Logo of the Arditi del Popolo.

The Arditi del Popolo (People's Squads) were an Italian militant anti-fascist group founded at the end of June 1921 to resist to the rise of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party and the violence of the Blackshirts (squadristi) paramilitaries ^[1]. It grouped revolutionary trade-unionists, socialists, communists, republicans, etc., as well as some former military officers, and was co-founded by Mingrino, Argo Secondari, Gino Lucetti — who tried to assassinate Mussolini on 11 September 1926 — the deputy Guido Picelli, etc. The Arditi del Popolo were an offshoot of the Arditi elite troops, who had previously occupied Fiume in 1919 behind the Futurist poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, who proclaimed the Italian Regency of Carnaro. Those who splitted to form the Arditi del Popolo were close to the anarchist Argo Secondari and were supported by Mario Carli. The formazioni di difesa proletaria (Proletarian Defense Formations) latter merged with them. The Arditi gathered approximatively 20,000 members in summer 1921 ^[2]. Militant anti-fascism is a form of anti-fascism that advocates the use of violence against fascism. ... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the prime minister, and a faget and dictator of Italy from 1922 until 1943, when he was overthrown. ... The National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista; PNF) was an Italian party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Fascism (previously represented by groups known as Fasci; see also Italian fascism). ... Benito Mussolini The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere or squadristi) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. The term was later applied to a similar group serving the British Union of Fascists before the War. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, with an emphasis on liberty, rule by the people, and the civic virtue practiced by citizens. ... Arditi was the name adopted by Italian Army elite assault troops of World War I. The name derives from the Italian verb Ardire (to dare) and translates as the braves. Reparti dassalto (Assault Units) were formed in the summer of 1917 by Colonel Bassi, and were assigned the tactical... Rijeka (Fiume in Italian and Hungarian; Rijeka and Fiume both mean river) is the principal seaport of Croatia, located on the Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. ... Futurism (or Futurist) may refer to: Futures studies, the philosophical or academic study of the medium to long-term future (also known as futurology). ... Gabriele dAnnunzio (12 March 1863, Pescara – 1 March 1938, Gardone Riviera, province of Brescia) was an Italian poet, writer, novelist, dramatist and daredevil, who went on to have a controversial role in politics as a precursor of the fascist movement. ... DAnnunzio as the Duce of Fiume The Italian Regency of Carnaro (Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro in Italian) was proclaimed as a state by Gabriele DAnnunzio in Fiume, now the city of Rijeka in Croatia, on September 8, 1920. ... Mario Carli (December 30, 1888, San Severo—September 9, 1935, Rome) was an Italian poet, novelist, essayist, diplomat, and journalist. ...

Relations with the workers' movement and organized parties

Composed of socialists, anarchists and communists, the Arditi del Popolo were not supported by the socialist parties (neither by the Italian Socialist Party, PSI, nor by the Communist Party of Italy, PCd’I). The Arditi were criticized by the socialist newspaper Avanti! on July 7, 1921, following a demonstration in Rome the previous day. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Fourth Estate The Partito Comunista Italiano (PCI) or Italian Communist Party emerged as Partito Comunista dItalia or Communist Party of Italy from a secession by the Leninist comunisti puri tendency from the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) during that bodys congress on 21 January 1921 at Livorno. ... Avanti! (Forward!) was an Italian daily newspaper, the official voice of the Italian Socialist Party, published since December 25, 1896. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5...

On July 10, 1921, Lenin wrote in the Pravda an article praising the Arditi and criticizing the Bordigan tendency of the PCI which opposed militant anti-fascism ^[1]. On August 3, 1921, the PSI signed a "pacification pact" (patto di pacificazione) with the National Fascist Party, while the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) and the PSI refused to officially recognize the anti-fascist militia. Furthermore, the PCd’I ordered its members to quit the organization because of the presence of non-communists in its ranks ^[3][4]. The PCI organized by themselves some militant groups (the Squadre comuniste d'azione), but their actions were relatively minor and the party kept a non-violent, legalist strategy. July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a... Pravda (Russian: , The Truth) was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991. ... Amadeo Bordiga. ...

The Bordigan tendency was opposed by the Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci ^[5], and many communist activists, who supported the Arditi ^[6]. In October 1921, the Comintern criticized the "sectarian policy" of the PCI, who threatened its members who supported the Arditi of disciplinary measures ^[6]. However, after the alignement of Gramsci and of L'Ordine Nuovo to the PCI's direction, the anarchist Umanità Nova newspaper remained the sole mouthpiece of the workers' movement which supported the Arditi del Popolo ^[6]. See also Marxian economics Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory designs work in philosophy which is strongly influenced by Karl Marxs materialist approach to theory or which is written by Marxists. ... Antonio Gramsci (IPA: ) (January 22, 1891 – April 27, 1937) was an Italian writer, politician and political theorist. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including...

