Renato Ricci (1 June 1896 – 22 January 1956) was an

Italian fascist 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 ...

politician active during the Mussolini government.

Early life and arrest

Ricci was born on 1 June 1896 in Carrara into working-class family. He first came to prominence as a legionary of Gabriele d'Annunzio from 1919 to 1920. He was arrested for his activities and imprisoned in

Sarzana Sarzana (, ; ) is a town, ''comune'' (municipality) and former short-lived Catholic bishopric in the Province of La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. It is east of La Spezia, on the railway to Pisa, at the point where the railway to Parma diverges to the ...

leading in 1920 to a failed attempt to liberate him by fascist activists which, despite being a failure proved a propaganda success.

Mussolini government

As '' ras'' of the fascio squad in his native town, Ricci initially supported a 40-day strike by quarry workers in 1924. After the spell as a squad leader in Carrara, Ricci's profile rose and he eventually became head of the '' Opera Nazionale Balilla'' youth movement. He became a member of government and served as Mussolini's Minister of Corporations. Politically he became known as one of the main

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

sympathisers in the fascist government. Indeed, along with others of a similar persuasion such as Giovanni Preziosi and Roberto Farinacci, he had fled to

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 ...

before the

Gran Sasso raid During World War II, the Gran Sasso raid (codenamed ''Unternehmen Eiche'', , literally "Operation Oak", by the German military) on 12 September 1943 was a successful operation by Fallschirmjäger, German paratroopers and ''Waffen-SS'' commandos ...

and met up with '' Il Duce'' there after Otto Skorzeny's capture of the fascist leader. With a long-standing reputation for violence, Ricci had established links with

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

through the Fascist militia before July 1943. With Nazi support, he and Alessandro Pavolini set about creating a new paramilitary gendarmerie. He served as leader of this group, the National Republican Guard, during the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...

. Ricci was also the head of the Republican Police Corps established in December 1944 as part of the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces (, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth Military branch, branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's Gendarmerie, military police an ...

. This group included the

Blackshirts The Voluntary Militia for National Security (, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts (, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the National Fascist Party, known as the Squadrismo, and after 1923 an all-vo ...

, the Italian Africa Police members serving in Rome and the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

. The Corps would be the entity that would work against anti-Fascist groups and would be autonomous (not reporting to

Rodolfo Graziani Rodolfo Graziani, 1st Marquis of Neghelli ( , ; 11 August 1882 – 11 January 1955), was an Italian military officer in the Kingdom of Italy's Royal Italian Army, Royal Army, primarily noted for his campaigns in Africa before and during World Wa ...

) according to an order issued by Mussolini on 19 November 1944.

Post-war years and death

Following the collapse of the

Republic of Salò The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...

Italian resistance movement The Italian Resistance ( ), or simply ''La'' , consisted of all the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social Republic during the Second World War in Italy ...

tribunal discharged Ricci after deciding that his force was simply an internal police.Neville, p. 200 He was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment but was released in 1950 due to a general amnesty. In 1955, he became one of the founders of the neo-fascist Association of Servicemen of the RSI. He died on 22 January 1956 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, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricci, Renato 1896 births 1956 deaths People from Carrara Members of the Grand Council of Fascism Government ministers of Italy Mussolini Cabinet Deputies of Legislature XXVII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXVIII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXIX of the Kingdom of Italy Members of the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations Italian neo-fascists Italian military personnel of World War I Italian prisoners and detainees People of the Italian Social Republic People convicted of treason against Italy