Word: balbo
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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When Rome correspondents are asked by editors abroad to scratch their heads and name an Italian who might be considered "Mussolini's rival" they generally name the Governor-General of Libya, His Excellency Grand Councilman Italo Balbo. Reason: Balbo led a mighty mass formation flight of Italian planes in 1933 to Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition and it is logical to suppose that the Lindbergh publicity he thus won "made Mussolini jealous," had its sequel when Il Duce packed him off out of the world's limelight to rule Libya. Last month Colonel & Mrs. Charles Augustus Lindbergh flew...
...Italo Balbo was born of prosperous parents June 6, 1896 in the ancient city of Ferrara. A hothead from the first, Italo enlisted at only 19 to fight for Italy during the World War, soon collared medals for "conspicuous valor." When Gabriele d'Annunzio defied the Peace Conference and President Wilson with his quixotic move to seize Fiume and make it Italian, one of the practical young fighters who enabled the poet to succeed in his at first foolhardy, then brilliant coup was Balbo...
...Balbo took to Fascism and the leadership of Mussolini with verve and recklessness, organizing Fascist locals and presently leading Blackshirts to storm and capture the then-Socialist stronghold of Ravenna. At the time of the decisive March on Rome in 1922 he was only 26 but already a Fascist Militia General, one of the historic Quadrumvirs who entered Rome in the actual March, directed by Editor Mussolini by telegraph from the office of Popolo d'ltalia which is still the Dictator's family newspaper. Queerest thing about the entire coup was that, like Hitler's in 1933, it was "perfectly...
...violent Balbo resigned command of the Fascist Militia. Il Duce tucked him away as Undersecretary of National Economy, and he might have stayed in this sackcloth & ashes of atonement indefinitely had he not managed to wangle over to the Ministry of Aviation with his same rank of Undersecretary. Aviation and Balbo being what they are, this fiery Fascist soon got up so much momentum in the Air Service that in 1928 he skyrocketed to the rank of full "General of Air," next year entered the Mussolini Cabinet as its youngest member (33) as Air Minister. New Minister Balbo immediately removed...
Under the new Air Minister, aviation's fighting arm, as well as Italian commercial aviation, took giant strides. In mass formation flights, personalty led by the Air Minister, Italy began to excel more spectacularly each year. The name of Italo Balbo made headlines everywhere, and Dictator Mussolini figured it was about time to give him a taste of what he had given the three Heroes de Bernardi, Ferrarino and de Pinedo...