascist syndicalist movement during the time of Benito Mussolini's rule in Italy.
Contents
Early Life and Union Work
Edmondo Rossoni was born into a working-class family in Tresigallo, a small town in Italy. He became interested in helping workers and was even put in prison in 1908 for his activities as a syndicalist. Syndicalists believed that workers should organize into unions to control industries and improve their lives.
In 1910, Rossoni moved to the United States. There, he worked with Bill Haywood as an organizer for a big union called the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). He also edited a newspaper for workers called Il Proletario (which means The Proletarian). This newspaper became the IWW's Italian-language paper.
Rossoni saw that Italian immigrant workers in the United States were not treated well. This experience made him want to combine the idea of helping workers with a strong sense of national pride. When World War I started, he returned to Italy and joined the military.
Joining the Fascist Movement
After the war, Rossoni wanted to bring together ideas about social change and national identity. In 1921, he joined Benito Mussolini's Italian fascist movement. This movement aimed to create a strong, unified Italy under a powerful leader.
After the March on Rome, when Mussolini's party took power, Rossoni became a key figure in Mussolini's government. He stayed in this role until 1943.
Shaping the Fascist State
Rossoni, along with other leaders like Alfredo Rocco and Giuseppe Bottai, played a big part in shaping Italy's Fascist State. He developed a plan called corporativismo integrale. This plan aimed to organize Italy into a "Fascist syndicate" state, where different groups of workers and employers would be organized and controlled by the government.
Rossoni is seen as one of the founders of "Fascist syndicalism." He believed that workers in Italy had been treated poorly by both business owners and other countries. He felt that international movements didn't truly help Italian workers.
One of Rossoni's first union efforts in Italy was helping to start the Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL) in 1918. He even led workers in taking over a steel plant in 1919, using the Italian flag instead of the red flag often used by other worker movements.
Leading Fascist Unions
Rossoni was known for his strong opinions on labor and how society should be organized. In 1922, he became the leader of the Confederation of National Syndicates. This group grew and changed names, eventually becoming the General Confederation of Fascist Syndical Corporations by the end of 1922. He also started a newspaper for Fascist trade unions called Il lavoro d’Italia.
With support from the government, Rossoni greatly increased the number of members in the Fascist Syndicate. Membership grew from 250,000 to 1.8 million between 1920 and 1924. This was more members than even the National Fascist Party had. This large number of members made other Fascist leaders worried about Rossoni's growing power.
Rossoni believed that Fascist syndicalism should lead the way in the Fascist movement. He said that "only the Fascist syndicates could complete the revolution." He and his group of Fascist Syndicates wanted workers to have more control and a stronger sense of their own group.
Challenges and Changes
Rossoni's ideas sometimes caused problems with business owners. He believed that workers should eventually control factories. He even said that business owners were not doing enough to help production.
Many Fascist union leaders, including Rossoni, had spent their lives fighting for workers' rights. This often put them at odds with big businesses and employer groups in Italy.
By 1926, Rossoni was openly criticizing business owners. He saw fascism as a "great revolution" that would be guided by the spirit of the Italian people.
To show support for workers, Rossoni and another Fascist leader, Roberto Farinacci, supported strikes in 1925. They wanted workers to get higher wages and for unions to be officially recognized. However, these tactics didn't always work.
Eventually, a law was passed in 1926 that gave Fascist unions a monopoly. This meant they were the only legal representatives for workers. Rossoni believed that without the Fascist movement, the union movement wouldn't have existed.
However, other Fascist leaders and business groups were not happy with Rossoni's independent power. In November 1928, his organization, the National Confederation of Fascist Syndicates, was broken up. It was reorganized into six smaller unions based on different types of work. Some historians believe this was done to reduce Rossoni's influence, as his unions often pushed for better worker contracts and salaries, which employers didn't like.
Later Years and Legacy
Even though he lost his leadership role in the Fascist unions, Rossoni continued to work in Mussolini's government. He was a member of the Fascist Grand Council from 1930 to 1943. He also served as an undersecretary of state and later as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry from 1935 to 1939.
As Minister of Agriculture, Rossoni ordered the rebuilding and redesign of his hometown, Tresigallo. He wanted to turn it into a modern "new town" for Italy.
On July 25, 1943, Rossoni made a famous decision. He voted against Mussolini's leadership during a meeting of the Grand Council. This was part of a plan to remove Mussolini from power. When Mussolini later regained control in northern Italy, Rossoni was found guilty without being present at his trial and faced a severe punishment.
He managed to escape to Canada. In 1947, he returned to Italy after his punishment was changed to life imprisonment. He lived for many years in the resort town of Viareggio.