Parma and dismantlement of the group

One of the Arditi's most important success was in Parma in August 1922, when 350 arditi, directed by the World War I veterans Antonio Cieri and Guido Picelli, successfully defended the city against a 20,000 men fascist offensive headed by Roberto Farinacci, who would join the Grand Council of Fascism in 1935, and Italo Balbo, one of the four main planners of the March on Rome. The Arditi benefitted from massive popular support in this task ^[7]. Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Parma (PR) Mayor Elvio Ubaldi (since May 28, 2002) Elevation 55 m Area 260 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 175,789  - Density 676/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Parmigiani (Parmensi are called the provinces inhabitants) Dialing code... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Roberto Farinacci Roberto Farinacci (October 16, 1892-April 28, 1945) was a leading member of the Italian Fascist Party before and during World War II. Born in Isernia, Italy, Roberto Farinacci was raised in poverty and dropped out of school at a young age. ... The Grand Council of Fascism (Italian: ) was the main body of Mussolinis Fascist government in Italy. ... Air Marshal Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (June 6, 1896 - June 28, 1940) was an Italian aviator, blackshirt leader and possible successor of Mussolini. ... For the movie by Dino Risi, see March on Rome (film) The March on Rome was a pseudo-coup détat by which Mussolinis National Fascist Party came to power in Italy. ...

But with complicity of state security forces, the fascists assassinated and detained most of the leaders of the anti-fascist movement, which was completely dismantled by 1924.

Legacy

Many Arditi del Popolo later joined the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The name was also re-used by Resistants during World War II. The communists Antonello Trombadori and Luigi Longo created an organization thus named on July 25, 1943. The three-pointed red star, symbol of the International Brigades The Flag of the International Brigades The International Brigades were Republican military units in the Spanish Civil War, formed of many non-state sponsored volunteers of different countries who traveled to Spain, to fight for the republic in the Spanish... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union[1] Nationalist Spain With the support of: Italy Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola José Sanjurjo Casualties 500,000[2] The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict... Partisans parading in Milan The Italian resistance movement was a partisan force during World War II. // After Italys capitulation on 8 September 1943, the Italian resistance movement became massive. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Antonello Trombadori (April 24, 1917–March 7, 1993) was a Roman art critic and journalist. ... Luigi Longo (1900 - 1980) was an Italian Communist political figure. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

List of members

• Argo Secondari, anarchist
• Gino Lucetti, anarchist
• Guido Picelli, deputy
• Alberto Acquacalda, assassinated on August 11, 1921 by Fascists
• Riccardo Lombardi (not officially a member but a participant)
• Giuseppe Di Vittorio, communist
• Vincenzo Baldazzi
• Antonio Cieri

Giuseppe Di Vittorio, also known under the pseudonym Nicoletti (August 12, 1892, Cerignola—November 3, 1957, Lecco), was an Italian syndicalist trade unionist and communist politician, one of the most influential leaders of the labor movement after World War I. Early activities He differed from most fellow activists through his...

References

Goldsmiths College (founded 1891 by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths as Goldsmiths Technical and Recreative Institute) has been a part of the federal University of London since 1904, when it took its current name. ... The University of London is a university based primarily in London. ... Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers. ... Antonio Gramsci (IPA: ) (January 22, 1891 – April 27, 1937) was an Italian writer, politician and political theorist. ...

Bibliography

• Tom Behan, The Resistible Rise of Benito Mussolini, Bookmarks, 2003, ISBN 978-1898876908 (account of the book in Socialist Worker review)

Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers. ...

Italian language

• Balsamini, Luigi, Gli Arditi del Popolo. Dalla guerra alla difesa del popolo contro le violenze fasciste, Casalvelino Scalo, Galzerano, 2002.
• Cordova, Ferdinando, Arditi e legionari dannunziani, Padova, Marsilio, 1969.
• Francescangeli, Eros, Arditi del Popolo. Argo Secondari e la prima organizzazione antifascista (1917-1922), Roma, Odradek, 2000.
• Fuschini, Ivan, Gli Arditi del Popolo, prefazione di Arrigo Boldrini, Ravenna, Longo, 1994.
• Rossi, Marco, Arditi, non gendarmi! Dall’arditismo di guerra agli arditi del popolo 1917-1922, Pisa, BFS, 1997.

See also

• Italian Fascism
• Militant anti-fascism