The Ministry of the Air Force () was a department of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, and subsequently of the

Italian Republic 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 ...

, with jurisdiction over both military and

civil aviation Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, which can be both private and commercial. Most countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and ...

. Established in 1925, it was abolished in 1947 when it merged with the

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) ( 600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of War (Esto ...

and the Ministry of the Navy to form the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. Although generally translated as "Ministry of the Air Force" in English, the literal English translation of the ministry's name is "Ministry of

Aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...

," which more accurately captures its role in overseeing both the air force and civil aviation. Its role thus was analogous to the contemporary British

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

and

Ministry of Aviation The Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply. ...

(''Reichslutfahrtministerium'') of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, both of which oversaw both military and civil aviation.

Origins

In 1912, after the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish (, "Tripolitanian War", , "War of Libya"), also known as the Turco-Italian War, was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911 to 18 October 1912. As a result of this conflict, Italy captur ...

ended, the Italian

() established an Aeronautical Inspectorate (). It later became the Directorate of Aviation Services (). During

World War I 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 ...

, the Orlando government established the General Commissariat for Aeronautics () at the Ministry of Arms and Munitions () with Lieutenant Legislative Decree Number 1813 on 1 November 1917, and Eugenio Chiesa, a member of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

, was appointed commissioner that day. In December 1917, the Ministry of Arms and Munitions established the General Directorate of Aviation () under

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Giulio Douhet Giulio Douhet (30 May 1869 – 15 February 1930) was an Italian general and air power theorist. He was a key proponent of strategic bombing in aerial warfare. He was a contemporary of the air warfare advocates Walther Wever, Billy Mitchell, ...

, but Douhet soon had a falling out with Chiesa and left the directorate in April 1918. On 24 November 1918, the commissariat moved from the Ministry of Arms and Munitions to the Ministry of War. On 30 June 1919, the general management of aeronautics was transferred to the Ministry of Maritime and Railway Transport (). In his first cabinet,

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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 ...

on 24 January 1923 established a General Commissariat for the Air Force (), overseeing both military and

, with Mussolini himself as commissioner. Aldo Finzi served as deputy commissioner and prepared the legislative provisions necessary for the establishment of both the Ministry of the Air Force and an independent

air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

. He established two general directorates – one for the air force and one for civil aviation – and appointed Giulio Douhet, who became a major general, as general director for the air force and Lieutenant Colonel Arturo Mercanti as general director for civil aviation. Royal Decree Number 645 of 28 March 1923 established a new armed force, the ''

Regia Aeronautica The Royal Italian Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') (RAI) was the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Regio Esercito, Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was ...

'' (literally “Royal Aeronautics” but usually translated as “Royal Air Force”) and resubordinated all military air forces in the Kingdom of Italy and its colonies — including both those previously under the control of the ''Regio Esercito'' (“ Royal Army”) and those previously under the ''

Regia Marina The , ) (RM) or Royal Italian Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy () from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' ("Military Navy"). Origin ...

'' (“Royal Navy”) — to the new air force. On 14 May 1925, the position of deputy commissioner for the Air Force was abolished and that of

undersecretary of state Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is a ...

for the Air Force was created, to which

Divisional General Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

Alberto Bonzani was appointed.

Creation

Royal Legislative Decree Number 1513 established the Ministry of the Air Force on 30 August 1925, transforming the commissariat into a ministry. The new ministry oversaw both the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and civil aviation and brought together all the aeronautical services previously under the Ministry of War. Initially, the Ministry of the Air Force had three general directorates: the General Directorate for Military Personnel and Aeronautical Schools, the General Directorate for Civil Aeronautical Personnel, and the General Directorate for the

Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...

Corps.

History

Prime Minister Mussolini himself served as minister of the Air Force from 1925 to 1929, with a senior ''Regia Aeronautica'' officer appointed to serve as secretary of state, to whom Mussolini delegated everyday management of the ministry.

Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Italian Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian ...

became undersecretary in 1926 and succeeded Mussolini as minister in 1929. Balbo gave a notable impetus to the establishment of aviation in Italy. Under Balbo, the

Fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

politician Raffaello Riccardi served as undersecretary. Balbo's tenure as minister ended in 1933 when Mussolini again became minister of the Air Force in addition to prime minister, and Mussolini remained minister of the Air Force until his

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

regime ended on 25 July 1943. Riccardi also departed in 1933, and Mussolini resumed the previous practice of appointing a senior ''Regia Aeronautica'' officer to serve as secretary of state and handle the ministry's daily management. The Kingdom of Italy was abolished in 1946 and replaced by the

. Under the republic, the Ministry of Aeronautics continued its oversight of both civil aviation and the air force, the latter now renamed the ''Aeronautica Militare'' (literally "Military Aeronautics," but usually translated as "

Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...

").

Abolition

With Decree Number 17 of the provisional head of state of 4 February 1947, the Third De Gasperi government ordered the dissolution of the Ministry of the Air Force, Ministry of the Navy, and Ministry of War, effective 14 February 1947, and their merger to form the new

(). The Ministry of Defence retained control of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air Traffic () until the Italian Republic transferred the responsibilities for civil aviation to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation () in 1963.

Organization

In 1942, the Ministry of the Air Force was organized as follows: *Office of the Minister *General Directorate of Military Personnel *General Directorate of Civilian Personnel and General Affairs *General Directorate of Material and

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

Services *General Directorate of Construction and Supplies *Superior Directorate of Studies and Experiments *General Directorate of Civil Aviation and Air Traffic *General Directorate of Weapons and Ammunition *General Directorate of State Property *General Directorate of the Military Commissariat *

Telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

and Flight Assistance Inspectorate *Health Inspectorate *Inspectorate of

and Aeronautical Production

List of ministers

Building

The ministry building is in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

near the

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome (), formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", abbreviated simply as Sapienza ('Wisdom'), is a Public university, public research university located in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1303 and is ...

and the

Roma Termini railway station Roma Termini (in Italian, ''Stazione Termini'') is the main railway station of Rome, Italy. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian (in Latin, ''thermae''), which li ...

. It consists of the historic Palazzo dell'Aeronautica, designed in 1929 by engineer Roberto Marino and opened in 1931. It was completed by the construction of the former Air War School, the Air Force Officers' Club building, and the Operational Technical Services Building (E.S.T.O.) built in the 1980s.

References

{{Council of Ministers of Italy

Military of Italy Aviation history of Italy Civil aviation in Italy Italian Air Force 1925 establishments in Italy 1947 disestablishments in Italy Ministries established in 1925 Ministries disestablished in 1947