Marquis Dino Perrone Compagni (born 22 October 1879 in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

– died 5 January 1950 in Florence) was a leading figure in the early years of

Italian fascism Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...

Life

Perrone Compagni joined the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

at an early age and was a career soldier. However after reaching the rank of lieutenant he was demoted to private during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

for incompetence. Philip Rees, '' Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'', 1990, p. 294 His first political activity was in the ''Association Italia e Vittorio Emanuele'', a minor liberal group before in November 1920 he switched to the fascists, becoming political secretary in Florence. Given his noble background Perrone Compagni came to represent the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

wing of fascism that looked out for the interests of landowners and magnates in opposition to the more proletarian wing that followed the rough and ready leadership of the likes of Tullio Tamburini. Perrone Compagni became an important figure as

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

stood on the brink of takeover by

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

when he was appointed one of the four commandants-general of the fascist squads. His importance was emphasised in the

March on Rome The March on Rome () was an organized mass demonstration in October 1922 which resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party (, PNF) ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. In late October 1922, Fascist Party leaders planned a march ...

when he commanded the Tuscan contingent of the fascist squadrons. Under Mussolini's government Perrone Compagni enjoyed wide power, particularly in Tuscany where he was effective head of the fascist machine. Such was his power in the region that he was given the nickname of 'Grand Duke' in Tuscany.Frank Snowden, ''The Fascist Revolution in Tuscany, 1919-22'', 2004, p. 160 His high profile made him a target for

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

s however and he was wounded in an ambush in

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

not long after the takeover. He would go on to serve as prefetto of

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...

from December 1926 to January 1930 before being appointed a Minister of State in 1932. In April 1934 he was appointed to the

Italian Senate The Senate of the Republic (), or simply the Senate ( ), is the upper house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, the lower house being the Chamber of Deputies. The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform iden ...

and in 1938 he secured the expulsion of his rival Carlo Scorza from that body. This was to be his last action of note as he disappeared into obscurity during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and took no role in post-war politics.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrone Compagni, Dino 1879 births 1950 deaths Italian fascists Italian military personnel of World War I Margraves in Italy Tuscan nobility Politicians from Florence