Italo Balbo
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Marshal Italo Balbo |
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Italo Balbo in 1929.
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| Governor-General of Italian Libya | |
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In office 1 January 1934 – 28 June 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Rodolfo Graziani |
| Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies | |
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In office 24 May 1924 – 28 June 1940 |
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| Constituency | Ferrara |
| Quadrumvir in the Grand Council of Fascism | |
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In office 12 January 1923 – 28 June 1940 Serving with Michele Bianchi (d. 1930), Emilio De Bono, Cesare Maria De Vecchi |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 June 1896 Ferrara, Italy |
| Died | 28 June 1940 (aged 44) Tobruk, Libya |
| Political party |
Italian Fasci of Combat (1919–1921) National Fascist Party (1921–1940) |
| Spouse(s) | Emanuela Florio (m. 1924; his death 1940) |
| Children | Valeria Giuliana Paolo |
| Religion | Deism |
| Awards | 1 Bronze medal 2 Silver medals |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Italy
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| Service/branch |
MVSN Regia Aeronautica |
| Years of service | 1915–1940 |
| Rank | Maresciallo dell'Aria (Marshal of the Air Force) |
| Battles/wars | |
Italo Balbo (Ferrara, 6 June 1896 – Tobruk, 28 June 1940) was an Italian Blackshirt (Camicie Nere, or CCNN) leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force (Maresciallo dell'Aria), Governor-General of Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa (Africa Settentrionale Italiana, or ASI), and the "heir apparent" to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
After serving in World War I, Balbo became the leading Fascist organizer in his home region of Ferrara. He was one of the four principal architects of the March on Rome that brought Mussolini and the Fascists to power in 1922. In 1926, he began the task of building the Italian Royal Air Force and took a leading role in popularizing aviation in Italy, and promoting Italian aviation to the world. In 1933, perhaps to relieve tensions surrounding him in Italy, he was given the government of Italian Libya, where he resided for the remainder of his life. Balbo was the only leading Fascist to oppose both anti-Jewish racial laws and Mussolini's alliance with Nazi Germany. Early in World War II, he was killed by friendly fire when his plane was shot down over Tobruk by Italian anti-aircraft guns.
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Wikipedia