Mussolini's Shadow: The Double Life of Count Galeazzo CianoMarried to Benito Mussolini’s favorite daughter Edda, young Count Galeazzo Ciano (1903-1944) became il Duce’s confidant, emissary, and heir apparent in the years preceding World War II. Appointed foreign minister in 1936, Ciano played a central role in the Axis partnership negotiations with Hitler and von Ribbentrop and masterminded Italy’s invasions of Albania and Greece. But Ciano came to disagree with his father-in-law over Italy’s partnership with Germany, and he joined with other dissident Fascists plotting to remove Mussolini from office. Ciano was found guilty of treason, and despite desperate attempts to trade his sensational diaries for his life, he was shot. This is the first biography of Ciano in English, and it is based in part on those diaries, smuggled by Edda out of the country in her own dramatic escape. Mussolini’s Shadow peels away much of the mystery of the Fascist era, provides an eye-opening account of the ruling figures of Germany and Italy, and offers a close-up view of the daily workings of Mussolini’s regime. Count Ciano’s story is that of a highly intelligent man-but one also frivolous, arrogant, and overbearing-whose short life was characterized by espionage, intrigue, sexual scandal, assassination, and the abuse of power. As a leading player in Italy’s alliance with Germany, Ciano gambled with his own fate and with the fate of his country. |
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Contents
Galeazzo and Edda | 1 |
Diplomat to Bomber Pilot | 14 |
Europes Youngest Foreign Minister | 21 |
Ciano and the Germans | 36 |
War in Albania | 50 |
An Open Marriage | 57 |
The Pact of Steel | 64 |
The Invasion of Poland | 72 |
The Most Hated Man in Italy | 128 |
Plotting Against the Duce | 140 |
Into the Cage of the Beasts | 155 |
Collapse of Mussolinis Regime | 168 |
Escape to Germany | 176 |
Treason | 196 |
In Pursuit of the Ciano Diary | 239 |
Epilogue | 257 |
The Break with Mussolini | 86 |
Italy Enters the War | 103 |
the Attack on Greece | 113 |
Notes | 266 |
279 | |
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Common terms and phrases
afterward Albania Alfieri Allied ambassador American Anfuso April arrested attack Attolico Badoglio Bastianini Beetz believe Benini Berlin Bottai British Buffarini Ciano asked Ciano replied Ciano told Ciano wrote Clara Petacci Costanzo Count Ciano days later death diplomat documents Dolfin Dollmann Drago Duce Duce's Dulles Edda Ciano Edda Mussolini Edda's Fabrizio Fascist father Foreign Minister France François-Poncet French Führer Galeazzo Ciano gave German Gestapo Goebbels Göring Grand Council Grandi Greece Greek Guerri Harster Hitler Höttl husband Ibid Italian Italy Italy's Jews journalist Kaltenbrunner king letter Livorno Marzio meeting memoirs Milan military Ministry Mussolini told Nazi never night October Orio Vergani Pact Pact of Steel Palazzo Venezia Pavolini Petacci Poland police political prison Pucci Rachele Raimonda Ramiola regime returned Ribbentrop Rome Senise Spain Susanna Agnelli Susmel Swiss Switzerland talk telephoned tell told Ciano took troops Vatican Vergani Verona wanted