When did Benito Mussolini die?
Benito Mussolini was executed on the 28th of April 1945, in the village of Giulino di Mezzegra in northern Italy. He was shot in the final days of World War II in Europe, two days before Adolf Hitler's suicide.
Questions about Death of Benito Mussolini
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who killed Benito Mussolini?
The generally accepted account holds that communist partisan Walter Audisio, using the nom de guerre Colonnello Valerio, shot Mussolini at Villa Belmonte. The circumstances and the shooter's true identity have remained disputed in Italy, with at least twelve different people named as the executioner over the years.
Where was Benito Mussolini captured before his execution?
Mussolini and his companion Clara Petacci were captured on the 27th of April 1945 by local partisans near the village of Dongo on Lake Como. He had been discovered hidden in a German military truck after disguising himself in a Wehrmacht overcoat and helmet.
What happened to Benito Mussolini's body after his death?
Mussolini's body was taken to Milan's Piazzale Loreto, where a crowd abused it before it was hung upside down from a girder above a service station. He was buried in an unmarked grave, stolen by Fascist supporters in 1946, hidden by authorities for eleven years, and finally reburied in the Mussolini family crypt in Predappio in 1957.
Why is Benito Mussolini's death still debated in Italy?
The official version, naming Walter Audisio as the executioner, has been questioned within Italy since the late 1940s, in a manner compared to the John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories. Competing theories include claims involving British intelligence and disputes over exactly who ordered and carried out the execution.
How did Benito Mussolini's death affect Adolf Hitler?
Hitler learned of Mussolini's death on the 29th of April 1945 and killed himself in Berlin the following day. Some historians believe news of Mussolini's fate strengthened his resolve to avoid capture and have his own body destroyed.