Augusto Turati
Encyclopedia
Augusto Turati was an Italian
journalist and Fascist
politician.
Born in Parma
, after moving to Brescia
as a young man, Turati worked on newspapers and became one of the editors at the liberal
Provincia di Brescia; he attended law classes, but never graduated. An irredentist
and advocate of Italy entering World War I
, he volunteered for the front in 1915. In 1918, he returned to Brescia as head editor of the same newspaper.
In 1920, he joined the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento
- a year later, the National Fascist Party
(Partito Nazionale Fascista, or PNF). Active in trade union
ism for the régime-backed corporatist
enterprises, Turati was a secretary for the Brescia Fascio
. In 1926-1930, he was secretary of the PNF, helping in the consolidation of Benito Mussolini
's rule. He doubled this task with leadership positions in sports: a Federtennis president, a Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera
one, and leader of the Italian National Olympic Committee (jobs held in 1928-1930). In 1930-1931, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee
. Turati was also the inventor of a short-lived and supposedly uniquely Italian team sport which he called volata
.
Between 1924 and 1934, Turati served in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
; in 1931-1932, he was the editor-in-chief of La Stampa
. Accused of intrigues against other members of the PNF, Turati was demoted from official positions, and was confined on Rhodes
(an Italian possession at the time) in 1933. Redeemed in 1937, he was released and assigned the task of carrying out a massive agricultural
experiment in Ethiopia
(part of Italian East Africa
). He had to return to Italy after the project failed the next year.
Turati moved away from the political scene, and worked as a legal consultant. He was however opposed to Italy's entry into World War II
, as well as to the Nazi
-protected Italian Social Republic
; at the end of the war, he nevertheless faced trial, but was acquitted on all charges.
He died in Rome
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
journalist and Fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
politician.
Born in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, after moving to Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
as a young man, Turati worked on newspapers and became one of the editors at the liberal
Liberalism and radicalism in Italy
- Background :The formation of political groups in the 19th century in divided Italy is based on personalities, like Camillo di Cavour and Giuseppe Mazzini. Both the Historical Right and the Historical Left were composed of monarchist liberals, while radicals organised themselves as the Radical...
Provincia di Brescia; he attended law classes, but never graduated. An irredentist
Italia irredenta
Italian irredentism was an Italian Irredentist movement that aimed at the unification of all ethnically Italian peoples....
and advocate of Italy entering World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he volunteered for the front in 1915. In 1918, he returned to Brescia as head editor of the same newspaper.
In 1920, he joined the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento
Fasci Italiani di Combattimento
The Fasci Italiani di Combattimento were an Italian fascio organization, created by Benito Mussolini in 1919. After World War I had ended, he reconstituted the Milan fascio, renaming it Fasci Italiani di Combattimento. In 1921, this fascio would be transformed into the Partito Nazionale Fascista,...
- a year later, 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...
(Partito Nazionale Fascista, or PNF). Active in trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ism for the régime-backed corporatist
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
enterprises, Turati was a secretary for the Brescia Fascio
Fascio
Fascio, plural -sci /'faʃʃo, ʃi/ is an Italian word literally meaning "a bundle" or "a sheaf", and figuratively league, and which was used in the late 19th century to refer to political groups of many different orientations...
. In 1926-1930, he was secretary of the PNF, helping in the consolidation of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's rule. He doubled this task with leadership positions in sports: a Federtennis president, a Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera
Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera
FIDAL is the governing body for athletics in Italy since 1906....
one, and leader of the Italian National Olympic Committee (jobs held in 1928-1930). In 1930-1931, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
. Turati was also the inventor of a short-lived and supposedly uniquely Italian team sport which he called volata
Volata
Volata is a ball game that was developed in fascist Italy as a substitute for association football and rugby union. It was played by eight-man sides to rules that were a hybrid of those for football and handball....
.
Between 1924 and 1934, Turati served in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
; in 1931-1932, he was the editor-in-chief of La Stampa
La Stampa
La Stampa is one of the best-known, most influential and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers. Published in Turin, it is distributed in Italy and other European nations. The current owner is the Fiat Group.-History:...
. Accused of intrigues against other members of the PNF, Turati was demoted from official positions, and was confined on Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
(an Italian possession at the time) in 1933. Redeemed in 1937, he was released and assigned the task of carrying out a massive agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
experiment in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
(part of Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
). He had to return to Italy after the project failed the next year.
Turati moved away from the political scene, and worked as a legal consultant. He was however opposed to Italy's entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as well as to the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
-protected 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...
; at the end of the war, he nevertheless faced trial, but was acquitted on all charges.
He died in 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...