The Panther and the Lion

[mattw101]

I decided to start this TL after being intrigued by some articles on the Time Magazine online archive (which I recommend as interesting historical reading on some often quite obscure topics ).

Here are the three quotes which basically sum up the premise, with the first providing the POD and the other two an idea of how the TL will initially progress.

“This week at Cyrene, while Benito Mussolini was reviewing a procession of Mohammedans who rumbled past in their peasant ox carts, cheers caused an ox to break over the traces, and bellowing it charged Il Duce. Italo Balbo and other Fascist bigwigs flung themselves upon the ox, twisting it over by the horns and holding it prostrate, sitting on its head until peasants ran up with ropes, hobbled the ox's feet. Scowling, the Dictator watched. Himself a peasant, he then scathingly reproved the peasant owner of the ox in choice Italian argot for being such a numbskull as not to know how to handle it.”

Time Magazine: Monday, Mar. 22, 1937
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757432-4,00.html

“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.”

Time Magazine: Monday, Mar. 22, 1937
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757432,00.html

“In the shadow of Benito Mussolini, generally from three to ten paces behind him on all public occasions, strides pantherlike Achille Starace. If the Dictator ever develops an Achilles' heel, most Italians feel that Starace is in a position to pierce it. As Secretary of the Party he holds the key post from which Joseph Stalin in another land succeeded another Dictator.”

Time Magazine: Monday, Aug. 05, 1935
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,711688,00.html



The Panther and the Lion

Part One

12th March 1937

Benito Mussolini, fascist Prime Minister of Italy, begins a tour of the recently pacified Italian colony of Libya. Efforts are made to portray the Duce as a friend of Islam, in the hope of stirring up trouble for the British in Asia and the Middle East. To this end Mussolini visits a number of sacred Islamic sites on his tour, as well as the borders with British Egypt and French Tunisia.

In Spain, where an Italian expeditionary force is supporting the military campaigns of Francisco Franco, loyalist forces attack the positions of the Italian Corpo Truppe Volontarie.

16th March 1937

At a parade held in Mussolini’s honour at Cyrene, an ox breaks free from its harness and charges the Duce. Mussolini stands his ground but, realising the increasing extent of the danger he is in, turns and trips. The ox’s horns gauge the base of Mussolini’s back, causing damage to the spinal cord, kidneys and stomach. The Duce is immediately transferred to the local hospital – but the dilapidated building lacks the medical equipment necessary for the advanced operations required. It is decided that Mussolini will be flown to the hospital at Benghazi. Despite the risks in moving him, Mussolini is placed aboard a Fiat BR.20 Cicogna bomber at around 6:00pm local time.

The Cicogna arrives in Benghazi at 10pm, and preparations for operating begin immediately. However just minutes before the surgery is due to start Mussolini is pronounced dead following massive blood loss and internal complications.

17th March 1937

News of the Duce’s death reaches Italy in the early hours of the 17th. Widespread panic ensues throughout government – at the time of his death Mussolini personally held five of the fifteen cabinet jobs, including Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. No contingency plan exists for the Duce’s death, and many of the top fascist officials are sycophantic lackeys utterly incapable of decisive action. Officials eventually decide that a new government structure will have to be decided when the delegation in Libya, which included Galeazzo Ciano and Italo Balbo, returns.

18th March 1937

Spanish Republican General Enrique Lister leads a breakthrough of the Italian lines at the battle of Guadalajara, recapturing the town of Brihuega. The news of Mussolini’s death, only just filtering through having been announced to the Italian people in the morning, delivers another blow to the already fragile morale of the Italian troops.

Reports from Libya indicate that Italo Balbo is conducting discussions with senior Colonial Army officers, including Marshall Pietro Badoglio and General Mario Caracciolo di Feroleto. Although they are conducted discreetly, news reaches Rome that Balbo may be contemplating putting himself forward as Mussolini’s successor.

19th March 1937

In response to developments in North Africa, a cabal in Rome forms around PNF Secretary Achille Starace. Starace, an uncompromisingly pro-German anti-Semite, had in the past been privately critical of Mussolini for his supposed moderation and refusal to fully embrace Nazi-style racial policies, but in public presented a façade of absolute loyalty to the Duce.

In Spain, the disastrous Battle of Guadalajara ends. Italian troops have taken heavy casualties, with 650 killed, 500 taken prisoner and almost 2,000 wounded.

20th March 1937

In the absence of authoritative orders from Italy, General Mario Roatta – commanding officer of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie – orders all Italian troops serving in Spain out of the front line until a new government is established in Rome. Italian pilots cease flying sorties until further notice.

21st March 1937

Starace and his ally Roberto Farinacci attempt to browbeat the Fascist Grand Council into proclaiming Starace provisional head of government before Balbo arrives back from Africa. However undecided members of the Council, including Costanzo Ciano and Luigi Federzoni insist that no decision be taken until the Duce is buried. Government remains effectively paralysed – the consequence of Mussolini’s power-hoarding throughout the 1930s, which has led to a serious dearth of officials with ministerial experience.

Balbo, still in Cyrene, boards a plane to Rome upon hearing news of the attempted seizure of power and arrives at Tommaso Fabbri airport in the early morning of 22nd March.

23rd March 1937

The Fascist Grand Council disbands as the official week of mourning for the Duce begins. Plans are proposed for a Fascist rival to Lenin’s Mausoleum in Leningrad. An honour guard of blackshirted MVSN officers stand watch over Mussolini’s body in the Piazza del Popolo. Tens of thousands of Italians will file past the coffin in the course of the next week.

Balbo meets in secret with Galeazzo Ciano – the Foreign Minister – and fellow Quadrumvir Cesare Maria de Vecchi at the Ministry of Colonial affairs. A verbal contract is agreed upon, whereby they will attempt to block Starace’s bid for power when the Grand Council reconvenes, and instead install Balbo as Prime Minister. Ciano will continue his role in the Foreign Office, while de Vecchi will become the new secretary of the Partito Nazionale Fascista.

Starace’s influence within the ranks of the party, and especially the MVSN, is disquieting. However the conspirators are confident that the Air force will wholly back Balbo, as a result of him being heavily involved in its development in the 1920s, while Ciano’s father’s authority within the Navy (he is a highly decorated admiral who served with distinction in the Great War) will also prove invaluable. The attitude of the army, should open conflict break out, will depend much on the attitude of the King – Victor Emmanuel III.

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All thoughts, opinions, random expletives and ideas welcome.

[Alberto Knox]

This is looking very interesting already. I'm really hoping that Balbo wins the power struggle, this Starace seems like one scary guy.

[mattw101]

Originally Posted by baggins

This is looking very interesting already. I'm really hoping that Balbo wins the power struggle, this Starace seems like one scary guy.

Thanks. Yeah, Starace isn't too nice - plus he's generally incompetent and was only promoted for his loyalty to Musso. Still, he does have quite a bit of support amongst the more right-wing faction of the PNF.

[DaleCoz]

Well, at least you arranged a fitting end to Benny the Moose.

[alt_historian]

bumpy... interesting!