Ivan
Bonomi
was born in
Italy in 1873. After studying natural sciences
and law he took up journalism in 1898. Bonomi, a member of the
Italian Socialist Party, wrote for Avanti!
and Critica Socialista.
In 1909 Bonomi was elected
to parliament and after being expelled from the party he founded a
reformist socialist movement. Bonomi served as a minister under Vittorio
Orlando and Giovanni
Giolitti and briefly headed the Italian government in 1921.
Bonomi was opposed to Benito
Mussolini
and left politics in 1924. During the Second World
War he was a leader of the anti-Fascist struggle in Italy.
The loss of Sicily
in August 1943, created serious problems for Benito
Mussolini.
It was now clear that the Allies would use the island as a base for
invading Italy. A
meeting of the Fascist Grand Council was held on 24th July and Galaezzo
Ciano got support for his idea that Italy should sign a separate
peace with the Allies. The following day Victor
Emmanuel III told Mussolini he was dismissed from office. The
king now appointed Pietro
Badoglio
as head of the government. Soon afterwards he declared martial law
and placed Mussolini under arrest.
Bonomi
replaced Badoglio as prime minister in June 1944. In an attempt to
unite the country against Benito Mussolini,
Bonomi's government included long-time campaigners against fascism
such as Carlo Sforza , Benedetto
Croce and Palmiro Togliatti, the
leader of the Italian Communist Party.
Bonomi left office
in 1945 but three years later became president
of the Senate. Ivan
Bonomi died
in 1952.
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