Mussolini's speech that inspired Meloni
The Duce's speech
Excerpts from the speech given by Benito Mussolini on January 3, 1925, to claim responsibility for the Matteotti murder.
Excerpts from the speech given by Benito Mussolini on January 3, 1925, to claim responsibility for the Matteotti murder.
«Gentlemen! (….) Article 47 of the Statute states: "The Chamber of Deputies has the right to accuse the King's ministers and to bring them before the High Court of Justice." I formally ask if there is anyone in this Chamber, or outside this Chamber, who wishes to avail himself of Article 47. (…) It is I, gentlemen, who bring the accusation against myself in this Chamber. It has been said that I founded a Cheka. Where? When? In what way? No one can say. (…) But then, gentlemen, what butterflies are we going to look for under the Arch of Titus? Well, I declare here, before this assembly, and before all the Italian people, that I assume (I alone!) responsibility (political! moral! historical!) for all that has happened. If more or less distorted phrases are enough to hang a man, out with the stake and out with the rope! If Fascism was nothing but castor oil and a truncheon and not instead a proud passion of the best Italian youth, I am to blame! If Fascism was a criminal conspiracy (omissis), I am responsible for this, because I created this historical, political, and moral climate. (omissis)…Now I dare say that the problem will be solved. Fascism, Government and Party, are in full efficiency. Gentlemen, you have deluded yourselves! You believed that Fascism was over because I repressed it, that the Party was dead because I punished it and then had the cruelty to say so. If I put a hundredth of the energy I put into repressing it into unleashing it, oh, you'd see... But there won't be any need for that, because the Government is strong enough to completely and definitively crush the Aventine sedition (...) You can be sure that within 48 hours of my speech, the situation will be clarified throughout the region, as they say. And we all know that this is not a personal whim, nor a government lust, nor an ignoble passion, but simply a boundless and powerful love for the Fatherland.
l'Unità
